How do you tap into your creative side for a photo shoot?

[ruggedshutter]

I'll say this from the beginning...I'm Type A with a capital A. I like to be organized and I can see the order of things in front of me. I can see a good photo when looking at a scene but I have trouble setting one up from scratch. I'm trying to develop that skill of seeing a photo in my mind before I even start posing someone. I hear time and time again that you just need to imagine the photo in your mind and then create the pose or scene. So what I'm asking is, how do you tap into your creative side and create a wonderful session so that your subjects look natural and not overly posed and rigid. (Just look at my Portraits section of my website to see what I mean)

 

[picunderapp]

Instead of posing someone and keeping them still for one shot, try to involve movement so the model will be in their most natural state. This approach will keep your models in a more natural state even though that means more photos and movement on your half.

 

[Britanica]

Instead of posing someone and keeping them still for one shot, try to involve movement so the model will be in their most natural state. This approach will keep your models in a more natural state even though that means more photos and movement on your half.

How long have you been shooting people? I have never felt comfortable doing it, so I stick to nature and animals. I never heard of getting involved with movement but it makes sense!

 

[tirediron]

One thing I find that helps is flow-posing; this is a technique where you start the model out in one position and tell them that you want him/her to transition from that pose to >this< pose over the course of 10, 15, 20 seconds. Sometimes it makes for great images, sometimes not.

 

[jowensphoto]

This is why I enjoy shooting couples and weddings. There really isn't much posing involved.

I tell them to enjoy the moment, love each other and then get some distance between them and myself. I use a telephoto lens and just capture their natural interactions.

When I try to use some complicated setup or try to force a sort of concept it ends up looking like crap.

 

[vintagesnaps]

You have some real nice photos and some seem like they could be improved with different framing and keeping an eye out for distractions. I like the ones of the mandolin player and the close up of the banjo; but there's a group shot with a mike in front of one musician's face and the top of a bass fiddle right above another performer's head. If you move around (and at an event if there isn't much room to move I lean or scrunch or whatever I can do) so you can change the vantage point.

The one of the girl pretending she's going to lick the cake is great, but whatever is to the right of her probably doesn't need to be in the picture, and if you'd been able to move a little that might have gotten the vase of flowers so it doesn't look like it's so much in her face. The mom and the girl at the table is so nice of them, but mom's hands are a little cut off and her camera sitting on the table probably isn't adding to the photo (I think it looks better to either include something in the photo or keep it out of the frame instead of just catching part or the edge of it).

In many of the photos you seem to have captured the fun or playfulness of the moment, so it seems you are good at seeing a moment to photograph and good at engaging subjects and working with people.

 

[pixmedic]

single malt scotch

 

[robbins.photo]

single malt scotch

Enough cocaine to kill a small horse. Or a really, really big dog.

Oh, and a diet coke.

 

[pixmedic]

This is why I enjoy shooting couples and weddings. There really isn't much posing involved.

I tell them to enjoy the moment, love each other and then get some distance between them and myself. I use a telephoto lens and just capture their natural interactions.

When I try to use some complicated setup or try to force a sort of concept it ends up looking like crap.

we do tons of posing for couples. especially at weddings.
Formals, pre-wedding shots, group shots...
tons of opportunity for classic portraiture at weddings. The possibilities are endless.
it is amazingly cool, and the couples and family love the results. (OMG, especially grandparents who are used to formal portraits on their walls...it reminds them of when they got married and had pictures taken)
why would you neglect such an awesome process and final result during times that give you the best opportunity?
find some friends and practice. once you get formal portraits reasonably dialed it, you will be hooked.

 

[ruggedshutter]

Thanks everyone. I'm definitely going to try and find a few people to practice on. I moved to this area fairly recently so I don't know too many people except my immediate family.

picunderapp

Instead of posing someone and keeping them still for one shot, try to involve movement so the model will be in their most natural state. This approach will keep your models in a more natural state even though that means more photos and movement on your half.​

I like this idea and will practice this. The more that I think about it, I could be adding to the stress of the session. I'm already nervous being out of my element and then adding posing on top of it...I just need to work more with people.

Britanica

How long have you been shooting people? I have never felt comfortable doing it, so I stick to nature and animals. I never heard of getting involved with movement but it makes sense!​

I have shot weddings for 5 years and then took a 9 year break and started my new business this spring. I do feel more comfortable shooting inanimate objects but I love shooting weddings

tirediron

One thing I find that helps is flow-posing; this is a technique where you start the model out in one position and tell them that you want him/her to transition from that pose to >this< pose over the course of 10, 15, 20 seconds. Sometimes it makes for great images, sometimes not.​

Thanks tirediron, I'll work on that this weekend with the boy. I'm sure that I can get him out for the house a bit

jowensphoto

This is why I enjoy shooting couples and weddings. There really isn't much posing involved.

I tell them to enjoy the moment, love each other and then get some distance between them and myself. I use a telephoto lens and just capture their natural interactions.

When I try to use some complicated setup or try to force a sort of concept it ends up looking like crap.​

I know the feeling. I love weddings and how natural it is to shoot in a PJ style and just look for natural expressions.

vintagesnaps

You have some real nice photos and some seem like they could be improved with different framing and keeping an eye out for distractions. I like the ones of the mandolin player and the close up of the banjo; but there's a group shot with a mike in front of one musician's face and the top of a bass fiddle right above another performer's head. If you move around (and at an event if there isn't much room to move I lean or scrunch or whatever I can do) so you can change the vantage point.

The one of the girl pretending she's going to lick the cake is great, but whatever is to the right of her probably doesn't need to be in the picture, and if you'd been able to move a little that might have gotten the vase of flowers so it doesn't look like it's so much in her face. The mom and the girl at the table is so nice of them, but mom's hands are a little cut off and her camera sitting on the table probably isn't adding to the photo (I think it looks better to either include something in the photo or keep it out of the frame instead of just catching part or the edge of it).

In many of the photos you seem to have captured the fun or playfulness of the moment, so it seems you are good at seeing a moment to photograph and good at engaging subjects and working with people.​

Thanks Vintagesnaps. I appreciate the kind words. The distractions are one thing that I have been trying to work on lately. It's so easy to snap a photo then realize during post that it could have been much better had X not been in the frame. I'll see if I am able to recrop some of those to compose them better.

pixmedic

we do tons of posing for couples. especially at weddings.
Formals, pre-wedding shots, group shots...
tons of opportunity for classic portraiture at weddings. The possibilities are endless.
it is amazingly cool, and the couples and family love the results. (OMG, especially grandparents who are used to formal portraits on their walls...it reminds them of when they got married and had pictures taken)
why would you neglect such an awesome process and final result during times that give you the best opportunity?
find some friends and practice. once you get formal portraits reasonably dialed it, you will be hooked.​

I don't think the formals are that difficult to pose. They usually have to be done so quickly that you get people posed up at the alter and that's usually about all there is to it. I'm more nervous with the couple and bridal party and trying to be creative.

Thanks again everyone. I think that I just need to get out and practice more with people.

 

[studio460]

Reading your post at face-value, I consider pre-visualisation, or "high-concept" creative more of a art director's process. And, as individuals (particularly for portfolio pieces), we have to play both art director and photographer. I think posing is simply manipulating your subject within the predetermined location and lighting design, which may or may not be that "artistic," given the constraints of the particular job. For art direction ideas, I subscribe to every American fashion magazine there is on NextIssue, where I get see a lot of great stuff, both in the editorials and in the ads. Though I also use those same magazines for posing ideas, I think they're two different processes.

 

[paigew]

I talk a lot to my subjects. What about depends on my subject. If I am posing a couple, I may ask them something about their wedding or proposal or how they met. Anything to encourage some glance & smiles.

 

[astroNikon]

I'm currently looking at other peoples photos and trying to reengineer how they did lighting, etc.
That helps me to think more creatively and to understand new concepts .... and more to tinker with .. and sometimes spend ...

 

[imagemaker46]

Maybe it just comes from years of experience working in a wide variety of different shoots, so I draw on what I know has worked in the past. I don't think too much about it, I just see things and fit the people into the scene. I walk into the area I'm going to be working in and look at the backgrounds, where the light is, and then figure out where the light will be at the time of the shoot.

I try not to over complicate the situation, keeping it as simply as possible, being able to set it up as quick as possible. If I have lots of time and am working with one person, I keep it relaxed and just walk around a scene looking and moving if it doesn't work right away. I will tell people straight up that it doesn't work, I'll shoot a couple of frames and show them why. I also listen to what people have to say or what they want to try, is it works, I thank them for the idea, if it doesn't, again I show them why.

 

[chuasam]

Find out about your subject ask him or her to tell you a true but funny story. Ask the subject to re-live a happy time. Dance. Flirt and make fun of an article of clothing. Play music and pulse to the beat.

Bear in mind that you have to first become so comfortable with photography that you don't even think of the lighting and posing and all the other basics.