Help with large couple

Freddie · Sep 10, 2007

This may sound like a strange question, not ment to be mean in any way, I just need help. I have a wedding to do saturday and both the bride and groom are very large people ( each is 275-325 pounds ). How do you handle posing and angles to flatter them ?

wildmaven · Sep 10, 2007

Watch your lighting and where the shadows fall. Hopefully the bride chose to wear something non-clingy, but if she does, watch out for the bulge below the bra, the pooch at the top and side of the thighs, and the belly. Sitting poses will accentuate the tummy, so try to keep them standing. Some say to turn them at a 45 degree angle, but I find that can sometimes make a chubby tush look bigger. If the bride chose a sleeveless dress, you have the further problem of large arms. No raised arm poses, otherwise you have the fat waddle waving "hi" to the camera. Yes, full size women can be secure in their size, but they don't want to see those kinds of things in photos.

Careful of the lighting under the chin so as not to accentuate a double (or triple) chin. Placing flower girls/ring bearers in front of them will hide tummys. Photoshop so that the faces are the focus. Have the man straddle a closed-back chair with the bride standing behind him. If you take wonderful pictures, make sure you include them in your portfolio. Full size couples are looking for someone who can make them look great. That person could be you! :lovey:

tallbell · Sep 10, 2007

As a portrait photographer, I have learned that large people do not want to look large. One of my first sittings about 3 years ago, I had a lady do a traditional pose and I sent her into tears, after the pose was printed and she saw it. I then got a posing book at Borders and studied it and I learned a lot from it. What I am about to say sounds weird, but shoot from high angles..., I use a ladder... just a small step ladder but it works. Not to much height, but just a little goes a long way. Also not a straight on shot or a 45 degree shot angle but a 30 degree angle helps.

emogirl · Sep 11, 2007

Speaking as a plus size woman myself...no we dont want to look fat!! No, we are not deluded as to our size, but there are certainly some poses that are more flattering than others. Same way some poses are unflattering on a skinny girl!!

Tall bell was right....go up a couple of steps, its flattering to most everyone to be on a slighter higher angle, great for the chins!!! Pose them next to large scale items/architecture - they will seem smaller.

Instead of having someone stand directly in front of them, have them in front and to the side a bit ( ie kids), directly in front will show their size cuz you will likely see both sides of them, but if just off to the side, if will hide half and appear smaller.

Often,if both b& G are large, they will not be able to lean in really close to each othe'rs faces for closeup shots. Have them face each, lean in, then turn toward the camera...its quite flattering and gets them really close! I had a very large groom on the weekend...bride was plus size as well, but he was a REALLY tall, really big guy and it was difficuilt to get them in close. Fortunately, because he was so tall, he could stand behind/to the side of her and lean down over her shoulder for pleasing photos.

Try to avoid sitting poses if at all possible, especially for short/round people. Generally taller heavier people can take a sitting pose if they are more proportioned.

Strapless dresses are the most popular right now and there is a good chance she'll be bare armed...if she has a shawl/wrap, she'll probably want to use it in most shots, so be very aware of how it is sitting. If she doesnt have a shawl, then she is probably very comfortable with the way she looks. You can always use a little liquify tool to the bare arm shot to clean up 'excess'....hell, i do it on pics of myself! ha ha Not to make the arm look skinny, just to smooth out the extra lumps that are usually around the elbow.

Good luck...just be sensitive to belly bulges...please no bride on full profile if there are bulges...and watch the double chins!!

And last, but not least.....you are not a magician, you do not have a magic wand in your hands, and reality is, they are not skinny and they know it, and if they are upset at how they look in pictures, its really not your fault. (well, for the most part, ha ha).

Big Mike · Sep 11, 2007

Great post Kim.

That all sounds like good advice to me. They know they are large, so don't make too much of an issue of it. It won't do you or them much good if you spend the whole day...actively trying to make them look skinnier than they are.

Get above them and never have their shoulders square to the camera...both good tips in this situation...and for shooting anybody actually.

Photoshop can be helpful...but be very careful about overdoing it or making it too obvious. I usually try to get rid of things that stand out in the image...like Kim mentioned, the bulge above an elbow etc. Also, you can also squeeze the whole image...just a tiny bit. It will make them look taller and thinner...but too much and it will look obviously stupid.