Whether you are a newbie photographer or an established one, you would already know the importance of posing in Photography. As all professional photography posing guides would tell you, good posing brings emotion to a staged moment, in a very natural and effortless way. And behind all great photo shoots, lies the art of professional posing.
The tricky thing about posing is that both parties need to execute it well. You, as a photographer, need to guide your client into the proper placement of body, hands, facial expressions and emotions, while your client needs to execute it well on their part. Such a task is fairly easy with professional models because they know what they are doing, but when it comes to photographing your average families, your subjects are going to be pretty clueless about the whole thing. This is why you need to master the art of posing yourself so you can effectively communicate it to your clients in a professional and comfortable manner.
Here are some tips from professional photography posing guides that can prove especially helpful to photographers who are looking for instructions in this area.
Boudoir Posing for the Modern Photographer
Boudoir Photography can be a tough nut to crack. Not only do you have to photograph women who are not models and make them feel beautiful and elegant, you also have to get them to feel comfortable with you. Most often than not, women are going to feel nervous about being photographed in intimate poses. And if you are shooting verbal instructions at this point, it will often get them more anxious.
The key here is to model. If you can get your subject to mirror you, that will be the best. However, you can also employ other techniques, such as showing the desired pose on a projector screen and directing your client into forming that pose. Boudoir photography often benefits from ‘flow photography’ where you get your subject to constantly pose in a flow. This helps remove the rigid, unnatural look from the photographs and gives your subject less time to fret and get conscious. It often also brings out very natural and emotional moments. Boudoir Posing for the Modern Photographer has lots of tips and tricks on the subject.
What to Do When You Can’t Shoot Outside: Wedding Edition
Last minute setups might be exciting for some photographers, but most prefer the predictability of a well-defined work-flow. However, it often happens that you have prepared for an outdoors wedding photo shoot, but it starts to rain, or something else happens and you are stuck inside! In such a case, it is better to be prepared for the worst. Who knows, some of your best photography might originate out of such a circumstance!
In such cases, the best advice any seasoned photographer will give you is to make use of whatever light you can get. This means you should set your ISO setting to a higher number so your camera can get whatever light it wants. Might we also mention, using flash for indoor wedding photography is considered rude. So your best bet is to avoid it as much as possible.
However, knowing your camera and its settings are one thing. Did you know you could actually get more creative with your indoor shoot? How about finding some indoor backup location in case you cannot have your shoot outdoors? There is bound to be a mall, a hall or some movie theater around you that can be an awesome location for a photography shoot. And it will also add a unique touch to the photographs! If you are short on ideas, we found this to be an awesome guide for ideas for indoor wedding photography.
A Guide to Natural Light Newborn Sessions
Newborn photography is as tricky as it can get. Not only can you not ask and demand things of your subject, you are also pretty much dependent on their whims. If they choose to be photographed nicely without any crying or protests, great! But often, newborns have the tendency to fall asleep at the wrong time, or wake up at the unplanned moment, or decide to cry and want food when everything it set up and ready for the shoot.
The best advice for newborn photography is this: be in the moment! Don’t fret and let the baby guide you. Let them yawn, stretch and move however they want. And often you will find a perfectly cute pose within these moments! If they are awake, this is especially a good time to utilize these moments. And if they are asleep, bring out your macro lens and shoot some adorable close-ups of feet, hands, and face!
The key to great newborn photography is to prepare for it. Get your hands on books and guides that talk about this subject. Explore pre-made Lightroom settings for newborn skin tones. If you are looking for a good guide, this one here is put together by a mommy photographer who has great insights about getting your newborn to cooperate and how to make the best of the moment!
Posing Basics for Maternity, Newborn, Senior Boys & Family
Family portraits and photography is a very endearing and challenging area. You get to cover different age groups and role, and bringing out the character of each family member is going to be a totally different thing. For example, newborn photography is going to be very different than maternity photography. And similarly, getting a pregnant mom to pose is going to be very different from getting a senior boy to pose. Not only are there age difference, but also gender and role differences.
The blanket advice for such cases is to use the mirroring technique. Instead of getting your subjects to follow your verbal instructions, show them what you want them to do and let them copy. Keep your voice soft and full of emotion so your clients can mirror the same feelings. If you want them to feel beautiful, confident and loving, use words and a tone that will bring out the said emotion in them. For a one-stop guide to family photography, this guide may be helpful. This photography posing guide has some great all-rounder tips for photographers!