|
take a survey
|
Posing for
Portraits
While your photographer is responsible for your posing and
creating the energy to make an engagement portrait session a
success, here are a few tricks that help to make an image
you'll be proud to hand down to your grandchildren.
Clothing
You want the emphasis on you - meaning your face, your
expression, your love for one another. The photo session is
about you, not today's fashions. But certain clothes do take
the viewer's attention away from where it should be.
While choosing formal or casual clothing is certainly up to
you, don't try to be something you're not. If you normally
wear jeans and T-shirts, you should probably wear jeans and
maybe slightly better shirts. If you normally wear slightly
more formal, then keep wearing that. The portrait is about
who you are, how you live, your personalities and passions.
A simple outfit in a solid colour is by far the best. And,
having both of you (or, in case of a family portrait, all of
you) wearing a similar colour adds a cohesiveness that
doesn't detract from the image. While a mid-tone such as
medium blue, red, green (or other favourite colour) is
ideal, an experienced wedding photographer should be able to
deal with white or black outfits. After all, the
photographer will have to deal with black tuxedos and a
white wedding dress on your wedding day. While wearing
coordinated colours may seem odd - and going against the
advice in the previous paragraph, it does make a "unified"
couple or family look that plays up the most important
feature, your faces.
In the case of a large group - say a blended family - you
can use specific colours to show smaller family groupings
within the large group. Just make sure someone coordinates
the colours so they don't clash.
As an aside, tanning a lot before your portrait or wedding
is not recommended as a deep tan almost always looks muddy
on film.
Posing
Yes, the photographer will direct you to get specific poses
- but here are a couple of simple things can make for a more
dynamic and relaxed session.
The oddest sounding one is to push your face towards the
camera. It kind of feels like you're pretending to be a
turtle, sticking its head out of its shell. This tightens up
the skin under your chin, reducing double chins and making
you look years younger. Don't worry that it will look odd on
film, cameras only see in two dimensions and so your face
being closer than your chest won't be noticeable in your
finished portrait. Try this in front of the mirror and see
the effect for yourself. In fact, practice in front of the
mirror to get comfortable with "posing."
Hands are always a concern for people, but don't sweat it.
Put your concentration into presenting your face. Simple
things to do with your hands include just hanging them at
your sides, fingers slightly curled rather than stiffly
straight. Rotate your hands so your thumb is towards the
camera instead of the backs of your hands. A slightly more
relaxed look is to hook your thumbs into your pockets or
into your belt. You can also put your hand in your pocket,
but leave the thumb out and pointing down instead of across
your waist.
In my opinion, the worst thing to do with hands is hold them
together in front of your crotch - to me it looks like you
have to go to the bathroom. Perhaps it is comfortable
because it is "defensive", but it's not that attractive.
Try to have your hands on two different levels, such as one
hanging loosely at your side and the other hooked in your
belt. Or, one hand up on a shelf, partner's shoulder, or
against a wall. Don't worry too much as your photographer
should direct you for the best placement of your hands.
Put on a smile - with your eyes. That is the most important
place to smile. A plastered on grin with sad or tight eyes
only looks like a plastered on grin. Even if your mouth
doesn't smile, putting a twinkle in your eyes brings a lot
of personality to a portrait. How do you do that? Try it in
the mirror a few times. Try to look blankly at your self,
then add the twinkle. Then, do the same for the camera.
Martha Stewart once explained how to do a great "camera"
smile She raised her eyebrows a touch and smiled with her
lips apart bringing her cheeks up. Made her look slightly
surprised and very happy. Another one to practice in the
mirror.
For the totally camera intimidated, the best thing you can
do is get a friend or family member to take lots of pictures
of you - with no film in the camera. Take lots and lots of
shots that way. Hundreds of shots. Do so many that you get
really bored of having the camera in your face. Do this a
few times if you have to. That way, when you're actually
getting your picture shot - the camera won't be a "monster
waiting to capture your soul." I read years ago about a
fashion photographer who did that with professional models.
He wanted them to get past their initial reactions to the
camera and just "be", so the first "two rolls" were not in
the camera. If it works for models, it'll work for you.
So, the "cramming for a test" version; wear similar coloured
clothes in the style you're used to, push your face slightly
towards the camera, relax your hands at whatever position
they're at, smile with your eyes first, practice in front of
the mirror, practice with an empty camera if needed, and
have fun.
take me to the order page
take me to the order page
take me to the order page
take me to the order page
copyright
Lovely Victorian |
6 star
design, 6 star luxury, and now at a 3-STAR PRICE.
*album
layout design included. picture shown are actual design
done. copyright lovelyvictorian.
*album
layout design included. picture shown are actual design
done. copyright lovelyvictorian.
*album
layout design included. picture shown are actual design
done. copyright lovelyvictorian.
*album
layout design included. picture shown are actual design
done. copyright lovelyvictorian.
*album
layout design included. picture shown are actual design
done. copyright lovelyvictorian.
*album
layout design included. picture shown are actual design
done. copyright lovelyvictorian.
*album
layout design included. picture shown are actual design
done. copyright lovelyvictorian.
|
