won’t help you if you can’t remember them! Many
times I also think up new poses as I go through
the variations.
Once the client selects the pose, we put to use
the rules of posing the body. We will be covering
these in chapter 3, but here’s a quick overview.
The first thing is to turn the body toward the
shadow side of the frame to make sure the subject
appears as trim possible. The arms will be posed
away from the waist, slimming its appearance, and
the legs will be posed so that one leg supports the
body and the other creates an accent. The hands
will rest on a surface (a tree trunk, leg, table, etc.)
to make them more comfortable and appear natu-
rally posed. Although flat shoes would be more
comfortable, I ask women to wear high heels to
make sure their legs and thighs look as good as
possible. If this is not appropriate to the outfit,
their heels should be raised (or toes pointed) to
create the same effect. The subject’s face is also
turned back toward the main-light source for the
best view of the eyes and to stretch any loose skin
under the neck.
Now we are ready to pick up the camera. This
is a key difference between students and profes-
sionals. Students start shooting right away, notice
all the imperfections only when they see the final
images, and then vow to correct them in the future. Professionals carefully
study every aspect of the scene and only shoot when they are satisfied that
everything is the way it should be to create a flawless portrait.
Once the subject is in the pose and I have everything just the way I want
it, I explain exactly what I want them to do. I tell them that the first shot is
always a test—so it doesn’t matter if they blink, smile, or even sneeze. After
that, we will do a series of photos that are smiling, then a series of images with
a relaxed expression, and then a few big cheesy smiles at the end. With each
expression, I myself display the expression I want them to have (more on this
in the next chapter).
It’s important to remember that you are responsible foreverythingthat
appears ineveryframe ofeverysession you photograph. Only when you take
control of these elements will your portraits achieve a sense of style that will
ensure your clients enjoy them for a lifetime.
28 JEFF SMITH’S POSING TECHNIQUES FOR LOCATION PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY
If you want the subject to smile, you must
have a smile on your face, too. Subjects nat-
urally reflect the photographer’s mood.