People Posing Tips?

While the intent is to get some of our regulars to chip in some tips for people pictures, this is starting as a humorous observation from last night where my request to "get her attention" resulted in my daughter calling her and snapping her fingers standing four feet to the right of where I was kneeling at kid-level.

Badly placed visual and audio stimulus:

Ok. That's more like it!

So...anybody have tips to make the people in our cruise pictures look less like awkwardly placed mannequins?

Dave

In one of our photo sessions with the ship's photographer inside the studio, he had a number of pretty toys that he waves at our grandkids with one hand, while the other holds the camera. It made them look straight and smile...... at the toy.

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Keep in mind that the pictures that will usually be cherish the most over time will be candid and catching emotion.

Though I'll take posed shots when asked but I always prefer emotion in candid form. I'll give away proper composition and/or exposure for emotion every time.

A few examples ...

First dance

Being playful between 'posed' shots

While the intent is to get some of our regulars to chip in some tips for people pictures, this is starting as a humorous observation from last night where my request to "get her attention" resulted in my daughter calling her and snapping her fingers standing four feet to the right of where I was kneeling at kid-level.

Yep, I have cowbells in my camera bag when I really need to make noise.

In one of our photo sessions with the ship's photographer inside the studio, he had a number of pretty toys that he waves at our grandkids with one hand, while the other holds the camera. It made them look straight and smile...... at the toy.

 

 

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I got one of these for kid shots. Works ok for the 30 seconds or so that something new will attract the little beasts' attention.

I'm looking for one with a martini for adults.

As for candid vs.posed:

1. 99.9 % of my cruise photos have no (known) people in them. That is very intentional.

2. Candid is better in most cases but when a pose is needed, tips would help the tipless.

3. All baby photos are candid. Dogs are better posers. ;)

Dave

You think that taking good pictures of one kid is hard. On our recent cruise with my daughter and their 2 kids, my wife wanted me to get some good shots of the 2 adults and the 2 grand kids. The best I could do is 3 of the 4. LOL!!

DON

I got one of these for kid shots. Works ok for the 30 seconds or so that something new will attract the little beasts' attention.

 

 

I'm looking for one with a martini for adults.

 

As for candid vs.posed:

 

 

1. 99.9 % of my cruise photos have no (known) people in them. That is very intentional.

 

2. Candid is better in most cases but when a pose is needed, tips would help the tipless.

 

3. All baby photos are candid. Dogs are better posers. ;)

 

 

Dave

Very true Dave ...............

Some really good ones here. :)

Some really good ones here. :)

Your missing Paul Gauguin Cruises ;)

Posing is my greatest challenge, I've read articles and books, and in the middle of a very long and detailed book on posing.

I see the conversation has mostly been candids of children. Which obviously isn't posing... but it is knowing when and how to capture the right candid.

In terms of "posing" children, I find they are the easiest and hardest. Easiest in the sense that they can look good from almost any position and angle. With adults, for example, most adults look horrible if photographed straight on. But young children look great that way. The problem with posing children is impatience with instructions, or inability to follow them. I actually have a similar problem with all my own family photos, including my wife. When I'm working professionally, I can take my time and pose my clients, they have faith in what I'm doing. My wife on the other hand, just wants the button clicked quickly.

Anyway... in posing children, the greatest tip I can give -- Make them interact with their environment and each other. In other words, create mini-candid moments.

By their nature, they want to have fun, so catch them having fun.

DSC06194.jpg by Adam Brown, on Flickr

untitled-128.jpg by Adam Brown, on Flickr

In terms of posing adults, I could write 100 pages... and I'm still learning and perfecting a lot.

In general... I'll just say this... Avoid the "stand there and look at the camera"

When shooting couples of groups, create interaction with each other.

Whether groups or individuals, avoid poses that appear to stress the body or appear uncomfortable. (It's ok if they are uncomfortable, as long as they don't look that way!)

Keep bodies generally relaxed.... knees, elbows, necks, should be bent. Typically bodies should be at an angle, and the face should be turned back towards the camera. (though not always necessary to have the person look at the camera at all).

And the one thing that I'll nitpick in my own work and others -- Watch the HANDS. Arm and hand position is critical. It can make or break a posed portrait. Everything poses the head, most people think to pose and angle the body. But too often we forget the hands.

A couple examples:

A group... each body angled. But the hands carefully placed to create familial connections. Everyone is looking nice and relaxed, though in real life it took me several minutes to get the angles and hands how I wanted, yet still not perfect. (the bride's right hand is balled a bit too tight)

DSC_9993.jpg by Adam Brown, on Flickr

Everything bent.. elbows, wrists, hips, hands placed:

blue dress by Adam Brown, on Flickr

Hand used to frame the subject.... and a good example of not needing to look at the camera:

Spring portrait by Adam Brown, on Flickr

All good points ...

When I pose I look first at the body type of the main subject. In this case a future bride. This future bride was a full figured girl but the way I posed her for the engagement session you would not of known just how large she was. I use the future groom to hide the future bride's imperfections. In this case here weight and her arms. She looks fairly slim the way I composed the shot. She did have a beautiful face, so I wanted to feature this in the picture.

On this one I featured her face ....... always look for the best feature and showcase it .........

If a parent wants to help snapping fingers and make noises.... I ask them to stand next or very close to me. This way the eyes are closer to the camera.

 

Yep, I have cowbells in my camera bag when I really need to make noise.

If I'm getting down low, I normally get them to stand behind me, if I'm more upright, at my shoulder.

Can I please have the doggie in the Santa suit? One of the best I have seen.

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