gain weight in their hips and thighs. Unless you are a woman or live with a
woman, you never will realize how much women worry about this part of
their bodies.
The majority of portraits should not include this part of the body. For any
client with whom weight is a serious issue, it is especially important that you
guide them away from poses that show the hips and thighs. Notice I said
“guide.” Some photographers use about the same amount of tact as a foot-
ball coach. On a good day, a client can expect to hear things like, “Well, with
hips like yours.. .” or “You are a little hippy, so we probably shouldn’t show
them in the photograph.”
Anytime you have to talk with a client because what she wants to do isn’t
what she needs to do to be happy with her session, you should use past clients
as an example. A good way to explain that full-length poses shouldn’t be
taken would be, “Most woman go shopping for an entire outfit, and for that
reason they want to take poses full length. However, a lot of women worry
about their hips and thighs appearing heavy, so usually it is best to take the
poses from the waist up. Now, is there anything you would like to do full-
length, or do you want everything from the waist up?” Saying this, any
54 JEFF SMITH’S POSING TECHNIQUES FOR LOCATION PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY
If the hips or thighs are an area of concern,
they can sometimes be hidden even in a full-
length image.The majority of portraitsshould not includethis part of the body.