Portrait Photography: Refining the Pose


By refining the details of a pose, you can make a portrait look far more relaxed. Being able to communicate what you want your clients to do is essential when making such subtle changes.

It is a good idea to build up a repertoire of posing positions. Not only will this help you with the composition and the way you frame the subject in the portrait, but it will also allow you to rely on a small variety of poses that you can achieve easily, making your subject feel confident in your ability and allowing you to be more creative during the rest of the session.

Awkward sitting pose — This portrait is a perfect example of why a pose needs to be refined: when the subject was asked to sit, she sat almost flat on her bottom, leaving her knees in an awkward and uncomfortable position. It looks posed and unnatural.

Refined sitting pose — Here, I asked the subject to roll her body toward the camera and rest on her hip to relax the pose. I also got her to cross her feet, which allowed the top knee to bend and slightly cover the bottom leg. Her left hand creates a gap between the arm and the body, which makes her look thinner, while her right arm supports her weight and adds to the shape and curve of the portrait.

Seating the Client
When a chair is used in a portrait, it is better for it to be off square to the camera, so that the subject can turn naturally. Many subjects tend to slouch: you can improve matters by asking them to sit toward the front of the chair, as this will keep their back a little straighter and make them look more alert. If the chair has arms, ask your subject to lean on the arm that is nearest the camera; this creates a look of interest and confidence. Leaning on the arm of the chair that is furthest from the camera can make the subject look withdrawn.

Fun posing — Never be afraid to use a prop completely out of character as it can add a fun and quirky element to the portrait. Here, the subject looks too big for the chair; a child in the same pose would look more natural in scale.

Using a chair — This portrait shows a classic seated pose, with the subject’s weight on her front hip and the front foot hooked behind the other to take it away from the camera and make it look less prominent. The hand nestles comfortably across the lap and bends slightly upward. Resting one arm on the chair back is a rather more contemporary style of posing; here, however, it distracts a little from the face, as the back of the hand is visible and looks large and catches the light too much.


Seating your client on the floor looks natural and gives him or her plenty of space. It is ideal for a full-length seated portrait. However, if it is not carefully controlled, this pose can make the subject look awkward and fatter.

Seated huddle — This portrait is perfect for women with the appropriate clothing as it exaggerates the slimness of the waist and, because both knees are bent, makes the legs look longer. Turning the body slightly away from the light exaggerates the highlight on the face and side arm and directs attention toward the face.

Refined huddle — Bringing all the limbs together gives a new mood to the portrait, as it now becomes very insular and secure. This pose exaggerates the use of arms to weave all the body parts together and lends a beautiful shape to the portrait.

Some people feel comfortable when lying on the floor, while others do not; you need to exercise a little common sense, as well as courtesy, when deciding what a client will and will not do. When your subject is lying on the floor, make sure that features such as the buttocks or bust are not overexaggerated.

Lying on the Floor

These poses are ideal for children and young women but not appropriate for a man.

Torso raised — The tilt of the head toward the key light makes the subject look relaxed, and the hands are positioned forward to balance the body as well as to help the composition. The hands could be brought back toward the chest, to shade them from the key light and make them less of a distraction.

Chin resting on hands — This pose makes the subject look slimmer; the amount of white background around her also helps to minimize her overall body size. When the chin rests on the hands, make sure it does not push down on the arm; this not only looks unnatural but will also fatten the face.
 
by Mark Cleghorn

You can find posing guide films on PhotoTraining4U by clicking HERE

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