Monday, November 22, 2010

Posing for Photos Tutorial - Part 2

So, here's your photo shoot. You're wandering around a park, taking amazing pictures with your photog, and you reach a bench. She says, "You two sit there and I'll take the picture from over here!" And then she bounces off to her location, leaving you to get yourselves settled. What do you do to look your best? I have one major point of advice.

Arch your back.

If your photog asks you to sit down on a bench, you can most definitely avoid sloppy sitting posture. Most people let their backs bow out and slump their shoulders forward in a natural sit, but during a shoot, you want to look as sharp as possible. It can be difficult to maintain good sitting posture, especially if you don’t have something to lean against.

Why should you arch your back? It will minimize waist flab (Yes, we all have it, but this can help!), get rid of the back hunch, and it can also help show off your neck.



In the photo below, I didn’t do a great job of arching my back for good posture. My shoulders are still forward and I look like I’m folding in on my stomach. It’s an ok pic, but you wouldn’t write home about it. This would be a good example of doing it halfway.

ayane_c_33

This next one definitely has better posture. Do you see a difference? Shoulders back a bit more, body looks straighter. It can be a pain in the butt to hold a good straight back for photos, but it is so completely worth it in the end.

hmaid_17

Here is a very good representation of how sitting up straight can give you a regal look. Naturally, this is a much easier position to hold than if your legs are stretched out in front of you.

saga_76

It’s ok to feel goofy when sitting so straight. Just keep in mind the results will be fantastic!

I will interject that there is certainly a time and place for a casual, relaxed pose. Your engagement photos certainly aren't all going to be formal, nor will all your wedding pics, but at least armed with this info, you will have a choice on how you want your photos to look. The photo below is one where we clearly weren't worrying about posture, but it gives the photo a sense of inclusion because we're leaning toward each other. (Still, it drives me nuts that I'm not sitting up straighter. This may be my issue.)

ff9_ce_12

I'll leave you with one last photo that shows an arched back sitting posture from the front. Since the others have been side shots, I wanted to show how great that straight body can be from a different angle. It doesn't matter your size or shape, since opening yourself up makes you look inviting and proud. I promise.

chatot_15

And, as always, I'm very open to thoughts and suggestions. Do you disagree with anything here? Have anything that's worked really well for you? I'd love to hear about it.

1 comment: