Taking Flattering pics of my larger relatives

[cab102361]

Hello everyone. I am relatively new to photography. I am saying this due to the fact that most of my experience up til now has been with cheaper cameras and I am determined to take some dang good photos. Well my brother gave me a gift of money and I purchased a Nikon D90. I love love love it. As I say I am totally new to this and have been attempting to learn. Yes I know there is a automatic button and its a good function. But I do not tend to do things the easy way. I never have been that way. I have this great camera with all these cool functions....why not learn to use them, RIGHT... Ok here is my dilemma. So far most of the information I needed has been pretty easy to find and I sort of understand it. Well after absorbing a lot of info via osmosis. But anyway, I am starting to get it. This summer I am going to be taking a lot of photos. I mean in the hundreds. Here is the biggie. I have a sister in law who is large. She is literally over 300 lbs. A huge portion of pictures I see of her have some really cruddy photos. You know the ones, hair not done, her bending over back side only thing in the pic etc. I want to spend the day with her taking some awesome pics of her. The photos I will be taking will most likely be outside in a park type setting. full sun. There will be a lot of foliage. If the roses and tulips are in bloom we will be there also. So far I have a few tips on taking some flattering photos of her. Such as longer zoom or telephoto lens, tilting chin up, etc.
Is there any great tips any of you have found that would help with this. Most of the other subjects are ok and I do not think Ill have much problems with getting some good pics of them. I just really really want some good shots of her. Also I am not understanding settings for a few things. Are there certain settings I need to use if I want to make a photo into a larger photo. Such as a 10x13 pic or even larger? I have not searched this last one, but I thought Id ask since I was making my first post. Today I made my first attempt at a panorama pic of our back yard beginning to bloom. As soon as I get photo shop...Ill be in business. Maybe it will turn out well enough to post. Hope you all dont laugh me out of the forum. Thanks in advance for your help. Candy

 

[ash12783]

never shoot up toward her- be AT LEAST eye level and preferably a bit above her as this tends to be a slimming angle (think of how all the girls on myspace and FB take the self pics with their arm up in the air pointed down on themselves- there's a reason for that ) Just get creative and see what works and what doesn't as you go. Hope I helped

 

[tirediron]

Taking flattering images of larger subjects can be VERY challenging. As has mentioned some good points, to which I will add the following: Don't shoot straight on or profile, but rather look at 45ish degree angles. Camouflage is one of the best things you can use; if you're going to be outside in a park-type setting then suggest she dress in greens/darker colours, and pose her beside or behind objects, say, peering out from behind a shrub, that sort of thing, and try and slightly under-expose her body while highlighting her face (the eye is attracted to bright areas, so keep the face bright, the body dark, and you will naturally look to her face and 'skip over' her body). Make sure you have her push her chin forward slightly... good luck!