Knowledge of body language gives an understanding of how people look when they feel confident, relaxed and attractive, or, conversely, constrained and uncomfortable. When someone feels uncomfortable in front of a camera lens, the best solution is to put that person in a natural position. Each photoshoot is individual: some people feel calm and relaxed in front of the photographer and the lens directed in their direction, while others may have some problems: in this case, you will have to allocate the first 15-20 minutes of shooting for warming up and adapting the model.
There is nothing wrong or shameful about not being able to pose. Only specially trained and experienced people, known as professional models (or people who trained on their own in front of a mirror for some time), can do it beautifully, unusually and easily. Posing is a skill that takes time, patience, and practice to develop.
What if you are shooting a person and you realize that, to be honest, they he’s looking not very good? How should a photographer behave in such a situation, because this can happen to everyone (especially if your client is an ordinary person who rarely takes pictures)?
The most important thing is not to pretend all the time that the shooting is going perfect and the client is doing an excellent job with the poses. There is nothing wrong with gently hinting to a person that something is looking not very well and that you should try to change the angle, turn, or just the position of the body. In fact, this happens quite often, because there are no ideal poses: a certain pose suits someone, but definitely won’t be perfect for everyone (the exception may be, again, professional models). You can invite your client to kind of “playing with the poses” a little, and after a while you will notice how much your mood and the mood of the person you are working with have improved, and in his eyes you will also notice the appeared fire, real pleasure and strong self-confidence.
An excellent addition would be the involvement of the photographer, or rather, it is even the duty of the photographer, this should not be discussed if you really consider and call yourself a professional in your field. A photographer is not just a person who presses the shutter button, he is also an artist, psychologist, friend and assistant, retoucher; a person who must correctly expose the light, create a pleasant atmosphere and capture lively emotions and passion, and not emptiness in the eyes. In addition, each photographer is constantly learning new things, practicing and improving himself, his services and skills (processing, communication with clients, quality of work, additional services, promotion, etc.).
Always in the process of work share the results with the model, because you see what comes out, but the other person does not. Do not forget that any shooting is a creative process, in which not only you, but also other talented personalities take part: if you do not have a team, then it is only you and the model, and if there is, then, most likely, a make-up artist, stylist and maybe even a videographer or backstage photographer. In addition, this will allow you to detect possible mistakes or come up with a real masterpiece (and it is not at all necessary that you will be this someone, it could be your model). When a client sees that you are actively involved in the shooting, you are helping him in every possible way, showing on the screen what you get, and not just shooting like you are shooting a machine gun, the person not only begins to trust you, but also gets pleasantly surprised, and subsequently relaxes, especially if he saw a cool shot. And you, in turn, are also pleased to see the reaction or hear a pleasant comment in your direction. And if the client suddenly didn’t like something, it could be a hairstyle or clothes, then this can be instantly corrected.
How to come up with poses? And what if no ideas come up? The best poses are those in which the person looks natural and feels comfortable. Of course, you can save unusual and interesting poses on Pinterest in advance, but this will not help in all cases, because original and complex poses will look beautiful in most cases on professional models and people of thin physique, but a person who happens to be on photoshoot twice year, it will look awkward and strange. Of course, there are exceptions, so no one forbids experimenting with ordinary people and with poses that use unusual deflections and bends.
The best option would be to study the basic rules of posing, analyze common mistakes and memorize simple poses separately for each category of people you shoot: it can be couples or family shots, single portraits, weddings or children. This, of course, is not worth dwelling on either, then you should regularly watch the work of other people (especially world-class photographers), experiment with new poses.
How do you start shooting? What instructions should be given to the model? There are three ways to start shooting:
1. Start taking close-ups and gradually move away from the model and connect the body;
2. Start shooting from afar and gradually approaching and making large portraits (similar to how you usually get to know and communicate with people);
3. Shoot in parallel, i.e. alternate plans and poses.
But do not rush to immediately take up the camera after meeting the model and coming to the location. Make friends with a new person for you, establish communication, create a pleasant atmosphere, offer to drink a cup of coffee (if possible) and only then proceed to shooting.
The most simple and best thing to advise a model is to behave naturally and imagine that no one is taking pictures of her or him. Ask the model to stand in a position that is comfortable for her, ask her to touch her hair, straighten her scarf, tilt her head slightly, think about something pleasant, play with clothes or accessories, etc. Thus, the model will begin to move, change poses and thus, unknowingly, pose.
As a rule, if a person is shooting together with a loved one, for example, a love story or a wedding, then it will be much easier and calmer for him. You can even hide somewhere, having previously asked the models to interact with each other, chat or hug, you just have to capture lively emotions and show a beautiful story.
It’s time to get acquainted with the basic rules and common mistakes in posing. These rules are just tips, but no one forbids you to experiment, because the rules were created to be broken (with posing, as well as with the composition of the frame).
1. Working with hair:
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