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500 Poses for Photographing Women: A Visual Sourcebook for Portrait Photographers by Michelle Perkins
Table of Contents
Head-and-Shoulders Poses
Waist-Up Poses
Three-Quarter-Length Reclining Poses
Three-Quarter-Length Seated Poses
Three-Quarter-Length Standing Poses
Full-Length Reclining Poses
Full-Length Seated Poses
Full-Length Standing Poses
Appendix: Posing Basics
The Photographers
About This Book
Determining the best way to pose
your subject—a way that is flattering to the individual, appropriate to the setting
and clothing, and visually appealing in the overall composition—can be one of
the biggest challenges in creating a successful portrait. This is especially
true when creating portraits of women, where the photographer may be called on
to create anything from a very traditional head-and-shoulders pose to a more
adventurous full-length look straight out of the pages of a fashion magazine.
Quite simply, the variations are almost limitless.
This collection is a visual
sourcebook designed to address exactly that problem. Filled with images by some
of the world’s most accomplished portrait, fashion, and commercial photographers,
it provides a resource for photographers seeking inspiration for their own
work. Stuck on what to do with a particular client or unsure how to use a given
prop? Flip through the sample portraits, pick something you like, then adapt it
as needed to suit your tastes. Looking to spice up your work with some new
poses? Find a sample that appeals to you and look for ways to implement it (or
some element of it) with one of your subjects.
For ease of use, the portraits
are grouped according to how much of the subject is shown in the frame. Thus,
the book begins with head-and-shoulders portraits, followed by portraits that
introduce one or both hands into the head-and-shoulders look. Next are waist-up
portraits, featuring images that include the head and shoulders, arms and
hands, and at least some of the subject’s torso. Moving on to three-quarter-length
portraits, the examples feature subjects shown from the head down to mid-thigh
or mid-calf. The balance of the book features full-length images—the most
complex portraits to pose because they include the entire body. Both the
three-quarter- and full-length portraits are subdivided into poses for standing
subjects, seated subjects, and reclining subjects.
It can be difficult to remain creative day after day, year after year, but sometimes all you need to break through a slump is a little spark. In this book, you’ll find a plethora of images designed to provide just that.
Posing Basics
This section covers the fundamental rules of traditional posing—techniques that are illustrated in many of the images in this book. While these rules are often intentionally broken by contemporary photographers, most are cornerstones for presenting the human form in a flattering way.
Types
There are three basic types of
poses, each defined by how much of the length of the subject’s body is included
in the image. When including less than the full body in the frame, it is
recommended that you avoid cropping at a joint (such as the knee or elbow);
this creates an amputated look. Instead, crop between joints.
Head and Shoulders Portraits (or
Headshots):- Portraits that show the subject’s head and shoulders. If the hands
are lifted to a position near the face, these may also be included.
Waist-Up Portraits:- Portraits
that include the subject’s head and shoulders along with at least some of the
torso. In portraits of women, these images are often cropped just below the
bustline or at the waist. Waist-up portraits are sometimes considered a type of
headshot.
Three-Quarter-Length Portraits:-
Portraits that show the subject from the head down to the mid-thigh or midcalf.
In some cases, one foot may be visible.
Full-Length Portraits:- Portraits that show the subject from the head down to the feet (or at least the ankles). In some cases, only one foot may be visible.
Facial Views
Full Face View:- The subject’s nose is pointed at the camera.
Seven-Eighths View:- The
subject’s face is turned slightly away from the camera, but both ears are still
visible.
Three-Quarters or Two-Thirds View:- The subject’s face is angled enough that the far ear is hidden from the camera’s view. In this pose, the far eye will appear smaller because it is farther away from the camera than the other eye.
The head should not be turned so far that the tip of the nose extends past the line of the cheek or the bridge of the nose obscures the far eye.
Profile View:- The subject’s head is turned 90 degrees to the camera so that only one eye is visible.
The Head
Tilting the Head:- Tilting the
head slightly produces diagonal lines that can help a pose feel more dynamic.
In women’s portraits, the head is traditionally tilted toward the near or high
shoulder, but this rule is often broken. Most photographers agree that the best
practice is to tilt the subject’s head in the direction that best suits the
overall image and most flatters the subject.
Chin Height:- A medium chin
height is desirable. If the chin is too high, the subject may look conceited
and her neck may appear elongated. If the person’s chin is too low, she may
look timid and appear to have a double chin or no neck.
Eyes:- In almost all portraits, the eyes are the most important part of the face. Typically, eyes look best when the eyelids border the iris. Turning the face slightly away from the camera and directing the subject’s eyes back toward the camera reveals more of the white of the eye, making the eyes look larger.
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