I have a photo shoot planned for this week and I haven't photographed a model since high school (almost 20 years ago). Anyone have any good resources for poses that I should try? I ordered a book from PhotographyTips.com with 1100+ poses but I'm not sure that it'll be in before the shoot.
I'm just trying to hone my eye for a photo and I plan on posting some of the pictures here to get some critiques on them.
i suggest that you look at a) fashion magazines, b) clothing catalogs, c) search for fashion photographers online and examine what they've done, d) go on sites like photosig and browse the 'fashion' category for ideas.
Check what photography books your library has. Many have their catalogs online, but remember that your librarian is that elusive "intelligent search engine" everyone keeps trying to invent ....
Check what photography books your library has. Many have their catalogs online, but remember that your librarian is that elusive "intelligent search engine" everyone keeps trying to invent ....
..and if not, maybe she'll model for you.
Seriously, aren't there any imaginable poses you'd 'like' to see/capture, that would perhaps strike a different note than those sampled from commercial photographers?
I think you should worry less about "poses that need trying" and more about what your model does naturally. Try to keep the model in motion. Make them go through a series of emotions, and photograph each of them. If you find one that works particularly well, leave it for a little bit, and revisit it several times. Often, you'll find that the best shots appear as the model is moving between poses, as it adds dynamic to the images.
Those two words should automatically make you think "model release", by the way. Make sure you get one, use it, and get it signed before you start taking pictures.
If you need help with this, see the link in my signature.
I photographed my neice and did pretty much what you advise and the photos turned out great.
The photographer should worry about the lighting, background, composition, and camera settings during the shoot rather than the model. Worked for me.
Agreed. But also remember to "break the wrist".. so that it doesn't look stiff, and the edge of the hand is more flattering than the palm or backside for women. Also, the chin should be out from the neck slightly.
I'd be interested to see some more... I was looking at makesmewonder.com for the rest of them and couldn't find them. Is it your own website? It took me a while to work out that I had to scroll down to see the rest of one of the pop-up layers. You must have quite a high resolution on your PC.
Your webhost won't let me do it... it has to be referenced by a web-page. EDIT: Oops my mistake... for some reason IE will let me do it, but not Mozilla. Very strange...
Your webhost won't let me do it... it has to be referenced by a web-page. EDIT: Oops my mistake... for some reason IE will let me do it, but not Mozilla. Very strange...
It won't let me do it in Internet Explorer. It says:
"Directly downloading images is not permitted on the Netfirms FREE plan. If you are the owner of this site, either ensure that this image is embedded in a web page, or upgrade to one of the Netfirms premium plans."
They are basic, but with props and backgrounds and models with facial expressions, they could be a good groundwork for those of us beginning in portraiture. :)
