Transcripts
1. Introduction and overview: I'm burning raffia. Professional photographer, instructor on organ. Nice guy based in the UK on Welcome to my course All about posing. If you like to take photos of people, you will have discovered by now that it's not always easy to get fantastic photos with your subjects looking nice and relaxed and comfortable. But here's the thing. It's not that hard. You just have to learn some basic steps and then practice them. And so lovely relaxed posing is what your learn on this course. Many posing tutorials feature mostly gorgeous experience models to show you the poses, but this course isn't anything like that. Only one video has a gorgeous professional model. All of the others feature real people who are maybe not quite so gorgeous, and they all feature in life photo sessions. Yeah, that's why I go out and photograph normal. Everyday people like you may and our families. There's individuals. There's couples, families with Children, siblings both young and old, what you might call full of figure couples as well, plus a photo session with an extended family of about 10 people, including Children on a lovely old granddad in a wheelchair. There's tips and tricks for head and shoulders posing. Plus a fantastic idea for getting a stronger head shop and know everything goes to plan. I make mistakes. Yeah, Instructors make them all the time and so will you. But those mistakes are kept in there. No edited out. This is real life, after all. And these things happen. Posing is hard to remember. Well, it was for May. Anyway. So each video has an accompanying pdf crib she of the poses for that particular lecture that you can download and keep with you. So if you like to take pictures of people, be they models, family or just friends, this course is the one for you. Your learn loads. So why not sign up now and learn the secrets of great posing? Bye for now.
2. Extended family posing Part I, how to deal with a large group of people: or in this video, a photograph of an extended family of mine people, including a couple of Children now photographing larger families does take a bit of practice, and you do need to be confident in relating to people and to be able to take control because it can be a little intimidating. More so. Office. Obviously, if you don't know the family when there are Children involved, especially young Children, you need to work quickly before they realize it's not that exciting after all. And I'd rather be doing something else with some top. Supposing, for example, individuals or couples. You can get away, we looking maybe posing examples that you see in magazines and so on and copying them in the photo sessions. But for me anyway, that just doesn't really work for large groups. I know I tried. It would look around for inspiration, maybe find a couple of poses that I liked, and I do my best to remember the poses, even going to the trouble of mapping, mapping out the poses on pieces of paper. The trouble is, when I was faced with the reality of that many people, it was no good and trying to keep to my posing diagrams just didn't work. Why? Well, there's various reasons who start. We're all different shapes and sizes and heights. Some, some people are not comfortable lying on the floor, as in this particular video. Or maybe a woman turns up wearing a very short skirt or low cut blouse on. You really want to preserve their dignity by no asking her to get down low on the ground, all manner of small things Connect your perfectly planned posing ideas, perhaps a guy with a rather large stomach that maybe you need to hide. Okay, I appreciate that's not really very pretty politically correct, but I'm just trying to be honest here. The lovely family that I photographed in this session. We're just great. But the granddad was in a wheelchair and Liz had a brace on a leg so she couldn't really sit with the legs to one side. This is real life, and as photographers we have to deal with it and still do a good job. But the main point I'm trying to make here is with a very large family is very difficult, if not impossible, to plan that plan out exact poses like you can with individuals, couples and smaller groups. Generally speaking for larger groups, I tend to go for a balanced, slightly more traditional arrangement on quarterly speaking. These are the various styles that I use. First, there's linear arrangements that is lining people up in a bow, these air easy to do. But if you're not careful, they can look very formal. For example, wedding groups where the photo with a bride and groom are in the centre on their family either side of them. But if you line people upset against a wall or fence were just walking towards you, The post can take on a far more casual feel, especially if they're looking at each other rather than the camera. Next, there's what I call triangular or shaped arrangements. This is the one I do most. Posing families to create triangular or diagonal patterns. Space fairly evenly apart usually feels balanced and keeps the viewers eyes moving from person to person. You have to be careful not to make the mistake of position the one or more people slightly further away as they look kind of out of it. Typically, I like to create several different triangles, which is fairly easy to do in a larger group. Families of three or five people are usually easier to pose as they were naturally fall into triangular patterns. We don't have a family of four. I usually try to avoid forming a perfect square. Now we come to UNP owes lifestyle poor traits for want of a better word, quite difficult to do with the large family, so I don't usually even attempt it. But they're great for smaller groups, especially where Children are involved. Now, with this type of photo, I tend to give general direction to the family about what to do. But then just stand back and take some candid photos with Children. It's all about play. You can't ask a four or five year old to smile. You often get something like this. So for lifestyle photos of smaller groups, I try to get them running around or chasing me or coming up behind their parents and surprising them that type of thing. Let's face it, the interaction between the family members is probably the most authentic and honest moments you'll ever have the pleasure of capturing. In fact, chances are that some of the most evocative and moving images you create will be those where there is little or no direction, and there's arguably one or two of those in the session. But this video is about larger groups on. It's not practical practical to get them all running around, especially with very young Children. Well, I was follow up on the four group photos by continuing a session with some more relaxed lifestyle type photos, which I did in this session. So let's see how I got on. Hi. We're here for another family photo session with a larger family, this time seven adults and two Children. So when you think about it, how do you go about posing? Are large family? Well, with difficulty, I think, is the best response to that. But when you think about it, it's not too difficult, depending on how you plan and plan things out this otherwise you can do it to start off with. You could do maybe just a complete lineup like you, like you see often that weddings. Let's try that. I mean, it's not a great pose, really. It looks a little bit more traditional on, but let's try that and see how it looks. So I just stand in a line you're gonna come up to about here. So this is why I would tend to line people up a wedding. I'd have the bride and groom in the middle, but in this case, we've got the grand. It's in the middle on the what I would tend to do is get people turned in inwards so hot, like Holly has turned in, interned in. Listen, Mick, if you kind of turn in, I'm getting nice and close James getting a bit closer. You can on that, also asked. People just put their way on one leg. That looks better. That's it. And that's how I would lined people up. So let's take a short of that. Everyone's looking. Is everyone looking happy? That is not interested. But I doubt it, as you say, even though people who quite smiley it does have a kind of a traditional look and feel to it. So this is not the way I would normally pose a large group. The next thing you can do with a large group when it's standing is to have them in most, especially if there's even more people to know are now. So let's try that This is another powers I don't normally do. I don't think it works at world, but I just want to try it Just to compare with the poses are gonna come later on. The problem of this kind of poses, Sometimes people better back get hidden away on. If they're not talking enough, their faces could be partially obscured. So I tend not to use this post very often. But it is a more traditional pose that you're likely to see it weddings and so on and so on . But it does look a little bit more for more on traditional. Okay, I said, I propose in on, and this is my kind of general philosophy. I like to have the Children more or less of other fun because they're the smallest one, so they need to be near the camera on. I like to have people sitting. That's my first. That's kind of my start. Important people sitting and then build it up from there. Now it is. If there's a lot of people, I often have people sitting than people needing behind them and then other people standing . You need those people in the middle kind of oh, kneeling or just kind of crashing down. Otherwise, you've just got people sitting and then other people standing up higher, so there's too much of a height difference. So it's good to have a Zoe got here. We got lease, say, on the arm of the chair there in Holly. And James is sitting down on We got a couple of couple of people standing up to see how this looks from the phone. Okay, we've got a couple of little problems. Mick is standing two straight onto the camera, so if you turn towards May May, that's it. I'm getting closer is I don't see it. Andi, also, we've got this kind of rogue hand here. Lots sticking out is that you cannot use. Is that belong to the Oh, So if you hired the hand I know you like pointing hand there, but on Brantley, can you? I said funny. You okay? Bonnie? Is it all right? Okay, I think now that's pretty good. We've got a kind of a gap here, haven't we? Look, just here we have yet another person. That would be quite a nice place. to put to put someone. So I'm wondering whether Mick, you're going states come in that gap there. I think that probably looks a little bit better again. Turn towards mimic, make turn your whole body towards me. That's it. Coming close. That's and put ur man around the girls, but not white around just what roundabout in the back of them. Yeah, actually, I think also it in could use swivelled round in Scotty's legs over that side so that made his head is further away from Molly. So if you swivel round, put your legs over this side like James has, I said, that means your head and just perfect. And that means getting a bit closer to Holly. That's it. That means now he's had his closer and you say this isn't nice posing as a quite quite a nice triangular shape. One technical aspect is ah, shooting the F eight because no one different planes. So I want to make sure everybody is in focus. If I was using a 2.8 and full a couple of people, you know Sylvia and Mick Utterback might not be in focus. I was focusing, focusing their on Derrick right away and I've got to feel fresh on minus 1.7. Roughly speaking. Okay, that is looking cool to get his hair is clicking over his eyes. My mind does that Burnley as well I can help going on. I say people, people, people. We got a little laugh that I've been in there, which is good, always adds to oppose. You know, I don't mind at all making myself look silly in front of a group of strangers. It's really the end result that matters. So I tend to put my ego away for the duration of the session. Sometimes I say the most ridiculously stupid things just to get a reaction. Anyway, you'll have noticed I took quite a few shots of this one pose. Now I was do that because in a largest group you need to be very lucky indeed to get great expressions of everyone in the group. Sometimes an image is spoiled by just one person. Blinking or looking down at the baby was just decided to start laughing. So the more photos you take, the better the chance of everyone looking great. I'm quite pleased with this one. The only thing that bothers me a little is the gap between the wheelchair and this is legs . But she had a brace on one of her legs, and so I wasn't able to move it over. Having said that, expression over perfection is the same. That springs to mind, and I think it's very apt in this image.
3. Extended family posing Part II, how to deal with a large group of people: okay for this pose again. We've got people on the floor. It's a good place to start derricks in the chair on a couple of people standing Children again. A two front. Now, I really would have preferred Liz to kind of just sit, sit like this. But she has trouble with her legs, so she needs to have a leg straight out in front of her. So that looks OK. OK, like that on Duh. I think one of the problem problems, though, is that we really need another person to come in here, which we don't have on. So I really don't like that gap there. So I think if silver you come down, stand next to Derek on the other side and just kind of face that way No, actually, face face may about here. That's it, James. You coming close as well? Also standing kind of sideways, and that's a much nice opposed. Now we've got a kind of triangular shaped going on. It is better symmetry as well. I think that looks good. So friendly. If you go back into grandad legs, sit right back, you can Hey, friendly, how we're going to move around good, then, if you can bring your head a little bit as well again. I'm pleased with this shop. The one on the bottom I feel is better in and Holly are in a better pose. He's leaning back slightly with her, laying down more and also turned more towards the camera. Derek has his wheelchair turned to the side, more mixed faces visible from behind. Liz and finally changed at the back, has moved in closer expressions. Okay as well. But I should have reminded James to rest on one leg and to put a hand in his pocket. It's no bad, no, and I think you'll agree that it's far more polished and relaxed on the early opposed where everyone was just lined up. Okay, here's another part is that we've set up. I like to use walls or trees for people to lean on. Now we've got plant leaning looking Call against the tree is his legs. Cross was quite nice as well, sitting down. Ian's got his legs open and Holly is just leaning on his knee. That's always good. Good start. Important. Proposed. Those sitting gone, a couple of people standing up. Okay, you see, how this looks. Somebody come in a bit to grandma. That's it. Just look at ice. Cross his legs beautifully, James. Just turn your feet That way. The same asthma occurs during the coming close. Probably Sylvia. Probably head around a bit more. Well, this way. So I can see that's it? Not quite. What is that? That's perfect right now lease His head is in front of it. And something is if you come over there, can you come over this way a tiny bit? Because you're hiding up here and you can see how handsome here is. He wants to be in the shop. Okay, I have to hold my hands up here and say I'm not very happy with this pose. My original intention was have a couple of people leaning against the tree on with others spread out to the side. But I was a bit thrown by Derek being in the world share, and it is not being very maneuverable. Still, I should have done better, so I'm going to use this image is an exercise to see how the Post might have been improved . Now I've made a very few very, very rough changes in quota shop to switch people around. I haven't spent hours trying to make it look realistic. Just a few modifications to demonstrate what might have been about opposed. So let's start with Mick in the black sweater, leaning against Derek's Wiltjer. There's quite a gap there, isn't there, between him and the world share where you could see the grass in the background, I should have asked him to sit on the arm of the chair like this. I did say it was very, very rough. Next, I don't like the large gap between grandly lean against a tree and his grandmother, Sylvia. So I'm going to move Bernie away like this and then or move Liz over and turn her around, and that makes her legs point out from the center and keeps her head closer to the others. Now I'll move Brantley into the gap on DCA. Pair it to the original image. If you ignore the complete mess I've made of the photo and just compare posing, I think you'll agree this is now a better family pose. You could see a line form, but a position of the heads, a diamond shaped pattern here along with various other shapes, So that's about it. Now, with these group poses, I didn't really have anything pre planned. It's just a matter of getting people sitting down on the floor, sitting behind them, maybe on kneeling or crouching like I'm doing now and maybe somebody standing somebody standing up. It's good also, if you can avoid any large gaps in the post as well, where you can see sky through or a tree. Maybe just try and cover that up with another person and try and get some patterns, guy and triangles, diagonals and so on. So thanks very much, everyone. How do you enjoy your photos when you see them? Typically, with any photo session of a large family group, the family are only really looking for a small number of great photos of the whole family together. So afterwards, I always take more pictures of the smaller family groups, couples, individuals, Children running around or maybe the men or women only. So here's a few more from this session. Bye for now,
4. Gallery of extended family poses: I again, The Peevey's video was a life photo shoot with about nine people. It takes a while to pose a group with that many people, even more so when one or two of them on that mobile on. Although I discuss my opposing ideas during the session because of the time involved, I ended up with only three actual poses shown. So I want to correct that imbalance in this lecture. This video shows a gallery of some of my photos of large or extended families. Many of the poses have been put into practice some of the techniques I mentioned in the previous video, but there's some other good ideas as well, Even if I do say so myself. Okay, so let's take a look. Yeah, I was very pleased with this one. Loved the lion on the autumn colors as well. A couple of people leaning on the tree, Children at the fun most people turn to decide. Notice also how I got the guy in the gray shirt with the glasses kneeling down, but his son is standing next to him to keep that diagonal line going again. You can see how I've made a nice shape young child, a Teflon people kneeling in the middle and some standing at the back because it's not practical to map out the exact pose beforehand. Sometimes I set up a pose and, you know, it doesn't look like even I make mistakes. Sometimes I know it's almost unbelievable, isn't it? Seriously, though, when that happens, I have no qualms about asking people to move or go to a different place. It might take two or three attempts to get the post. How you want it. The post that the young boy and the glasses is doing that the fun often works quite well for smaller Children and young women. Okay, I'll start going through them a bit quicker now and just comment on particular points. You can easily stop the video to have a longer look or download the posing cribs. She afterwards notice that a grand parents off to one side and most people turn sideways. I probably did us a big guy in the middle to turn sideways, but he obviously moved amount again. But I had good expressions from the Children, so I didn't live with a point. Well, this one is completely symmetrical, isn't it taking a few years ago. Now possibly looking a little dated and over posed. Or leave that for you to decide. Notice how the two girls at the fun are sitting sideways on one leg up with the front leg tucked under the other one that helps to make a lap for the Children. Here's another idea with the two central guys sitting down. What a way these air called posing tubs. You can get them in sets, each one being a different height. Notice how to gild, turned to one side on their hips, leaning on their husbands legs. That usually works quite well but doesn't work if the husband's legs are too high up. By the way, when you have a family with a baby, as in this shot, quite often the baby looks around or isn't very smiley. Yeah, even if you insist, they smile. I know that's babies for you. So let's say, after taking half a dozen photos, the baby finally looks in your direction. What happens at that exact moment? Naturally enough, the parents looked down at the baby running the shop, so because of that, I tend to ask people to ignore the baby, if possible. The people in the middle here are leaning against the back wall. Now that does make it slightly easier to pose them. Notice also that in order to create this triangular shape, I asked the guy on the right with a little girl to slide down the water bit. I don't think it was very comfortable for him, but he only had to hold that position for a few seconds. Usually people play along with my ideas to assume that, you know, if they're not happy about something, have you spotted that there will color coordinators? That's the advice I give to people. And I prefer if the Children were something different because they tend to be a bit smaller , it helps to make them stand out more. Here's a very simple one of everyone on the ground again asked her to seated girls to rolled onto their hips and put their legs out to one side. That's something I get people to do a lot. The girl kneeling at the back helps to give some shape to the pose. Okay, let's move on to a different style of posing for larger groups. This is where I spread people out or stagger them. One of the little tricks I use here is to try and varied IPOs of each individual so that they're not all standing the same. Plus, I sometimes get Children or smaller people to stand a couple of steps in front of the others. Now just that many of the individual poses a ones I've shown earlier in the other videos we'll also try to do with these is to put the smaller family groups together. So I have to know who everyone kind of belongs to, if you see what I mean. Here's another spirit out, one that I've always liked this time of a smaller group this demonstrate are leaning or resting on. Things could make the poses look very natural and look at each of the individual Children leaning or sitting relaxed. I look also notice the way the youngster is standing against his grandmother, legs apart, hands in pockets and look at the girl to the right of him, the one who is leading against the post, her arm and hands, a perfect one on the post and the other on the row. Finally, a couple of wedding photos why have used the famous Bernie Raffi spread out posing technique Peyton applied for seriously, though, you can see how it looks very relaxed, with the men leaning on the pillars and their partners leaning into them. Great expressions, too. I must have hit them with one of my better jokes. Maybe my joke went down like a lead balloon in this photo, so some expressions aren't that great. But again, you can see the concept of getting people away from each other to leave some breathing space. Also, I don't like the way the men at the back have their hands in front of their their nether regions, shall we say, if men stand like that now, always told him to move their hands as I'm not about to take a free kick. That's a footballing term when the defenders put their hands in front to protect themselves . I do appreciate that it would be difficult to try and replicate these poses exactly. I probably couldn't even do that myself because every group is different. But hopefully it would have given you an idea of my approach to group photos and helped to form your own ideas. Bye for now,
5. Parents and two children Part I - Sitting, and running around: in this video a photograph. Mom, Dad, and they're lovely young boys in the park. You'll see that I arrange some poses quite carefully, and in others I just get them to walk or run around and take my chances that I get some good images now that's quite deliberate on my part. I like to vary the photos and have fun with people so that they enjoy the session. Plus, you know, it means that put their personalities shine through. Plus, you often get wonderful expressions. There's quite a few different poses. So I've split the video into two parts so that the little easier to digest. As always, you can download a pdf file containing the final images, use them as a reminder of the poses. So let's see how I got on why. Again, we're hearing apart with Helen. Tommy on Liam on Reese. We haven't really met. Met before their friends of my daughters on before we got going. We did sit down. You know, we had a chat on, uh, you spoke about what we're gonna going to be doing. You can't just kind of get a family can come along and just start shooting and taking award winning images straight away. You know, you need to get to know people chatter them on, see what I want to do. That that type of thing on. Actually, when we try to organize this on it looked like it was going to be a hot day and they did. Ask told me on and on. And Helen is probably better if they don't wear shorts now. Okay, I'm one short. But then again, no. Everybody's got perfect, beautifully formed legs like I have. You know, the real reason is that you are, in my opinion, when you've got a group shop, I don't think shorts look older all that good, especially, you know, on the men, especially when everybody is still close together on Do you know the legs sticking out with short on because you want the focus to be on the face and you want the viewer to look at the people's faces. Whereas if they were in short, the you know, as if your your eyes go go to the legs, we're going to start off with some sitting poses. I find these a little bit easier because generally the less you show of somebody, the easier it is. Suppose him on doll. So it's easier to get the head heights. You know about why as well on an eye shaped shapes going on with heads. So we're going to start off. Let's think. Okay, tell me. Sorry. You're not your dad. I Liam and very stand up on. We're gonna gonna position Helen on and tell me first. So I haven't your sit. You're gonna sit like this Are facing price in this white. Yeah. Perfect. Aunt told me your sit on your side, Not this might be a leg out. Appear perfect. That's great. Now So this is a great starting point, actually, for many poses, you know, I can't quite often start with people sitting sitting sideways. Now, Tom is a little bit too far away from heaven s. So I think just ahead and you stay where you are. Just moving your kind of bumming, Tommy. But that's great on. So now it's a question of where to report Reum and Reese. So I would say, Let's put them on Dad's that. So I know the sometimes that so I'm getting you mixed up. Yeah. You have to be careful, Teoh. Lisa's face doesn't cover up cover up. Told me that's perfect. But three is actually an easier number to pose. So where we gonna put Liam? I would say to start off with this. Come on the back and come right over like that. So you know you want to kneel down, William, let's try this. This gets set up. First of all, actually, exposure looks pretty good. So let's take a few shots now that from nothing here with this poses, Tommy has got his legs sticking too far out. So I would bring your leg up a bit. Tommy, maybe put your arm. Oh, what, your arm over. That's it. Bit morbid. Next, What would say, Liam, come up a tiny bit that in lean over looking good, looking good. Everyone's looking handsome, beautiful, great. Good. Start a few points to know about this pose. You need to get Mom and Dad in close so that there's no gap between them. The woman should be turned to decide. I prefer the leg near is a camera is tucked inside. The other one also make sure that the person at the back is high enough, so as not to get lost on the youngster in front, has legs turned sideways and that his head is no obscuring the parent. I did ask, told me to put his arm straight over his knee, which I think looks better. But then he forgot a move it back, Okay for the next pose well, head on and told me sitting down, we might as well just keep them in their in more or less that kind of position so that if you swivel down so you like this, it's easy to show people than it is to told them. I find and told me you sit the other way than with your legs diagonally opposite Teoh. Heaven get nice and close. Where's the boy's gotten? Have disappeared. Gone, guys. Let's think that it's a good starting point as well. You know when you can put other people in various places importance on on the laps, maybe behind. If you do put anybody behind, we won't do it for this shot. But if you do put somebody behind you don't want the head god directly above another head. It looks great if the head is in the middle where Liam Waas in the previous shop. That boy's here you go. There you are. What if you come over here, Liam, you're gonna sit on Mom's mom's lap there. Now you want Liam fights in this way so that his head is the other side of head of state. Say that That's fine on me. She's going to sit on Dad's lap there again, facing towards May because if you're facing that way than these head is going to be covering up dead, so you're facing towards me. Higher up. And also, it's great if you get the heads of different heights. So I would say limb, sit on Mom's side there, and that puts his head a little bit higher up 1,000,000,000. Perfect. The CIA just looks and Uh huh, yeah, now that's great. Right now, Squishy cheeks together, all If you put your cheeks together square shop together Now give me a smile. Big smile. Bigger, bigger, small, bigger, even bigger. Bigger. That's too big. Lovely. That's good. It's great to have a bit of fun with people as well, you know, rather than trying to just ask him to smile really like that. Okay, so from that basic position, you can vary it by possibly moving the boys around. Let's have a little money on that. And what makes you go behind and standing? I'm that Just stand up. That's it. That's great. Put your arms around him. Pretend you quite like him. That's it. E t A. Stand. Stand up because you want to be hidden. Stand up. That's about the perfect. And then let's come over this way Tiny bit there too much, but that come forward toward Molina over them. Put your arms right around them a lot. Tell me, Bring your head forward a bit. Tom was getting lost in the background there. Hello, Dad. Again, this is another variation, you know, making shapes with people's heads, getting the heads of difference, and I slightly different heights of possible. Okay, we'll do a few standing up hoses now because of the heights Differences. You know, you don't really want just a normal form or type of standing up shot because Greece is down here on DMA Mom and Dad up here. So I think we go for a couple of little funky type of shots. If you're old hand guys, right, and turn that turn this way. Face this way. Like what you're going to do. You're gonna look over there. You're going to keep in the same formation. You're gonna run. I got ready. Steady. Go gone. No, I forgot to put the company burst about there, which is what I meant to do. But it does look pretty good. I try. Try who tried out again, but I put the camera in burst mode on will take about seven or eight pictures. So let's try that again. I tell you what. Switch it around. Um, Reese? Different then, Liam, Because we've already got what we got a couple of good ones like that. That's it. But today see how far you can go. Hang on a second. Just checking my focus in as well seems like a good idea that a steady go, Uh what? We're doing a hand holding thing. Hold hands again. Together. Let's put Liam and race in the middle now and all terms down, so I'm gonna take picture the back of them. So you just turn that on face that way. Okay. Uh, not just walk away from a obviously not one to use too often. Admittedly, it might not work too well in isolation, but when viewed amongst a set of images, it can provide a bit of fun and variety. Okay, so they're gonna walk away from me. This time on this shot is going to be about the boys as they walk away. I'll get them to turn around and take a shot of the recently. We haven't really got terrific background, but this will do for the moment. You get the idea. Okay. Ready? Walk away there. May 7. On May. Yeah. I'll say this one featuring the boys worked pretty well. And I like the fact that Mom and Dad are not looking quite often. Ask people to look at each other. You can get some great expressions and a different mood in doing that.
6. Parents and two children Part II - Standing and sitting on a bench: But while we were holding hands and walking around, we might as well get shot of them run in towards me. Now, the hand holding is quite important because if they didn't hold hands, I'm sure Liam and Reese would what would run too fast. Wouldn't you leave Mom and Dad behind? That's the reason for the hand holding. So we'll try that again. Now, we've got a problem with sound in a moment and we're looking for some shade on. We've got a bit of a black background, which I don't particularly like, but you get the general idea of this shot. You're gonna Minas fast as you can. OK? But don't look at the camera. Look at, you know, look at each other or look past may. Ready? Yeah. Yeah, I got some lovely expressions here. The images spoiled, but a very bright background notice. I use birth shooting mode along with continuous focus to give me the best chance of getting some great expressions. We got one or two nice shots there, but the problem waas were in the shade and the sun is shining on the background and the glass went completely white. So we're going to try it out again, just with a darker background is still a little bit of speckled some there. But we just give that another go to see if we can get a better background. But you get the general idea, you in advance of walls. Me guys don't look at me. Remember that stand in a row. Very Diamont. I just kind of go too quickly. But a There you go. Yeah, the background is much better now, Mind you, it has to be said most families time. When you care about that, they just want to look good themselves. And who can blame them? Notice. In this image, Helen's face has caught a dappled sunlight. That's what I've been trying to avoid. Not the best expressions anyway. But remember, you only need to get one great photo. Look, after all that running about and we're back to a sitting down pose, Helen's gonna be facing this way. We remember, sometimes opposes, dictated by the light on we've got this will understand branches. We've got the sky over there, and it's dark behind us. So if I was to turn this way, for example, you should see my face a bit darker. So we want. We want to appoint double delight and bring your legs up towards you. But Greece is gonna come by my mom. Put your arms, rounder. Give a nice little cuddle. What a lovely mom. She is on you now. Would we live? And what did we say about Liam? Come in, Costa. I think you could kneel. Kneel down. That's it. And you see, had a head straight away and making the night. Nice line. Looks good. Tom is gonna come over the top. Maybe about either there or they're not. What? Over? Helen said. That looks nice like that. That's good. Let me just move your hand off of Liam. Shoulder became you Hang around him. But you could just keep said I can't see it. Mrs. Given his mama. Lovely candle. Got somebody in the background is in my shop, so I just come down this way a bit. Get your head in a bit closer to Mom. That's a Andre has come up a tiny bit who's never did come up a tiny bit. Never mind. No. Still quite pleased with these. Also zoomed in for a close up. It's usually worth doing that To get a variety of shots from the same pose. We're going to go for a standing one now that featuring the boys, they will be in focus. Mom and Dad at the back. Walking towards them look important. Very importantly, looking at the boy is not looking at the camera. If I look at a camera, it will ruin the picture. So I told the guys to stand with their legs apart. Be sensible to me a little bit with your feet Tony bound. But this leg bring it down. That's it. Now, over here, like this thing for about their That's it. Just standing like that. Put your legs worth of apart bit of attitude. Yeah, that's it. Perfect. Go back, guys. You're gonna walk towards them. I look at them. Don't look at the camera. I'm gonna have to come over here. Okay? Start walking. Why is okay now? Look at each other. Uh huh. Yeah. I came around to the side here to make sure I had a clear view of Mom and Dad. I didn't want to photograph them walking directly behind the boys. I should have come out a little more to avoid having the tree in the background coming out of Leon Liam's body. I like the way the boys are standing. That's also a great pose for youngsters when they're on their own. What? We've moved over to the bench now. I like taking pictures on benches they could not quite nice, and you can vary. The part loses as well Make them look good. Most people wouldn't. I said, When you try and take a picture on the bench, this is out of city. So let's try one. Let's try that and see how it looks. Okay, looking happy looking Smiley. And it's kind of okay, isn't it? It's a bit boring, really. I guess we've got some boring expressions that didn't help. But, you know, it's not really a great poster. Let's try something a little bit different. So, Tommy, you're gonna sit on the arm with your leg up recently and stand up. Generally part of the body that close to the camera tend to look larger, so you don't really what people sitting like this as well. He's nice to turn them to decide. So you're gonna put you It is quite small. Bench, actually, Helen, if you can get your legs up on on the bench and in lead on Tom, his leg and look at that straight away. Doesn't that look a lot better? Looks great. Yeah, beautiful. Already. Race. You're gonna sit on the back of the bench? I said, come over a little bit. Getting a bit close. L And if you can, will be closer to tell me that it. So we've got this kind of gap. We've got a gap here. I like Tommy and Helen to be quite close. So I think Liam, if you come in the back here, you're gonna come in that gap there. How's that look? Quite often I like to have the Children in the fun, but, you know, is quite a good hire. And, uh, Helen is quite low there. Something that looks pretty good. So I don't get your head in a bit closer to Islamic send you quite like. OK, this looks told me. I'm not quite sure about the hand there, so just put it. Maybe you just hide it there when, using a bench, make use of the arms of the bench and also the back rest to get everyone doing something different, if possible. Notice the contact between Mom and Dad and Liam and Mom always adds a bit of family warmed to an image while you're on the bench. We wanted to try something else. Hey, would you think? Yeah. So we've moved people around. Just experiment in the child and ever. But this post looks quite nice, Doesn't especially without me in it. So let's have a look. Yeah, Helen's got her legs up on the bench. She can lean on them. Sometimes. It's nice to have been spread out normally are quite like the heads to be close together. But occasionally it could look nice if they're spread out a little bit, not base. If you stay with your that's it. But keeping your legs exactly there. That's perfect. That looks really good. Like a proper track. Your family now? Uh huh. So that's about it. We had a nice little session there. We've got a nice variety opposes, which I'm sure the family will love are not. Try and do a few of Liam and released together, and I'll probably put those in the siblings video on. We'll try. We'll try some of those now, but thanks very much other. And Tommy enjoyed that. You in the next video Bye for now,
7. Parents and two older children Part I (repeated from my other course): in this film, I'm going to give you some tips on posing now. Generally speaking, when you look about on the way by magazines for opposing tips, quite often you'll see that the images are mainly of individuals, you know, maybe more doors. Oh, a couple. It's not often you actually see tips on posing family groups, so that's what we're going to do today. We've got they on Jane and Tom in Ali here on duh. We're going to try out some some suppose it. We're going to start off the standing poses. I find that was a little bit more difficult, to be honest. And if you're not careful, they can look a little bit mawr or a little bit too formal. So you have to be careful to try and make opposing look good. And it makes all the difference in the picture. You know, if you do get a nice natural post, it could just change the whole shape of the image or all together you probably won't remember all the steps. Actually, they're going to be a lot of quick fire tips on as they say, you probably won't remember them all, so just pick out your three or four favorites, but the end of the video I've got a little three before you, which you can download on, actually help you to remember some of these sits. So let's get started for the 1st 1 We're just going to try a simple standing in a boat pose . Now. You don't really want them standing flatfooted like the best thing to do is, it'll put the boys were put the boys in the middle turns it will turn inward, solves each other guys, that's it. Legs apart, maybe. Look good, Jane, you stand, you do the model pose now. So you're standing on your legs. Put this away from the camera. Perfect, right. You coming nice and close. Just might be. Put your hands in your pockets. That was just about to put his hand on his shoulder. And if you do that again, what tends to happen is that hand looks like it's coming from nowhere. Photographer sometimes called those alien hands, so the best thing to do is just take your hands off. Okay, so let's try. This shot is the 1st 1 Now, if somebody was a small that make a great picture notice have put them in the shade. And I've tried to avoid that white sky behind and said, I've got the trees behind them. Let's try another simple one with the parents standing behind. So if you go go behind there to stand behind Earlier on Jane, you come in close now. You have to be careful when you do something like this, because obviously you can't see very well. So right, when you come in, come into the middle. Also, you don't really want people's heads directly above another head. That's another little little tip there. So, Jane, coming on this white, tiny bit. But you come in my turntables me a little bit more good with being blind about here. I hope you can hear me with the with all this wind, right, Tom, you turn towards May put your legs apart, sharp it that bit of attitude. That's it. Yeah. We have the cap the other way because the cap is the cap is in front of his face. But, Ali, you pointed out. You come towards me now with your feet. That's it. That's better. Give that a shot. Right coming into the middle bit. more. I could, of course, have taken this shot on the previous one has fallen photos, maybe in the portrait orientation. But I just decided to go for more close up shots. Another little trick you can do is to stagger people that have them or comes together. So let's try that. But you go back a tiny bit. Yeah. Um well, you come over this way a bit, Tom, you come towards May. Now, Tom is gonna be the star in this picture, actually, your bit to bit too far away from each other. Coming a bit closer. That's it, Right Way Just put your hands in your pockets. Maybe you know something that's good. One thing about this type of posing is it doesn't have that family friendly. It's great for the kind of bands, for example, on a CD cover or corporate type of shop. But you know, it kind of good performances as well. If they like that type of image. Just to quickly demonstrate variations on this pose is a couple of my studio photos. This powers works very well if the people at the back lean against the wall. And also, if everybody adopts a different position and faces a different way. In fact, you can see the staggered effect a little bit more clearly in these shots than in the one. I just took another good, very relaxed type of poses when the family just walking along together. And when I do this shop, I normally get them to look at each other. Love in the camera as it looks a little bit more natural, focusing computer bit tricky. I use kind of a bust a bust mode with continuous focusing. But if you camera doesn't have their just point the camera to a certain part of the ground , Andi or a certain part of the gum before them on part versus shatter on weight and then ask him to walk on, then click the shutter when I get to that point you focused on. So let's give it a try. This is very much a child and every type of pose, which is why I just took several photos hoping that he's one of them, will have some great expressions, and I thought this one turned out pretty well. If you've got a nearby wall or a tree that that can really help standing up hoses because people tend to like to lean on things, especially men so lightly against the truth. Now he's got his legs, his legs crossed. That's how we might stand if he was just waiting for the bus or just waiting for some friends. Well, that just flat footed. It's a bit more comfortable on, uh, Jane's adopted the model post Tom's got. His next course is well on Dolly's got one leg up, one leg up that come quite often, look quite relaxed as well. Only just maybe lean back in time. There, that's better. That looks good. Let's give that a try. It always helps if you keep people relax by chatting to them, making them laugh. And it doesn't matter if you even if you look a little bit city yourself as long as you get the picture. A couple of other small points notice Jane's hand flat on Ray's chest. Now that could only obviously work if the man is standing. Facing the woman shows a little tenderness. Also, they're all standing differently again, which looks kind of cool, I think, on one very important point I forgot to mention so far noticed that they will have their weight on one leg or the other. That makes the post look much more natural and relaxed. By the way, I could have just as easily made this into a square photo. But generally speaking, if there's a nice, clean looking background, my own personal preferences to show it off, you don't have to agree with me. You might prefer to square one another. Good old favor is a piggyback, so we'll get Tom on Jane's back and Ali on, Well, night back. OK, guys, jump on. But when you on getting nice and Saif I want when you see oh, only I can see you Uh huh. You have to get people quite close together. And you also have to make sure the person on the back sticks his head out so you could see them. Thanks, guys. So that's the end of the standing poses. I hope you found them useful. Next time you out with family or group of friends, have a go. Give it, give it a try, have a practice and see how you get on a couple of really important points to remember. Don't have people standing flatfooted in front of you put, get them to put their way on one leg or the other. It just looks a lot more relaxed. Also, everybody wants to look a little bit slimmer. So for most people, unless they're super slim already, most people you want to turn turn into the side and that will slim them down. If they're slightly overweight, or maybe have a bit of a potbelly, just tuck them in behind another member of the group, and that way you're flatter them. They'll look a lot better. Bye for now.
8. Parents and two older children Part II (repeated from my other course): Generally speaking, I find seating poses a lot easier to zoo on. One of the reasons for that is that the images look best if people's heads are different heights, and that's more difficult to do when they're standing up. Obviously, it depends out all people are on where their heads are in relation to each other. But when their seat is, it's easier to get their heads of different heights. It doesn't look more interesting, so let's try another post. We also want to get their heads quite close together. That's another little trick that I use quite often. So Jane chains almost in the right position here, joining if you just talk about, keep that leg tucked under and push that leg out a little bit. But for Tower has it right, you come in closer on, just tuck it legs, just talking legs behind you like that. That's it. Now. Usually, raise head is just slightly higher than Jane's. If it was a lot shorter and I was in the studio, I put a little cushion underneath him to raise him up a little bit. Now that's made tonight. James made a nice lap there. Andi, If you've got a child or real youngster, they can sit there. But Tom's Tom Books will fit. Now thinks the time you consent. Oh, Mom. Now if he sits, if he has his legs that way, his face is gonna couple up Jane. So it's best of his legs of this weigh on. His body is over there, and that keeps his face away on Only if you can come in now and just come over the top here from the back. That's it. Nearly an excellent right Now, you see, if Tom would look forward about second, you can see we've got this great kind of diagonal line of the faces on. We've got different shapes being made by by the heads on that makes the picture look a bit more interesting. So let's take a shot. Tom has ah guy of yours. I have that trouble sometimes myself. What? Yeah, that looks pretty nice. But actually, now that I don't back up there, I'm not so sure about the position of Tom's legs. Maybe he was a little bit too big to sit on his mom's lap. It may have looked better, I think, if he was sitting up a little or maybe stretching in one of his legs out a bit. But generally speaking, that's a great post to use while you come on the front. Now, maybe sit over here. Thanks to Tom, I just sit, uh, for your bombing there kind. Sit with your legs. No. Put your legs over the other side. Uh oh. I am like, I am. Sometimes it's easier to show people while that I just told him. But Alice Good. Except that you're not completely covering up, Tom. So just shift over this way and bring your bring your leg up. You don't really want to leg sticking out. Anything sticking out the front of the picture is going to look a lot larger. We just hide your leave on the back. Let's see how this looks. Notice in this post how everyone is turned to decide. That's generally part my philosophy when posing but also their turned so that their heads air close together, for example. With Ali had stayed in this position, his head would have been too far away with a big gap between him and Tom. Also, with Ryan all his legs turned outwards. I can crop the image into more of a letterbox shape, which has a bit of interest. Here's another fun one we control I know appropriate for every family. But some people might like them. Yeah, it's there for a while. You're gonna lay down on your fun with your unfolded, um, only you guy next to him. No. Let's think, Tom, you jump on his back while you got really close. That's it, then, like you're gonna, like, completely flat on his back On what Jay and you're gonna rely on you need to bring your head right up right up here, coming right up to where my hand is. That's it. Took only you need to bring yourself up. Hey, fold your arms and look yourself up. Now we've got Jane and Tom's head directly above razor knowledge, so we don't want anyone heads together. I think you know, just Jane and Tom. What you had together. Yeah, this is quite a fun pose and can look great. But as I said, it's not suitable for families that have to be up for it. A couple of points about this pose put the heaviest or strongest people on the bottom for obvious reasons, have their arms folded, lifting their heads and put them very close so that the people on the top don't fall through the middle. People on the top should also put their heads close together and forward. If there's five people in the group, put three on the bottom and two on the top in this pose, right? It's kind of old. You're sitting down. But he rolled onto his hip and is what it is like up his arm over chains. Line on a fun on her head and shoulders that through raise arms just to come quite a bit forward. Not every family is up for this type of photo, but we're playing Jane and only and Tom. About what? Tom, you're gonna come on. She has made a nice lap for young citizen. So you're sitting there, Tom. I'm actually his legs face this way so that his head is a bit, he said, is not covering up by on then Ali, let's think was really only can use it might be cross legged in front of that Zach there. Well, he could come down the back like we did before, so that's another option. And maybe we'll give that a try in a minute. Just sit cross legged. Become what? Into into their body. That's it. Let's see how this looks. E table. Ali, put your legs out like this like I'm doing now 1 to 1 side and then lean into Tom because his head was a bit far, far away from talked. That's better. I didn't lead into past perfect. We could also try again with Ali, maybe around the back, while you come on the back and let's try a variation joining if you swivel your legs around toe where my feet are. So you say where you start your new one just swivelled round. That's it. A bit more. What? If you don't mind me touching your feet, I'm gonna lift your legs up and cross them over. That's it. What, you come out run down from the back. That's good. That's a very feminine type of pose for giant there, Uh, when trying this post position, the dad or the man first make sure he's rolled onto his head rather than sitting flat on his bum. Otherwise, the whole thing tends to fall apart on his body. Will be facing to the side and you won't be able to get the woman in under his arm. He'll probably have to lift his arm up to letter through anyway. The person of the back, in this case, Holly should have come in close and leading right in. As with all of these poses on the ground, the camera position needs to be very low. Don't make the mistake of remaining standing. By the way, you may be wondering, why have the flash on my camera? It's because the light was fading a little when I wanted the family to look nice and right in their photos. It's called Filin Flush, and I'll be doing a film about it shortly for this pose. Were using this this well on quite often not like to use. Use a chair or a low stool of some kind, but this is about all we've got for the moment. So what is sitting on a vow? Notice that giants just going to stop. Ah sat down just leaning on being on the on. We go over the heads of different heights of rights again. I'd say, Tom, come down and put you head in front of all his leg bit closer, and that's it. Hide his leg. This one looks OK, but to be honest, it hasn't quite worked. Why I wanted it. What bothers me is the position of James Arm. It looks a bit awkward. Maybe the well was a little bit too high. This pose is based around the man or husband sitting on a low chair or stall on a woman seated sideways, leaning on one of his legs. Other members of the family could be position around them, a different heights. Now here's a couple of studio examples would show what was actually trying to achieve both women's positions here. Look good but noticed. Await a woman at the top is sitting rolled onto a hip. Not that it matters in this case, but sitting like that can reduce the bomb, flattening out and looking larger than it is. Her one wants that, by the way, if there's no baby, your child in front of the man get into closes legs a little, turn to the side and put one foot in front of the other. Otherwise, is a danger. You're going to be peering into his nether regions benches provide good opportunities proposing to, but quite often when people depose friends or family group on the bench, you're just sitting down like this, but is much better ways. You can do things. So let's try. You sit up, stand up and sit on the arm of the bench, facing in May and put your feet on the bench. Okay, Tom, you get up, stand up their giant. You come around on, you're going to sit on the on the back. That's a giant. Put one leg in front, the other that normally looks a little bit better as well. On body. You're gonna sit this way with your feet up on your legs up, he charges a very tight. So you need to put him up now. The light's not very good here, and I'm shooting against a sky. I wouldn't normally take a shot from this position, but we're talking about opposing here and not the light in. So let's give it a try. Yeah, I like that. When using a bench, get someone to sit on the arm with another person seated slightly sideways on the bench. Like Jane is here. People consider on the back of the bench to maybe somebody else sideways like Holly. If there's room taller people can go behind to by positioning people on different levels, it's much easier to get their heads at different heights. Try not to get one head directly above another if you can help it. Another thing you can do is have some people stand in on some people sited all close together. I'm not gonna work well, as long as you get you get the heights, right? So So we've got great lean against a tree. Chains sitting kind of on a hip in between Ray's legs leaning on his knee. Come bit lover Jane. That's it. Leading to a modern. That's it. Well, I always look back, but he's quite far forward. Tom, that's good. But his knee support maybe put your leg up on the 20 other leg because you covering up. Dad, wait. I got this leak in a way which will put out come on the flight a bit more than Tom because you're gonna cover that up. That's it. I put a gun. That's it. That was quite relaxed and natural. Um, giant coming even lower. I want to get your head, even even love. And it is not Support your bum out this way. That's it? Yeah. Great. And only you coming a bit closer. Oh, yeah. I really love that one. You saw the why I built up the boat so I won't go through it again. But what you didn't see was the fact that for each of these poses I took four or five shots . So I can then choose the one with the best expressions. It's important you don't just take one photo. Quite often, somebody blinks or looks away. So give yourself the best chance of getting a great image. Also, take one or two photos with a family looking at each other rather than the camera. That can also look great. So that's about it. You enjoyed this film on find my steps. Useful posing can be quite difficult to remember, So it's probably best if you just take a few of your favorites on. Go out and practice those. So that's all for now. See you in the next film.
9. Posing couples standing up - Part I: this video demonstrates from standing up poses for a couple. I ended up going to a quite a few poses, so the final video came out lasting almost 25 minutes. There's so many permutations. I just couldn't stop myself. So I split it into four parts just to make them more easily digestible. And to help make the poses easier to remember, I used a good friend, Yvonne, for this video, and Dave, her husband, who had never met. Unfortunately, his eyes are a bit light sensitive, so he had to wear dark glasses throughout, which was a bit of a shame because you couldn't really see his eyes. Still, it was a fun session with one particularly silly moment, which I'm a little embarrassed about and hope my wife doesn't get to see. Having said all of that, we did get some nice shots. Remember that much of the single person posing guidelines that I've talked about in previous lectures still apply. They just now apply to two people instead of one, but now you have to manage the couple's expressions, energy and interaction between each other. Also a couple, maybe playful, spontaneous, funky or serious, and I don't really want to be photographed is perfectly carved statues. They want their personalities shine through in the photos. So if I see great expressions or interactions and I'll just take the shop, I'm not threatened fast. Too much about the injury kisses of the post. Okay, then let's take a look and see what happened in this session. Hi. What were in the park again on We've got the lovely of on on David. They're not professional models. Yvonne is actually a fellow for talk over. So I'm sure she will be seriously reprimanded me if I get any of these poses. Well, first of all is quite a windy day, so please excuse any wind noise that I'm picking up on the on the microphone. I'll do my best to reduce that later on. Anyway, I'm going to start by categorizing the poses and that will give some kind of structure to the videos and also help you to remember the poses. We've got some BBC sound effects here going on in the background so they can put those as well. We're going to start off with a traditional kind of clean pose that you normally see away wedding wedding on, you know, on a shoot where you just want a nice clean pose of the couple. And when they when the couple actually looking at the camera, that tends to make the post look a little bit more traditional as well. So let's start off. Actually, I'm gonna begin his world by doing oppose. It's not so great. Opposes, got floors in it. And then I'll correct that bit by bit on until we get a decent pose. So this guy's get stand close together, Put your arm them live on like before. That's it. Um, let's take a photo like this. What some people in the background would ignore. Nice in a moment s so many things wrong with this post. First of all, the most important thing is the weather standing very flat footed. What you want is both of them to put their weight on one leg or the other. Now, normally with a woman, if you turn towards move on that it and put your weight on the leg furthest in the camera, the perfect straight away you can see that looks better. Hey, did you put your legs well, Your weight as well on that leg. Further from the camera on point in this leg, maybe over there, that's it. Just kind of relax it into that a little bit. The other problem, I think I saw there, was that we did not You see it there? Yeah. We could just sit David's hand. Just saw it. That nivens waste on that hand could have belong to anybody. Couldn't Really. What you really need to see is the origin of the hand. You need to see where the and is coming from the whole arm. So I normally asked people to remove the hand from the, you know, from the waste some of these floors Ah, quite dramatic. Like the standing, the position of the legs and the white and silent. But other ones like the hands just kind of fitness. The pose. What else? Yeah, I think their heads were too far apart. So I will bring their heads in a little bit closer. They don't not necessary after lean right in, but just being a little bit closer and straight away, that looks a lot better on also, let's place Yvonne's arm away from a waste. You see how when you have the arm on the side of the waste, and there's no differentiation between the arm on the waste. It will make the waste look larger. So if you just bring your arm up just post, maybe not, quite as that's it, that's something way need is one of them to smile. Beautiful. Come on this way. I must admit to being a little disappointed with myself with this pose. I lost it and should have done better. If one starts would look better, for Foot was pointed towards the camera they start isn't quite why either looks a bit eminent. I'd prefer if his foot was pointed out a little bit more is a better example of this pie was demonstrating those points. We can also put a little bit of a variety into into the traditional post, so let's have a guard doing that if you stand closer together. If when you got the shoulders together like this is kind of ah, the some people called it the V pose. It's like your hinges together, you know, with with your shoulder, you know, and then you can kind of open and close, keeping the shoulders together so Let's go like that. That's great. Right now. Let's think if you put your hand on days chest, but not on his boob just on his chest lightly. Yeah, on. Um, I think it's good like that now, also, while they're looking at the camera, which makes it look like a very traditional type of photo. If you look at David David, get your head a little bit closer turned on. That's it. Lovely. Now let's try the other way around. So when you look at May you look at her and she goes, Yes, beautiful. How long is it since you got married? Five years ago. You had your anniversary this week as well. Have you push your glasses up as well? David's got caught his lies. A quiet, light, sensitive. I was going to say, Just push them up. You're not up your nose. Just not drifting down, that's all. It was lovely. Yeah, this looks good. Great expressions from the couple. I missed the hand on the hip, didn't I? Embarrassing After I made a special comment about it, another variation on the traditional poses where sometimes a couple hold hands, but I don't really like it like I don't really like this kind of post because it brings attention to, you know, to the waist area on David looks pretty fit. If you got somebody who's a bit, you know, kind of overweight, you can't bring attention to the waist area, which you don't really want. So let's try getting in close and our guys turn towards each other. Put your hand on his chest. Live on on to put your arms close to close around the waist like that. Get put your chin down, out on on. You look at each other, pretend you quite like each other that's there. So that's just a variation on the traditional post. Now I have put my flash on. We've got some open shade, which was quite nice, but I just put the flash on just for a little bit more of a fill. Flash look, look, especially as Dave's where in dark glasses as well. So you see a bit more of his face
10. Posing couples standing up - Part II: Okay, this is the next category. What I call him behind her. For obvious reasons, Dave is going to stand behind her like I David on Put your hands number what? Around the waist and you put your hands on. So this is opposed. It is not gonna work very well to start off with Andi. I'll explain why in a moment. So let's take a shot. Let's see a bit more of your face, David. Tiny bit. Take a full and show again. Let's have a look at this post. There's a few reasons why it's not working. Great. The main problem. Okay, The main problem is that the balance is all wrong. The body bonuses over the BBC's out of X. This is the trying, by the way, that John Travolta came on last year. So it's a little narrow gauge. Well, well, ways that we have enlightened buzzard. So the main thing is wrong is the bodies are out of balance. David is being blocked by Von on. We can't see so much of him. You really want more than even balance between the bodies. The other problem is the hands. You don't really want them looking so kind of symmetrical like this. You want them. You know, there's all thing fingers and it doesn't look. It does not great. So I would say Maybe even put your hands to your side on your hips. And David, you put one hand above the other. That's it. Yeah, that's better. And also the way they're standing. You really want to just rest on one leg like David. You come. Why I come out a bit further. Actually, forget the hands of the moment. Just come out a bit further on while the other. That's it. That's better. Yeah, that's going a lot better. Well, let's try that now. What? That it's just not pretend you like each other a bit more on perfect. The other thing that's wrong with this poses that their expressions about a balance if one was laughing. But David didn't think my joke was very funny, which I don't blame him for, but the expressions out of balance on So it kind of moon suppose a little bit. So let's try it out again. I tell you what, I've on Try Listen up your arm holding around lightly around his chick. David, just put your glasses up. Perfect. Now again, Just lightly. Now look down on the ground. Normally, when you're standing really close to somebody some day, you having a loving relationship with you wouldn't normally open your eyes, would you? When you're that close, you wouldn't normally do it. So, uh, it's come down quite nice if you just closing your eyes or just look looking down. It looks a bit staged, you know when you have your eyes open. So in this next category, if one is going to stand behind David, so her behind him, Andi, straight away, you can see there's a problem. I'll take a shot. You can see that the problem as before. If one's body is being blocked by that, you bring your head out a bit more of on. It's not bad, but David Body is taking up too much of the flame. We need to balance out a bit more. So let's try David. You turn this Web Whitmore just lean in, lean into and put hands around his wife. One thing I forgot to mention actually, that we could have done on the traditional pose was for David to put his hand in his pocket . And when you do that, you know you don't want to put the whole hand in the pocket. You really just want to maybe put some in perfect just like that. That's great. Come on here. If you count on looking to make you look over this way toe that you like, it looked like that pervert he's not even looking at May is forgotten. I'm here. If I'm bring your face forward from a bit more, That's it. I'm not close yours that has a lot more. A lot more kind of emotion and looks a bit more romantic. Ovary. Okay, the next category is the kissing post. Now I find a lot of photographers, especially at weddings. They do this post when I can't really think of anything else and have run out of ideas. But I must admit, I don't particularly like like this pose, because what can happen? Let's give it a try. What kiss guys, Typically, what can happen? You get a kind of ah pat party. Look, that doesn't really look very flattering it all. So what you can do is get them to kiss if they if they insist on kissing because sometimes couples do like kissing pose. Just kiss without bringing your lips into ah, fish like pouty movement. That's it. Just bringing together now. Okay, so that looks better. But I think it looks kind of more moody. More romantic. If the men kisses kisses, a woman may be on the cheek on the father, so let's try it out. Just try kissing on the opportunity. First of all, yeah, that's it. And you close your eyes of on. Will you hand in your pocket? I got for you. Put it, Put it around her waist. That's what you normally don't cook. It's impose a guess. Yeah, and that looks better Natural. Kissing her forward, rightly on the father. Yeah, I think kissing on the father it on the cheek looks a lot more kind of intimate on a bit more romantic has a variation on the kissing pose. What you can also do is a kind of just stopping before the kiss. The kind of anticipation in anticipation of the kiss it gives ah, kind of warm talk of energy, you know, tip it to oppose into the T Emotion offices a long time since I felt that energy market in my mind, I realized Okay, Sorry. Joining if you're watching there. I didn't mean it. Honestly. Love you to bits. Anyway, so is this. That is gonna be the anticipation of the kids. I think for this one as well with area by turning if you turn around and have you back to the camera again, don't forget to stand on you. Just standing on one weight on one leg. Wait a second. If you could just say is if you're going to kiss But you stop just before just before hand . Turn your face a little bit more tools on that now. Yeah, and that create a nice kind of a move on a bit of emotion as well.
11. Posing couples standing up - Part III: in this next category of on on David and a walk told me on that could make a nice, natural looking photo a couple of things to be aware off. If they're looking straight on into the camera, it can look a little bit kind of cheesy or very traditional. So I prefer one of them to be looking at looking at the other, the other person. So we'll give that a try. We have to bear in mind the light as well, because we've got light coming from this direction. So we want maybe a bond to be looking at it this way. Rather than looking that way toward the trees, his face will go very dark. Um, I think that it also looks better, actually, if Yvonne instead of walking normally, actually, you walk a line. But the models do not quite is exaggerated, is that but just one foot slightly in front of the other. That also looks a little bit better. So let's give that a try. So if you go further back, are you gonna hold hands as well? Now I got the camera in Ah, burst mode. I'm gonna be taking seven or eight shots, seeing continuous focusing mode. And it's on nine point dynamic area for Daeniken uses. Okay, so what? As you walk towards May, if not, you look a dive? If you can Look, don't look at me. Look past May over here. Yeah, and you can chat to each other. Say nice things to each other. Here we go. Yeah, And I was in a burst mode and took about seven or eight shots, so you can just choose your favorite one to show to. The couple would have your favor one or two. When you've got a lot of similar shots like this, you don't really want to show them all. I find it diminishes the best image if you show lots of similar looking shots. You know, normally to show the couple one or so and we got some nice ones here. One thing I've just notices away the holding hands. When your fingers are interlocking, it can look a little bit like a good bunch. Bunch of sausages. Orbit Onerous that you have to be careful of that. You wanted to look a little bit more delicate. Especially the wrist making my angles. It's only a small point. Really? But, you know, you kind of finesses the pose if the hands that held a bit nicer. So if you let go of the hands now, maybe the woman's hand should really be it. The flood? I think so. If you move your hand to the fun just that's perfect. Just a little bit more relaxed. And also, you could all also just maybe if you let go again, just kind of just touching fingers like that could look good. Not really nice as a size. Only a small point finesses oppose a little bit. So OK, yeah. In this next kind of category, they're going to be standing side beside And this one has got a feature for feature the woman feature of On So Dive you turn Mount one. Yeah, that's it. You remember? Just stand on, put your weight on one leg, Dave. All the time. Yeah, they're always looks better on. Uh if you could just stand, you're gonna face the camera, grab your arm, That's what Maybe hide your hand I address. Perfect. Come on. Here, try and avoid those people in the background. Yeah, okay. That's great. Just leaning against it. They've turned around to look, Yvonne, bring your head out a little bit more. A little bit more. You don't would be too hunched over. So yeah, I think that's better like that. That's great. Yeah. Great natural expression there from Avon. And she is gazing at a certain point on the ground which are filled. Looks really natural. I like that. We can still see Dave's eyes or what we would if he hadn't been more in dark glasses in this country. But a couple of gonna be further apart, and they're gonna be featuring one audio, other of them. So we'll feature of on in this one. This works great wedding when the bride, you know, looks resplendent in a beautiful wedding dress on the groom is admiring from behind or walking towards her from behind. But it works quite well, you know, for a normal location shot as well for a couple, maybe for an engagement shoot. So, Dave, you're gonna won't go back. So, David, they will be out of focus in the shot as well. Obviously, because he's further back. Yvonne looks great. Just like that. Maybe turn your body a little bit more. This way that's it. And you're gonna be looking Maybe over there. Let's think this, um, for your handle on your when you waste. On the other hand, you can keep out the hand. You this hands on your head. That's it. Like that today. The idea is, you don't look at May. You're gonna be looking at the lovely of on admiring up. Um, Well, like the concept behind this one of the style, but I don't think Yvonne supposes that. Great. It looks better in the next one. Why? I asked her to fold our arms. Go back a bit, Dave, and just start walking towards a bright Yvonne. Just maybe just cross your legs now, folks, fold your arms. That's it. Come told me. Dogs out to go that far back can come in cooking ever on this ego. Just Uh huh. That's great. Keep their side. I I'm just gonna get a close up now. That's good to put your hands in your pockets. That's lovely.
12. Posing couples standing up - Part IV: I just want to do another variation on the him behind her pose. To point out point out a couple of things eso won give you. Turn that on face. That way with your back towards just leaning on him. That's it. Now if they both look at May. Yes. Come on. Look, I get the best angle. I don't really like that sky behind them. So going to come out to the side. Who? Your hands on the white State Dont hang on. Yeah, just Sava lock. Put them hide the left hand. That's And you just hold these old his hand just gently. Like like we said before you just okay, So now if they're both looking at May I mean, that's a nice kind of clean part of clean shot, but when the couple are looking at you, you can look a little bit more traditional. But also, if they're looking, say, now, look at the pavilion, both looking together. When the couple's noses a pointing in the same direction, or when they're looking in the same direction again, it can look a little bit staged. So what I prefer to do is, if you can, you can imagine the lion coming out from their faces. I like a line to be crossed over. So even if you look down this way, say, and Dave, you look over there, I think you'll find that looks a little bit more natural. Yeah, I think that looks better. A little bit less staged. This try a couple of variations on that. So if you look over tools, a pavilion by looking may Okay, they can fed up now to get on board is too much for him, right? So, yeah, that's just a variation on the him behind her opposed. And I think actually, that looks quite nice what you're doing there. So that's like, Let's just captured up again. You see their noses. If you imagine a line from them, they're kind of crossing over now. That's great. Lovely. When Ivan closes our eyes, no other variations. Obviously, his world as a 1,000,000 type supposes that you can do, but it's quite nice when the company's standing further apart as well. So they're not always hugging together or, oh, kissing or posing together. It could be quite nice when they're separated. So let's give that a try, huh? Let's think, Dave. You lean against a tree we give back against the tree. I just like to put his leg up on on the trees. Well, this front leg people don't have a fundamental right leg near sort tools may on. But if you go to other side, I'm just best your arm on the tree. Maybe cross your legs over. No Stuckey shot of here. I just want to show you something. Just David on his own. He's got the sky behind them, which doesn't look too great. He's also got a twig sticking out the side of his head. So I'm going to do is just come down here. I think I'll get it this way hard. That still got a few things sticking up. I'm not. I have ever heard you go to Sometimes my mom there's always close your shop, I guess s I'm gonna come down. Said the sky isn't being isn't already behind behind. David, Get closer to the tree and just kind of lean in towards it. But maybe put your hand on your head. That's nice. Come up a bit. Let's not look at the camera now. So just as you were looking over there. If you look, just look forward, you have that like you had a big argument and you're not speaking to each other. That's about it. Now for the standing poses, We've got quite a few very aces. I tried to put them into categories so much easier to remember, but there's a limitless number of variations on display. If you contract this power around with expressions Andi program with the direction people are facing And don't forget quite often honesty, perfection of the light That gives you an indication of where the people you know, where your subjects should be looking. Awesome. You should be fighting. Okay, so if analyses in the next video
13. Posing 'fuller figure' subjects (and a dog!): a lot of the information I teach in all of my videos is stuff that I've either learned myself by trial and error or have learned from other people in one form or another. There's many different ways opposing people, and I often look at magazines, websites, advertising material and so on for inspiration imposes. The problem is that in many photos, especially of individuals, the subjects are off the models was super fit bodies. But in the real world, well, we're not all like that are way. We will different shapes and sizes on. Even when you do see full of figure models, there will perfectly propose. You're not like the first thing to acknowledge here is that large people noted their large . But as with any body type, including skinny people, their body image may cause them to believe that they're either larger or smaller than they actually are. Many people are very comfortable with the largest size, and large women are gorgeous, too. But no, all women feel that way about themselves. I sometimes feel inclined to tactfully discussed body image, but to be honest, I really do. I hate the thought of upsetting anyone, and if they're scheduled a photo session. They're probably already pretty confident people. Anyway. Some people are very self conscious about their body image and feel a little insecure. But, you know, everyone wants to look nice in their photos. So here's a few little things I do to try and make the most flattering photos I can off the fuller figured person number one. I don't get into close. If you photograph someone with a wide angle lens, you create distortion on parts of the face and body, which are closer to the camera are going to look much bigger. So I generally stand back a little and zoom in. I don't shoot from a low angle again. This is the case with most portrays anyway, as it could accentuate the neck and chin areas. For one or two photos. I get higher up and look down, but I'm careful not to overuse that tactic. In any case, I like to vary the photos as much as possible. You can use one person's body to shield another, especially if one of them is a bit lighter. But again, if you're taking a lot of photos, it was start looking very obvious. what you're doing. I don't take a huge number of fallen pictures there anyway. My customers seem to prefer more close up photos. So sometimes I sometimes cropping close to show less of the bodies. Whatever the person's body type, the more of someone someone's body you show, the harder it is to pose them in the following photo session. You're seeing me use most of these little tricks to get the most flattering images I can, But of course I don't mention them while taking the photos. So bear in mind these posing tips next time you photograph someone with a full of figure. Okay, let's see how I got on Hello and welcome to another video imposing. We've got a Me and Phil and Boonville. Who's she? Seven years old now? I mean feel belonged to my camera club in Leighton Buzzard. On a few weeks ago, I made an announcement on asked people if they would like to have their photographs taken while they were being video on A. Me and Phil agreed. So here we are. And also it's quite the boat Booneville. What's called Go Born with their ball, Boonville along. So this one at least to start off with is about taking some photos with a pet. Now, when you have a pet, you don't really want to take photos with them. I would not. Normally you wouldn't normally want to be stand. You got what a pet was. Well, why the dog was walking along because you will be up here on the dog would be down here, so just start off with we're going to be lying on the ground to take some shots Now, it's really windy again today. We seem to be getting a lot of wind lately on DSO Please ignore any wind noise, which I try and do my best to reduce it later on. So to start off with, I'm gonna ask Amy and feel toe lay down, and we're gonna put Booneville next to them. And I want to shoot really low on, see if we get some good shots. The light is pretty good today. Actually, we've got a bit of open side, although it's not. We should really be facing the other way. But for convenience, I'm gonna shoot. I'm gonna shoot this way again. I've got my flash. I'm using flash. So it was a little bit of feel flash just to give a little bit of sparkle to the eyes. And also especially win photograph in pets and dogs With dark coats, you need a little bit of extra light. Sometimes their coats soak up the light so the field flash would help in that respect. So here we go. Okay. So, guys, if you can lie down on the ground on your phone, arms out in front of you just like this, sometimes it's easier to show people than it is to try and explain it. That's great. I pull your jump over a little bit, otherwise we'll be a bit boots. So I would have Boonville sits in the middle, so it's gonna get her down. Have to be quick here. That looks great. Get down and put you on down there Now. I wasn't particularly happy with the way Amy's shoulders looked in the previous image. So are some, both to put their arms around Booneville. This is a more flattering pose now, Plus it got the more closer getting rid of the gaps between Butters, What you gonna do? You gonna come right over him? Support yourself for your arms and put your head about here, right? Okay, well, one side or the other, whichever is easiest. That's it There. It's important that Amy puts her head to one side. You don't want the head one above the other because it's going to look better with a kind of diagonal severing. True that quickly put your bum down completely. That's it. Even lover, Push your legs back. That's it. Now you hear is flying around over your face which, as I said before mine does that all the time and advise you head up has spread that 1,000,000. All right, that's great. Boonville. Stephen turned my mother colder. That's great. Sometimes poses feel water, the subject, But they feel wrong. But I look great on that. I think was one of them. Okay, let's try something else in this pose again. It's gonna be sitting down. As I said before is great. If you get your heads close to the pet now, foods lean against a tree. Actually, that this slope is gonna really help as well, because it's going to give us a little bit of a diagonal. I'm gonna shoot from over this way behind. May so I mean, if you can come to sit down here facing this way, Phil, you're gonna need to open your legs. Now when you say I'm a is not sit on your bum like this, but kind of roll over one to your hip. But that's it. Yeah, that's right. I didn't put you. Armand fills me. Yeah. Perfect. Is that looking? And you can lean and again You want to get their heads a little bit close together so they like you, shows that you kind of like each other on born feel can Let's think about that one and cover you up too much. So I'll go back and see where we comporting maybe. Ah, but a true put her, I should say. What about a tree? See how we get on? I'm gonna go back to blow the background. Now Boonville is hiding you a bit. So I like her to get lower or go to the side. Look at that. She takes instruction beautifully there. Forget what I said about leaning their heads forward about food heads forward again and I'll get your head closer to fill me. Yeah, this is nice pose because Amy's on a hip. You know, it kind of slender allies is people on. Did put her face close, Costa feel as well. And as I said, because this is ah, my slope that we've got here, which helps quite a bit as well to give us a nice diagonal line just as a variation on that . Maybe a bit more of a close up. I've asked feel Teoh, maybe move up slightly, which he's done on. Guy may just gonna lead against him. That and this lean forward your arms around her waist. Boonville isn't gonna be in this one. There's gonna be more of a close up. Come back with their I'm coming back so that I can zoom in, which will allow me to get a shallow depth of field on blood, the glass in the background. It's coming a bit closer. That's great. Lovely. Okay, well, food and I may be in that position. I just left him there. Look, you know, their faces and nice and close together who are different heights Looks good. Nice light on their face. So I got the storm heart and I'm gonna get up, get a bit higher. So this looks. I mean, I look at may I feel not welcome as well. I mean, just lean against Shut your eyes now, being you face up a bit. Yeah, that's it. Just lovely. Shooting from high above works quite well. When photographing people with full of figures. It does usually give them a better jawline as well. But I don't like to over use a technique. Okay, here's something else. We can tribal Phil round to the fun name is gone behind this time Andi again, You don't want one head above the other one. You want heads to the side, Maybe a different heights as well, Which looks better on having the heads to one side and a different height. Creates a nice diagonal line and that, you know, diagonal lines are good, so if you come a little bit further forward, you're gonna lean over field. That's it. Let's just fine. You want you can come up a little bit, come up a tiny bit. That's it. It was still on this slope, so I want to come up a bit because they're a bit higher than May. So I'll use a little store here to raise myself up making sure don't get the horizon of the grass cutting through their heads. Because if I did that, I would get this shop. So I'm dating myself up. What, you have a poster up? You might as well try different angles as well. See how they look by them, just shooting from the same angle. So let's come out here again, maybe come up a bit higher. That's saying, building it back a tiny bit into into a me me, put your heads together. Now feel, was kind of got his head back a little bit. So we're seeing all this on you on your on your neck now. So to avoid that, what you can do is just turn your head this way. Little bit, I might be. Look out over this way, being in bringing forward forward a little bit. That's better. More of the jaw line. Now he's got more of a Brad Pitt top of a jawline. Yeah, that's like that last shot looks a lot better. Plus, I made a teeny little bit of a joke. My poor attempt at humor on they made him laugh when we got a great expression for one final, Posen will get away from the trees and the grass on do standing up shop. Onda notice. Background looks a bit grungy at the moment, doesn't it? But you know, if I can blow out the brick work a little bit, maybe darknet A little info to shop. I should look pretty good. Now, let's think if you to get it can't close together. I'm gonna ask you, Teoh looks nice like that. If you bring your collars up, both of you, I'm gonna stand on a store again. So I'm gonna get a tiny little bit higher because he always a bit bit told him. It's only gonna be a head and shoulders type of shot. I'm gonna move it right around there. Fills? Yes, maybe from yeah. Uh huh. I would have just Irma come off. I'm okay. Okay. So right now, as I may have mentioned in another video filled hand is sticking out the back of a miz shoulder on because you can't see the arm. It'll you can only see the hand. You can't see the kind of origin of the hand. It looks a little bit like it could be somebody else's hand. so it's been if you can remove your your hand there as well. And also because I got dark clothing on the hand, you know, kind of sticks out a bit more about that again. Okay, now, remember what I said about being your father's towards me. A tiny bit, a bit more even being in towards May just ball towards May Phil, if you could look over this way and I mean just look down onto the ground. Now, as with many of the photos so far, I zoomed in quite close for these, which put the emphasis very much on their faces rather than their bodies and close. How often are people to lean in or role in a little to give more emphasis to their faces? Plus, is sometimes creates a better jaw line. So that's about it for this session. Thanks, Amy. And fill your notice. I was choosing my angles quite carefully What I do normally on you anyway, for most for most shoots on. You know, I was looking for a good liar on for good calm, good composition and the most flatter in top of angles angles. So that's often our season
Bernie Raffe AMPA, Award winning photographer and teacher
