Master Posing Guide For Wedding Photographers

Outlining a theory that combines the refinement of traditional posing techniques with the more organic, spontaneous techniques of photojournalism, this creative and informative resource offers poses that rely on personality and interaction. These instructions from a veteran wedding photographer provide the skills needed to recognize what makes a great pose and how to subtly direct your clients to achieve the needed balance between looking great and looking comfortable. Ultimately, this grouping of modern and traditional shots offers answers to the complications faced when attempting to pose wedding parties quickly while keeping the natural look that all wedding couples desire.

Master the demanding lighting needs for weddings of any variety with this comprehensive guide from an industry expert. All the basics are covered, including how to choose and use the right equipment, how to control light and shadow while outdoors, how to utilize ambient room light and natural light, and how to ensure the best color balance for each image. Technical tips from 40 top wedding photographers cover such specifics as producing window-light images and using such tools as scrims, umbrellas, and gobos. With the right lighting know-how, a photographer can capture with ease the candid looks and pure emotions of the wedding party.

Photographers are guided through every aspect of posing—beginning with the consultation and continuing with specific tips for posing children, high school seniors, wedding parties, families, events, teams, groups, and pets—in this comprehensive manual. Maintaining that good posing is 80 percent mental and only 20 percent technical, this guide stresses the importance of communication between photographer and subject to creating a portrait that not only captures the subject’s personality but also makes the subject comfortable, fostering repeat business.

Creating flattering poses for portrait and wedding clients is key to success as a professional photographer, but it can be difficult to quickly move through a series of poses that results in flattering images and a wide variety of portrait looks. In this book, posing guru Doug Gordon (of Long Island, NY) distills his popular flow posing techniques to show readers how to establish a basic standing portrait pose that is perfectly suited to traditional/classic portrait looks, then fluidly progress through a series of minor posing adjustments, framing changes, and camera angles to build a cache of over fifty client-pleasing poses suitable for a wide range of clients and locations. Readers will learn how to slim clients, lengthen the body, elegantly pose hands, mask perceived imperfections, and make every client look and feel their best in front of the camera to deliver profit-building portraits in minimal time.

Often overshadowed by complicated lighting techniques or advanced postproduction tips, this resource seeks to remind the professional photographer of the fundamental importance of a subject's pose. Conveniently designed in two-page spreads—a striking portrait on one side, a comprehensive how-to of the strategies used on the other—this reference includes countless techniques for studio sessions as well as outdoor and location shoots, with individuals or groups, male or female clients, and in sitting, standing, or lying poses. With advice from a well-known and respected professional, it covers all the basics, showing how to emphasize a client's assets and downplay perceived flaws, how to create a cohesive, engaging group photo, how to use natural elements on location to enhance an image, and how to ensure that the result flatters the subject and adds the essential professional polish to an image.

Posing continues to be a critical factor for photographers: doing it well is one of the primary ways true professionals can help their work stand out. In Master Posing Guide for Portrait Photographers, the author covers all the types of poses and subjects a professional photographer is likely to encounter in this handy guide. Headshots, waist-up, three-quarter and full-length poses (both seated and standing) are covered in detail. Also covers working with special subjects, such as brides and children.

Photographers must have a clear understanding of how the human body, from head to toe, should be posed and adjusted in order to look good—and natural—to the camera. Learning effective strategies to flatter the face, arms and legs, torso, and hands and feet will allow us not only to flatter our subjects but also effectively tell the subject’s story. Regardless of your photographic style, the tips and techniques outlined in this book will allow you to better control what the camera sees and the mood or message you want to convey. Whether you are a portrait or lifestyle photographer, photojournalist, fashion or commercial photographer, this book is designed to help you learn skills that you can apply to your specific style and method of shooting. Stephenson maintains that you should first identify the intent of your portrait before you begin to analyze the way in which you will pose your subject or subjects. How will the client use the image? Does he or she need a business portrait, which will require an air of authority and confidence, with a traditional vibe? Is the couple who booked the session deeply in love, and would a pose that speaks to their emotional closeness be appropriate? The author then moves into a discussion on body language. The way that an individual holds himself says much about his mind-set, mood, and motivations. Image viewers subconsciously read the cues that the subject’s body conveys. It is important to ensure that the body language that is summoned through posing suits the mood/theme /intent of the portrait. There are traditions of posing that have been in play in the visual arts for eons. Many photographers fall into using the same pose for every subject. When this happens, all of the images that leave the studio begin to look the same. This can have dire consequences when it comes to the public perception of the photographer’s work—and can squelch the joy photographers feel when creating. Stephenson offers simple approaches to flattering every body part when photographing individual clients and also teaches readers how to create artful images of couples and groups, as in multi-subject portraits, each individual must look great and relate logically and aesthetically to other subjects in the frame. With tips for posing the young and old, males and females, singles, couples, and groups in both indoor and locations—and in reclining, seated, and standing poses, from full-length to close-up, this book will walk you through all aspects of posing and balance with examples and easy to follow instructions. It’s time to stop guessing and learn the art and science of posing.

Rick Ferro opens wide his bag of tricks to show photographers how to create breathtaking wedding/engagement, portrait, and glamour photographs in any location. The bulk of the text is devoted to managing posing and lighting. Readers will learn to work with natural light to produce beautiful, evocative. Sophisticated indoor, multi-light setups are detailed and diagrammed too, ensuring readers can readily duplicate the flattering lighting effects that are a hallmark of Ferro’s style. Next, Ferro provides posing discussions for challenging presentations (e.g., seated bridal portraits, couples, and groups) and tricky body parts (hands are notoriously tough to pose in a natural, flattering manner). In addition to these critical teachings, Ferro teaches other skills that vex amateurs and pros—including storytelling, prop selection, composition, lighting groups, creating silhouettes, and more. Finally, he provides tips for building a strong social media presence, adding unique post-processing effects, adding music and slide shows in the sales room, and more.