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Posing People - part 1 of 1 2 3

by Peter Ellis Published 01/10/2016

At the Societies' Conference in January there will be many chances for you to improve your photography: new lighting; new ways of getting that image; new props; cameras; and plenty of other things for you to spend your hard-earned money on.

But, when I started out in this wonderful profession, the first thing I did was join a group of fellow photographers to learn the correct way to pose my clients. I believed that if my posing were not right all the other things I learned or purchased would not help me produce relaxed, flattering, award-winning and saleable images.

Posing is subject to all sorts of ‘rules’, and while many have now been thrown out, there are still a few essential posing rules that are current. I believe that posing is one of the main parts of any image. If the pose is too stiff or just inappropriate for the subject, the best equipment, lighting, props or surroundings in the world are not going to help. You have to get the basics right before you can build the perfect image. Let’s say you have the future, want-to-be, Miss World or Mr Universe standing in front of you. You decide how you are going to light them, you get the lighting perfect and the background as you want. But how are you going to pose them so your image tells the best story and shows their assets in the best way?

They will probably just stand there looking right at the camera with their feet flat on the floor and arms crossed or just hanging by their sides.

They will be looking to you for instruction; can you do this quickly and with confidence? Can you get across to them what you want them to do?

If you can’t, come to my seminar and I will give you the basic rules which every photographer needs. I will show you, in the studio and on location, how to get the images you are looking for. We will tackle individuals, groups and, couples and I will give you tips on how to make one pose into three or four excellent images.

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1st Published 01/10/2016
last update 09/12/2022 14:58:05

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