Questions tagged [posing]

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11 votes
5 answers
6k views

Arranging 180 people on steps for photo

We have 180 people to photograph and 6 steps to stand on. There is enough room for all but who goes on the top row the tallest or shortest? How to best arrange everyone?
Laura's user avatar
  • 111
3 votes
2 answers
384 views

How coach children to smile nicely?

So I guess this also applies to adults as well! But I am mostly interested in 3-10 year old children who may need different techniques than older children and adults My kid has recently taken to ...
DarcyThomas's user avatar
25 votes
10 answers
19k views

Why do people keep telling me that I am a bad photographer?

In general, I do not like taking photos much. But I have some female friends, including my flatmate, who I hang out with and they love taking photos and they always ask me to do it. However, all of ...
KratosMath's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
3k views

How to pose for a selfie so you don't look fat? [duplicate]

It is the biggest problem for a fat person to take a selfie in which he looks better . It's difficult for a fat person to take perfect selfie .
Attique khan's user avatar
106 votes
25 answers
29k views

What can I do to get models to take my small camera more seriously?

My main genre of photography is portraiture at geek, fantasy and historic events where many attendees dress up (cosplay and reenactment). The attendees are often very willing to pose for pictures (TFP ...
Belle's user avatar
  • 1,594
-4 votes
2 answers
38k views

Why does my forehead look big in pictures vs. reality? [closed]

My forehead in reality is small—normal. Everyone I ask tells me it is normal, not big. In photos it seems too big—not even normal. I am a man. My hairstyle doesn't hide the forehead, it is up. Why in ...
k.l's user avatar
  • 3
2 votes
2 answers
367 views

How to pose to look 'cooler' or more 'dashing' in a photo?

I know it's a stupid question, but I find whenever someone unprofessional takes my picture or groupfie, I end up looking a little unprepared and never 'cool', 'dashing' or even smiling. What tips or ...
Abhijit Dan's user avatar
23 votes
3 answers
6k views

How to reposition subject in the same place and pose in a series of images over time

I am going on a lengthy road trip this summer, and I wanted to have some fun with the pictures I take. I thought it would be cool to take pictures of my girlfriend in various locations, but have her ...
Scorb's user avatar
  • 1,048
12 votes
6 answers
499 views

Is working as a model a good way to learn photography?

I have a dilemma. My girlfriend is in to photography and wants to understand it more. She came in contact with a photographer who likes photographing woman either dressed or undressed. He said to help ...
Chris's user avatar
  • 121
0 votes
2 answers
285 views

What makes portraits appear too "tryhard" or forced?

I have good portraits that when applied B&W filters, or when edited in any other way, they produce an objectively good looking result, but the portrait itself looks too "tryhard" or "forced". Some ...
Bar Akiva's user avatar
  • 217
9 votes
4 answers
1k views

How can I take a low-light portrait of a violinist, without dedicated lighting gear?

I have been asked to take a portrait of a violinist with her instrument. She's from my family so I can ask her to pose as I like. The picture is actually going to be turned into a painting later, but ...
user48996's user avatar
12 votes
4 answers
1k views

Posing two male friends?

I have a portrait shoot that has a personal angle to it. Two college friends who are business partners want a portrait taken that expresses their close friendship while still maintaining ...
dperry1973's user avatar
6 votes
3 answers
1k views

Why do the same poses seem stupid on my pictures, but good from pro photographers?

When I look at high-end pictures taken by pros they pose the models in certain ways. I tried several times to replicate the poses. When I look at those pictures on the PC the poses seem awkward. The ...
sharkyenergy's user avatar
  • 1,394
3 votes
3 answers
466 views

How can I encourage my friend to be less shy when I take her photo?

My girlfriend is very shy when I want to take a photo of her. When I tell her I'm going to make a shot or when she sees I'm focusing camera on her, first 10-60 seconds she is just hiding her face and ...
Nakilon's user avatar
  • 143
4 votes
1 answer
2k views

Turning the smaller eye away from the lens?

From "Monte Zucker's Portrait Photography Handbook" ph 3. "The subject" : Eye Size. Always take note when a subject has one eye that is smaller than the other. When you find that, you can make ...
dimba's user avatar
  • 257
1 vote
1 answer
5k views

What are some other terms for a 3/4 shot?

I know it as the American shot or American wide, but what are some other names?
Ajedrez Ivan's user avatar
5 votes
5 answers
739 views

How do I get regular people to relax and not to overprepare having their portrait taken?

I'm doing a personal project taking portraits of friends, family and acquaintance. Most of them are not used to having their portrait taken and I don't intend to portray them as models either. I show ...
Hugo's user avatar
  • 8,288
1 vote
2 answers
314 views

Odd couple photos

I am a tall blonde girl with freckles and my boyfriend is Asian mostly the same height as me. We are an odd couple and we look odd together but I would love to know if you have any tips on helping us ...
Aleries's user avatar
  • 11
4 votes
3 answers
369 views

How do I hide unflattering body features in a low key shot with rim lighting?

Low key full body portraits with rim lighting are common in photos of athletes wanting to show of their body features. Having models, thinking some features of their body features are unflattering, ...
Hugo's user avatar
  • 8,288
19 votes
6 answers
18k views

Is there a standard vocabulary for posing?

I've been looking for a definitive catalog of named poses. Catalogs consisting mainly of unlabeled photos are easy to come by. "1,001 Poses for the Professional Photographer," kind of thing. This ...
Warren Young's user avatar
  • 5,224
1 vote
2 answers
105 views

How can I best record and improve my pre-shoot planning process?

When planning a photo shoot, I often find myself making lighting/posing diagrams on scratch paper, but they end up in the trash after the shoot. After most shoots, I try to document each shoot in One-...
BillN's user avatar
  • 651
2 votes
3 answers
4k views

Why do people bend down in a group photo?

I have seen numerous group pics where the front row(s) of people will bend (as if holding their knees). Is there a visual/photographic advantage to this pose? I have seen this in many group pics where ...
happybuddha's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
255 views

When shooting one-on-one with a subject, what are some tips and tricks to get into a "photoshoot" mood?

When it's just you and a subject shooting by yourselves, what tips and tricks are there to keep the mood light and friendly, while simultaneously controlling and directing the subject into good poses? ...
qJake's user avatar
  • 1,195
68 votes
6 answers
24k views

How to make female chest look bigger?

When photographing women they often want the chest to appear as big as possible. I tried with light coming from different positions but was not satisfied with the results. Are there any tricks to ...
user2664856's user avatar
  • 1,150
12 votes
1 answer
2k views

How do I guide my model in a portrait session?

How would you guide an inexperienced portrait photographer to guide inexperienced models? Not friends, but strangers you're shooting under time pressure (they're not getting paid and neither are ...
Emmel's user avatar
  • 634
18 votes
3 answers
25k views

How to photograph people with a prominent (wide, big) nose?

One of my friends wants me to take pictures of her but she is very self-conscious about her nose (which is relatively wide, Monty Python anyone?). She wants me to take pictures in such a way as to ...
Viv's user avatar
  • 3,728
3 votes
3 answers
854 views

What is a good composition style for photographs like these?

In my photography classes and online resources, I have learned about photographing the subject with a space to breathe in the photograph. But there are several photos in which the head is facing bit ...
Gaurav Jain's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
771 views

Is there a correct way to communicate with photography subjects e.g. models?

It may seem like this question has an obvious answer, but it’s something I do find quite difficult - I am very out spoken and confident but sometimes struggle with the following. Should I just tell ...
Rob's user avatar
  • 2,621
12 votes
4 answers
14k views

How to avoid tired eyes in a portrait?

I noticed some portraits I took had heavy shadows under eyes: It turned out the model had experienced some sleep deprivation, though the eyes didn't look that bad in real life. I suspect lighting ...
Imre's user avatar
  • 32k
9 votes
3 answers
4k views

How to avoid double chin and glossy skin in portraits?

Two of the most disturbing things I struggle with when shooting portraits are double chin of the model and glossy skin reflecting my flash, even while using diffused light. I normally ask my model to ...
fahad.hasan's user avatar
  • 5,729
13 votes
4 answers
1k views

How can I get people to take an expression which fits the scene?

I have heard that there are specific indirect questions that can be used to get people to be more natural in front of a camera. Many people, who have many expressions to offer, when put in front of a ...
Vass's user avatar
  • 387
3 votes
1 answer
2k views

What are the best books on posing?

I'm interested in reading some good, informative books on posing and interacting with people for photography. Which are the best ones?
14 votes
2 answers
7k views

How to pose and arrange people in a group shot?

What are good standard poses for group shots of 3 or 4 people and how can I arrange folks so that they don't just look like they're 'standing around'?
rfusca's user avatar
  • 26.5k
5 votes
1 answer
2k views

What are the best posing props and furniture for a new/hobbyist photographer?

I'm going to be doing some studio-style portrait shots soon. What objects (props, furniture, etc) should I be looking to get to assist in posing? I'm looking for things that are: Useful: they'll ...
Craig Walker's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
6k views

What are the symbolic meanings of the position of hands in images?

In photography as well as in paintings (especially those from the middle ages, where a lot of symbols were used), the position of the hands often means a lot; does anyone know a list of all those ...
rochem's user avatar
  • 161
13 votes
2 answers
619 views

How do you pose a turtle?

We're doing a photoshoot and there's a turtle that should be in the shot. What is most flattering for a self-conscious half-shell?
Kirk Strobeck's user avatar
15 votes
4 answers
3k views

Where can I find posing guides & resources online? [closed]

What resources are available online to give ideas for poses. Is there some type of catalogue of common poses?
Ken's user avatar
  • 5,078
8 votes
2 answers
5k views

Why are most portraits taken with the subject at 45 degrees to the camera?

Why is it that pictures are taken with a subjects shoulders set at a 45 (or-so) degree angle to the camera in the vast majority of portraits? I am hard pressed to find portraits with the subject head-...
kacalapy's user avatar
  • 7,908
171 votes
8 answers
38k views

What are the best techniques for photographing overweight people?

I'm not the most lean person on the planet, and many pictures seem to really point this out. While I wish I was simply in better shape, it is simply not the case for me or unfortunately, many people....
rfusca's user avatar
  • 26.5k
30 votes
4 answers
2k views

What portrait posing rules do you recommend for studio photography?

What portrait posing rules could you recommend for studio photography? How to pose (and not to) the head, body, hands, wrists, waist, hips, legs? In what categories can the models can be divided ...
igorp1024's user avatar
  • 685
30 votes
4 answers
2k views

What are your tips for guiding an inexperienced model?

I find myself in this kind of situation a lot. I'll be photographing someone who doesn't have a whole lot of modeling experience, but they want me to take photos of them (ie, a friend while on ...
84 votes
13 answers
7k views

How can I get my portrait subjects to look natural and drop the cheesy smile?

I am surprised by how many people automatically put on a cheesy smile when I point a camera in their direction. How can I encourage them to act more naturally, and what can I do to get better, more ...
AJ Finch's user avatar
  • 11.8k