look good with bare feet, many people hate the appearance of their
feet. I never knew how much the feet were hated until, eight or nine
years ago, we started shooting seniors with bare feet. I would tell
each senior who was taking more relaxed poses to kick off their
shoes and socks—and I would see a look of horror come over the
senior’s face. The client would usually explain they hated their feet.
Based on their reaction, I expected to see feet with seven toes.
Bare Feet.Clients don’t want their feet to appear large, or their
toes to look long. Also to be avoided are funky colors of toenail pol-
ish, long toe nails (especially on the guys), or (if possible) poses
where the bottom of the feet show. If the bottom of the feet are to
show, make sure they are clean.
Minimizing the Apparent Size.Bare feet can be made to look
smaller by pushing up the heels of the foot. This not only makes the
feet look better, but also flexes the muscles in the calves of the legs,
making them look more shapely. Muscle tone in the legs is deter-
mined by the muscle that runs down the outside of the upper and
lower leg. Flex that muscle and the legs appear to be toned.
If the feet are showing with open-style shoes, the higher the
heel, the smaller the foot appears. At this time, the really tall wedge
shoes are popular, which also make the feet appear smaller.
90 POSING FOR PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY
Bare feet look smaller when the heels are
pushed up. You can also use another part of
the body or a foreground element to mini-
mize the apparent size of the feet.