Feature Posing for the Camera Jade Falcon Learning to pose well will make your costumes look better in formal and candid photos at your next event. A professional photographer shares her secrets for looking your best for the camera. Nothing says, boring like a photo of someone just standing there, looking at the camera! To make a good portrait, you need to give a sense of movement, or dynamicism to the final image. However, a good photo also requires you to stay still for the camera. That means your pose needs to imply action without you actually moving. In this article, I ll show you how to pose better at angles or curves to help imply dynamicism, without movement. I ll give you some basic general rules on posing, but remember, ALL of them can be broken with just cause: they are just guidelines and not strict rules. Keep in mind that posing for the camera is not like posing for masquerade judges. There is a difference between the two, and poses used for masquerade judges do not work for the camera. This article is divided into two parts: 1. General posing for non-costumed events 2. Posing for costumed / cosplay. The rules are generally the same, but because of costume and/or props, there might be general rules that can be broken or modified for posing in costume. As we ll see, posing with various props can actually help make a good photo even better. General Camera Posing Tips The following are some general camera posing tips that will help you get started. Dos and Don ts: Don t: face the camera at 90 degrees (i.e. football shoulders) with hands at your sides. This is too static of a pose. It makes the face look too broad, gives you too much of a straight-up-and-down look. This pose provides no dynamic movement. Do: assume a 45-degree angle to the camera. Both of the photos at right look good because of the costume. Costumes, especially large ones, may not follow all of the general posing tips that regular clothed portraits need to follow. The Virtual Costumer Volume 8, Issue 1-14- February 2010
Basic Poses Standard Pose: Can be used for anyone. Body at 45 degrees to camera. For women: this helps thin down the waistline and enhance the bust area. Body is directly facing the main light source (window, flash, lamp, etc) Person is leaning slightly over the belt buckle to create a lower back shoulder Head is slightly tipped towards the low shoulder until it s perpendicular to the slope of the shoulders Feminine pose: Works well for young, slimmer women. The body & shoulders are turned away from the light (the light falls across the body instead of into it) Person is leaning forward over the belt buckle slightly in order to create a lower back shoulder Head is slightly tipped towards the higher shoulder The picture top at right is a good example of how these concepts about posing come together in this photo of a young woman. Your basic poses might not work so well, if you are in a big costume, say Legos (below). Standing Have a solid pyramidal base Stand at a 45-degrees angle to the camera. This is usually the ideal angle for the head and shoulders portrait. (Women) Lean slightly back away from the camera when standing Place your weight on the back foot, and shift the hips (when standing). This puts the hips and shoulders at a better angle. Point your front foot forward towards camera, and then bend your knee slightly toward the other leg. This creates the S curve on a woman s body. Roll your shoulders back. Most people tend to slump forward a little bit. Rolling your shoulders back will make you seem like you re standing up straight. Can t really see all of the detail Can clearly see most of the front of the costume The Virtual Costumer Volume 8, Issue 1-15- February 2010
In the full-length standing shot (below), the model is following all the rules. She has a solid, pyramidal base, and her body is at a 45-degree angle to the camera. Her weight is on her back foot with her hips shifted, and she is pointing her nearest foot, with her knee slightly bent to achieve an S curve. She s also rolled her shoulders back. In the top pair of photos (below), the model on the left has her body straight on to the camera. In the right photo, model has her body turned at a 45-degree angle to the camera. For women, turning the body at a 45-degree angle enhances the bust line. In the bottom pair of photos, the model on the left is, straight on to the camera while in the right photo, the model has her body turned at a 45-degree angle. As you can see, turning the body slims down the waist. Let s look at a before and after example. In the top picture at right, Cassie is standing straight up and down, 90 degrees to the camera, and looking away. In the bottom picture, Cassie is standing 45 degrees to the camera, looking towards the camera, and her shoulders have been rolled back. This is a much better photo. Here are a couple of more examples that illustrate the effect turning the body at an angle to the camera has on the appearance of parts of the body. Image from Lighting, Posing, and Retouching by Jeff Smith The Virtual Costumer Volume 8, Issue 1-16- February 2010
Sitting Sit tall & roll shoulders back. Don t slump or get round shouldered (below). Slumping makes you look short and dumpy Slumping makes clothes look wrinkled Lean slightly forward over the belt buckle. This eliminates the very static straight up and down look. And gives a more dynamic feel. (Women) When sitting down, stand on the balls of your foot or toes. Don t go flat foot. This tightens the calves and gives a more pleasing look to your legs, especially if you re barefoot. In the photos (top), the model is flat footed in the left photo. In the right photo, standing on her toes makes the model s legs look better and more trim Image from Lighting, Posing, and Retouching by Jeff Smith The pair of photos (below) put together all of the sitting elements. In the left photo, the model is lumped over and flatfooted. This makes her look short and her clothes look wrinkled. In the photo at right, the Image from Lighting, Posing and Retouching by Jeff Smith model s shoulders are rolled back, and her right foot is on the ball of the foot. In General Project the chin. This is especially important if your subject has a full or double chin. By projecting the chin out toward the camera and using a slightly higher camera position the turkey chin can be nearly eliminated. In the top photo below, you see a little bit of a chin. The double chin is gone in the bottom one. When the person is facing the camera, you don t see the neck extension. Image from Lighting, Posing, and Retouching by Jeff Smith The Virtual Costumer Volume 8, Issue 1-17- February 2010
Eye direction. As much as possible, try to look in the direction of the camera for a more direct look. Or follow the line of your nose for a more reflective look; otherwise, it looks like you were distracted at the time of the photo. This is not to say that every image must have the subject looking directly at the lens, but people seem to like images where the subject is looking at the camera (them) Eye Direction Examples: The photos below illustrate the direct look (left) and reflective look (right). These shots work because the model s eyes are in the direction of her nose in both cases. The sequence above shows three poses with the model s eyes in different directions away from the camera. The left-most photo gives a reflective look because her eyes are in the direction of her nose. The other photos make her look distracted. Image from Lighting, Posing, and Retouching by Jeff Smith If It Bends, Bend It. Perhaps the single most important rule is: wherever there is a joint, break it. Combine this rule along with lean over belt buckle or lean slightly away from camera or the S-curve. Avoid 90 degree arms to create a very dynamic image devoid of any static-ness. These rules are basically true whether the pose is a head and shoulders pose or a full length seated pose. This prevents a straight up and down pose, which can be very, very boring. just after the big toothy smile when your face starts to relax. Squinty Eyes? Often times when someone smiles, their eyes squint, causing your eyes to disappear into your head. Trick: Close your eyes and SMILE your biggest toothiest smile. Then have the photographer count to three, while you relax your smile. On three, open your eyes. Image from Lighting, Posing, and Retouching by Jeff Smith The Head Proper Head Tilt: Never tip a man s head to the high (feminine) shoulder, as he will look feminine Women's heads can be tipped toward either shoulder, but the feminine shoulder is usually more appealing. (Photos at right) Eye: turn smaller eye away from the camera. Too big of a smile? The best smile a person has (per the camera) is The Virtual Costumer Volume 8, Issue 1-18- February 2010
Image from Lighting, Posing, and Retouching by Jeff Smith In the photos above, the left photo shows squinty eyes, and too toothy of a smile. The right photo shows a more natural smile with open eyes. What to Do With Your Hands In general, don t stack the hands or clasp them together. Separate and place them apart. Hide the rear hand if possible in group portraits. Of course, every rule is made to be broken. The following photos show breaking this rule (below left) Subdue the near hand. The hand that is nearest to the lens will appear larger than it actually is. Don't project the hands toward the lens and keep them within the range of focus. Generally, if the hand is above the subject's waist, the fingers should be directed upwards. If below the waist, the fingers should be directed down. Notice how large the woman s hand is, in relation to the rest of her body (below)? The closer it is to the camera, the larger it will appear. Also, there might be focusing issues with the camera when you bring the hand closer to the camera while the body is far away. Women: Don t show the back of your hand. Sides are much more graceful than the flat of the hand. Fists are masculine, open hands feminine. See how much more graceful the edges of the hands of the young lady in the second image looks (above right) when compared to Ben Jones Photography the flat back of the hand in the first image (above left)? What can you do with your hands to make them less noticeable? Put them on your hips. Hide one behind your back. If you ve got a prop, then hold it (See Props & Costumes). Posing with Props & Costumes Now that you know how to pose, you can use what you ve learned to pose in costumes. Unless, of course, you have a really LARGE costume (with wings, furry costume, etc.) Costumers usually prefer that their costumes be photographed well, followed very closely by them looking well in the photograph too. If you photograph costumed events, shoot for the costume, then shoot for the person. The Virtual Costumer Volume 8, Issue 1-19- February 2010
Let s look a few exceptions. The Legos shown earlier in this article and below are very wide, and the 45-degree angle doesn t work as well to show off the costume. In this instance, a 90 degree angle looks better and shows off the costume Here is another example with wings: Because of the wings, the person must be at 90degrees to camera. With the mask, it s almost unimportant what her face looks like, but notice the hands and rolled back shoulders. Getting into Character Is there a character associated with your costume? (i.e. cosplaying, LARPING) or do you have an idea of the type of person who might wear your costume? Method acting: try to get into your characters head. Think of how they would move, how they would act. If you re cosplaying, consider your character. Are there any particular signature poses that your character takes? What would look best for that particular character? For historical costumes, look at old photographs. Show these old photographs to the photographer so you can recreate it as possible. (Note: some historical photographs have their subjects look very stiff. Today s modern photographer wants their subject to look more natural, even in posed positions. Consequently, plan what look you are striving for in your photographs!) Try and relax: If you re overanxious, it will translate into your body language and make you look stiff. Joke around with the photographers, get your mind OFF the photo Props Mike blocks too much of his face (above right). You cannot see one eye. He was showing how to hold the sword to the model in question. After this photo, we moved the sword to not block his face. If the prop is integral to your costume (like a sword or fan), make sure that the camera can see it. Try not to block your face too much with the prop. People prefer seeing the face of the subject of the photo. (Obviously, this can be broken, but keep eyes clear) Sword Examples DO show the broad side of the sword. DON T show the flat edge of the sword, even if she is holding it correctly, it The Virtual Costumer Volume 8, Issue 1-20- February 2010
does not show off the sword. It s not about correctness, it is about the illusion of correctness (below). Of course, any rule can be broken: Additional Examples of Good Poses At right is a really good example of S curve, weight on back leg, head tilt, and use of hands. This is a very dynamic pose. Below is a sequence of three photos of a Victorian man s costume. All photos have really good elements. Which one you like better is subjective. LEFT Photo: Angled somewhere between 45-90 degrees. Weight is on back of the leg. Eyes follow the nose. The size of the costume is more conducive to this pose. MIDDLE Photo: Angle 45 degrees. Eyes looking at the camera. RIGHT Photo: Angle 45 degrees. Holding prop. Looking at camera. Michael Soo Photography The Virtual Costumer Volume 8, Issue 1-21- February 2010
This costumer (below) has weight on her back leg, front leg forward, body turned 45- degree angle, and holding prop Big Costumes If you have a big costume (trains, headdress, hat, etc), get a handler to help fluff your outfit. Show as much of the outfit as possible. After all, you worked hard on your outfit -- show it off! Pull trains behind you to show them off. Get someone to help you move around well in the studio. Group Costume Shots The following are some general rules when dealing with groups of costumers: Break up large groups into rows. Get chairs. Have people sitting on the floor or kneeling. Never line up faces vertically or horizontally Straight lines are too static. Use curves, triangles, or diagonals to create dynamic flow. For three people: triangles. Have No Head Directly Above Another All heads should not only be at different heights but also not directly above another subject. Don t have everyone look straight into the camera at the same angle. Have everyone do something with their hands. Bending, on furniture, etc. Have the subjects at either end of the image face in toward the center. The master painters of the Renaissance used this technique to keep the viewers attention within the painting. Form a triangle with the tallest in the middle going down. Best if all eyes are looking somewhat at the camera but everyone is facing one way. Your eye will follow and look to the right (above right). Resources Some photos are from the following sources. They are used with permission: Ben Jones, Sonshine Studios (http://www. sonshinestudios.com) Corrective Lighting, Posing and Retouching for Digital Portrait Photographers, by Jeff Smith (http://www.jeffsmithphoto.com), (see Short Subjects item later in this issue) Michael Soo Photography (http://www.soophotography.com). Jade Falcon is a nationally ranked fencer, award-winning costumer, and professional photographer who shoots masquerade and other costume events. Visit her web site: http://www.jadefalcon-photography.com. The Virtual Costumer Volume 8, Issue 1-22- February 2010