A Noob with a portrait question

[tjones8611]

I want to spend some time improving portrait shots. Ive been to several bookstores, but all the books either show great portraits of others or discusses basic technigues such as DOF creativity.

Im hoping to find something more on positioning people withtin the shot. How to determine their best side, which angles work best, which positions are more camera friendly. Do such books exist?

 

[Inst!nct]

Amazon.com: Master Posing Guide for Portrait Photographers: A Complete Guide to Posing Singles, Couples and Groups (9781584280576): J. D. Wacker: Books

hope that helped

 

[Dwig]

...
Im hoping to find something more on positioning people withtin the shot. How to determine their best side, which angles work best, which positions are more camera friendly. Do such books exist?

None of this aspect of the task is specific to photographic portraits. I suggest that you also look in the painting and drawing section of the book store. Issues of composition and posing are the same regardless of how the image is recorded; brush, pencil, or camera lens.

 

[tjones8611]

Excellent point Dwig, thanks!!!!

 

[MAARTE]

I'll check that out, too. I want to learn how to do better portrait shots of my 3 crazy kids

 

[Tiberius47]

Have a look at what other photogoraphers have done. Look at their pics with an eye to see what works and what doesn't.

 

[nala]

Here's a website that Derrel pointed me to a little while back. It explains the how's and why's of posing for portraits. I thought it was pretty interesting.

The introduction: Posing using the Zeltsman / Zucker Method
The free 16-chapter tutorial: http://jzportraits.home.att.net/