Posing

voodoocat · Nov 10, 2005

Tally Ho and other pro's do you have any recommended reading for posing? I've done mostly candid style portraits with great results but I'd like to learn some techniques for posing. I'm hearing that the traditional poses are coming back in style.
Thanks.

Christie Photo · Nov 10, 2005

I'm a "pro", but don't lump that one up with the rest of us.

This is a nice easy place to start.

http://jzportraits.home.att.net/

-Pete

voodoocat · Nov 10, 2005

Thanks Pete! Even better that it's online and free!

Christie Photo · Nov 10, 2005

voodoocat said:
Thanks Pete! Even better that it's online and free!

The credit really goes to Big Mike. He's posted it before.

BTW.... Thanks, Mike!!

-Pete

voodoocat · Nov 10, 2005

Big Mike's da man!

Tally Ho · Nov 10, 2005

Dear Voodocat,

Sorry, since I'm not a professional photographer, I don't have any input. I'm just a stupid ignoramus who owns a camera and takes snapshots on occasion. Hopefully the above site will suffice.

Tally Ho

voodoocat · Nov 10, 2005

Can you answer the original question without responding to Pete's message? Thanks.

Corry · Nov 10, 2005

Tally Ho said:
Dear Voodocat,

Sorry, since I'm not a professional photographer, I don't have any input. I'm just a stupid ignoramus who owns a camera and takes snapshots on occasion. Hopefully the above site will suffice.

Tally Ho

Uh...dude...he was seriously asking your advice? This isn't that 'other' forum that you frequent....if you're nice, we're nice...(and you've been nice lately) So...please lighten up, k?

Tally Ho · Nov 10, 2005

voodoocat said:
Can you answer the original question without responding to Pete's message? Thanks.

Yes I can. Thank you.

"Body Parts" by the late great Don Blair is a really wonderful book in my opinion. It shows you some of the 'correct' ways to pose brides, couples, women, men and groups and the 'incorrect' ways to pose them. It is available on his website but I'm unsure of the URL, most likely it is donblairphotography.com or something similiar.

The nice thing about a book is you can take it into the camera room and compare his pose to what you are attempting to do. I usually tell them I am 'trying out a new pose' and they are the first subject that you have tried it out on. They are flattered that you are 'experimenting' on them and you don't look like an idiot trying to remember how to do that pose you looked at for 15 seconds while she was dressing.

TH

voodoocat · Nov 10, 2005

Thanks Tally. I appreciate the input.

Big Mike · Nov 10, 2005

voodoocat said:
Big Mike's da man!

:blulsh2: :cheers:

photogoddess · Nov 10, 2005

Tally Ho said:
They are flattered that you are 'experimenting' on them and you don't look like an idiot trying to remember how to do that pose you looked at for 15 seconds while she was dressing. TH

That's so funny and so true! :lol:

I've got a pretty good "routine" of poses that I use but am always looking at the way people move and interact with each other for more. Don't be afraid to experiment a bit. One thing that helps me with the boudoir shots that I do is that I ask the women to go through their favorite magazines and tear out photos that really make an impression with them and bring them along to the session. That way I know exactly what they have in mind, it gives me some new poses to try and often gives me some inspiration for some new poses of my own. :mrgreen:

Dollface · Nov 15, 2005

I'm there with photogoddess..

My last shoot, I spent an evening with the *client* ( two good friends.. ) determining the "style" of the shoot we were going to do, and what kind ouf outfits ect we were going to use. We went through about 10-15 magazine that they, and I, had lying around, and made a scrap book of the kind of shots they liked, and also, the kind of lighting I liked.

Made it a lot easier to have a theme to the day without blundering my way through it.

I was also sent a link the other week to a pdf that has about 200 small photos on it ( same girl) doing 200 different poses. You could just point the the picture you wanted the model to pose like - or - I gave the whole sheet to my friend while I was setting up the lighting, and she had a look through it, which gave her ideas. This way, it was her that also felt in control of the posing rather than me just directing her, and it made the shoot flow a lot easier.

Ahh - here is is : http://www.vci.net/~mmorgan/pg2.pdf

( yes, it's a little on the *standard* style, but atleast it gives you something to work with )