Posing Basics: Head Positions
May 19, 2009 by Lee Hughes
Filed under Articles
In this section we will take a look at proper head positioning. The two basic head positions are the masculine and feminine head positions.
Masculine Pose
The masculine head position is accomplished by turning subjects head toward either shoulder, tilting top of the head away from the lead shoulder. This position can work for both male and female subjects.
Feminine Pose
The feminine head pose is shown in images below. This is accomplished by tipping the head towards the lead shoulder. This pose works well on females. Although some males may fall into this poses when sitting in front of the camera, it looks very awkward and I would not recommend shooting it.
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You can find all kinds of photo tips on studio lighting and posing techniques in our Forum. It is a valuable resource. It is a place where you go for answers, opinions and community. In fact, there’s at least 100 tips just like this one that you can find in the Forum. It’s great way to interact with other aspiring photographers like yourself who are wanting to become better photographers and learn ways to build their photography business. There are no dumb questions, just lots of great answers and POSITIVE feedback.
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Adding Movement to Your Image
May 18, 2009 by Lee Hughes
Filed under Articles
In the world of “I’ll do it in Photoshop” many new photographers are not learning many of the basic techniques used in the good ole film days to be able to create effects in camera. Now, don’t get me wrong….applying movement in Phototshop does have some advantages. For example, you can control how much of the image gets the motion effect, as well as the direction and strength of the blur.
However, when deciding if I should to create an effect in Photoshop or in camera, here’s the way I approach the matter. I simply do whichever one will be the quickest (time is money). If I can do the effect in camera or with lighting quciker than I can do it in Photoshop, I will do it that way. In most cases, getting it right in the camera is the simplest and least time consuming.
In this case by using a slow shutter speed with my trusty Canon Mark 2 Digital camera we were able to capture the motion of the guitar as a blur. The exposure was f-11 at 1/3 second.
The Studio lighting set-up for this shot is as follows.
1. Main Light – 3×4 Soft-box at f11
2. Fill – 4×6 Silver Reflector
Try it out. It’s fun to see what you can do.
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You can find all kinds of photo tips on studio lighting and posing techniques in our Forum. It is a valuable resource. It is a place where you go for answers, opinions and community. In fact, there’s at least 100 tips just like this one that you can find in the Forum. It’s great way to interact with other aspiring photographers like yourself who are wanting to become better photographers and learn ways to build their photography business. There are no dumb questions, just lots of great answers and POSITIVE feedback.
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Glamour Head Shot Techniques
May 16, 2009 by Mike Luter
Filed under Articles
The difference between shooting a typical head shot an creating a glamour portrait are really obvious.
The lighting must be flattering, the filters soft and the make-up truly professional. It’s the execution of these principles that will set your work apart.
Our studio technique involves a few simple steps that give us the “Hollywood” look, as demonstrated in the accompanying photo.
For the primary light , we used a Photogenic MonoLight that has been placed into a Halo Light Modifier. The halo gives a soft, low contrast lighting and a quality that sets the mood. The main light is placed on a boom approximately four feet in front of and above the subject. This is the butterfly lighting style frequently used for glamour work.
A silver reflector is placed in front of the model and just out of the camera’s view. The reflector bounces additional light back into the underside of the eyes and chin, filling in the shadow areas. In the photographs in this article you can see a small catchlight in the lower half of the eyes as a result of the reflector.
The next step in the set-up is the background light. By using a background light and various color gels it is possible to change the color of the background without physically changing the seamless paper. In this photograph I used color gels over the light source to coordinate the color of the light with the clothing color and the mood desired.
The background light used in the photographs accompanying this article was a Photogenic Powerlight fitted with a 7 inch parabolic reflector, covered with a gel and adjusted to emit equal power as the main light (metered just above shoulder level). This allows the light to fall-off at the edges of the photograph. By changing color gels, the feeling of the photograph can be changed in seconds, and you will be able to give the customer a variety of looks to choose from.
To determining what color various gels will produce at different ratios to the main light, you will need to shoot a test roll and record the settings so they can be reproduced easily. Then, experiment with a combination of different colors.
In this lighting set-up make sure none of the main light spills onto the background and contaminates it. The subject was placed approximately eight feet from the background and the main light was feathered down to prevent spill over light onto the background.
To create a more dramatic look in each of the portraits, a hair light was placed directly behind the model’s head adding light to the hair. The hair light is a Photogenic Powerlight fitted with a four inch parabolic reflector. The reflector must be small enough to hide behind the subject’s head without being seen. When metering for the hair, I hold the meter at the back of the head and point it toward the light. Depending on the model’s hair color, I adjust the hair light to main light as follows:
Black + 1/2 to + 1 stop
Brown – equal to main
Medium to dark blond hair – 1/2 to 1 stop less
Blonds – -1 stop to 1 1/2 stop
Occasionally I will add different color gels to the hair light to create an entirely different mood and feeling.
Another vital key in glamour photography is make-up, and yes, a professional stylist is essential for top results. In my studio, I never do a glamour session without a professional stylist. The stylist is crucial because everyday make-up is very different from photographic make-up. Since lighting used on the set is relatively flat, the make-up must be applied so it doesn’t look flat. Therefore, the make-up used is heavier and more contrasting than everyday wear.
To flatter the face still more, use soft or very soft, focus filters. You may even want to combine several soft focus filters for an even softer effect. These filters are a must in glamour work and they also help keep the retouching costs to a minimum. My clients love them. Although, now with digital we typically add this effect afterwards in Photoshop.
And yours will, too. With soft focus, soft light, a soft touch and just the right make-up, they’ll look better than they really do.
Which is what we all want anyway, isn’t it.
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You can find all kinds of photo tips on studio lighting and posing techniques in our Forum. It is a valuable resource. It is a place where you go for answers, opinions and community. In fact, there’s at least 100 tips just like this one that you can find in the Forum. It’s great way to interact with other aspiring photographers like yourself who are wanting to become better photographers and learn ways to build their photography business. There are no dumb questions, just lots of great answers and POSITIVE feedback.
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FREE Video: Photographing High School Seniors
May 13, 2009 by Lee Hughes
Filed under Free Photography Classes
In this new 3-part high school senior video we cover how to photograph a high senior girl from start to finish.
We will cover all the basic lighting and posing techniques for:
• The Cap and Gown session
• The Traditional Drape Session
• The High Fashion Head Shot
• The Casual Session
Best of all, what you will be learning in these videos about photographing high school seniors can be applied to most any portrait photography session!
Do you want to take photos like these?
Our photography training videos show you how!
View this first video for FREE
Add Impact To Your Photos
May 12, 2009 by Lee Hughes
Filed under Articles
Most portraits are shot in the standard vertical orientation (which is where the term portrait comes from). However, to add impact to your portraits don’t be afraid to crop the image in a horizontal format. Try shooting some images horizontally in your next session.
For this image not only did I crop the image in the horizontal format, the model is placed in the in the far right of the frame. What would this shot look, like if she was placed dead center in the frame? Static – no impact.
AND I cropped off the top of her head – all in the name of impact. Add some nice lighting and there you have it.
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Although this next image is in the vertical/portrait orientation, I titled the camera to have her come in from the corner of the frame. This creates some nice angles and adds a fashion feel to the image. Again, creating impact in the image just by tilting the camera. The image was over exposed by 1 stop to create the “blown out” feel.
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You can find all kinds of photo tips on studio lighting and posing techniques in our Forum. It is a valuable resource. It is a place where you go for answers, opinions and community. In fact, there’s at least 100 tips just like this one that you can find in the Forum. It’s great way to interact with other aspiring photographers like yourself who are wanting to become better photographers and learn ways to build their photography business. There are no dumb questions, just lots of great answers and POSITIVE feedback.
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Building a Studio Background Tip
May 12, 2009 by Lee Hughes
Filed under Articles, Studio
You don’t have to have expensive sets and backgrounds in order to get a stylish, trendy look. This background was made with the siding material that you can buy from your local Home Depot. Since this was the first time we ever used it, we simply clamped it to our background stands. As you can see, it produced some great looking images. After a couple sessions we decided to make it a permanent background at the studio and it has proved to be very popular.
Online Photography Training: Making a Stylish, Trendy but Cheap Background
Since we decided to make it a permanent background we made a simple light weight frame to make it easier and quicker to set-up and move around in the studio. The background frame was made out of 1×4 lumber to keep it as lite as possible. Had we made it out of 2×4′s it would have required 2 people to move it around in the studio. Here’s a quick shot of the frame right after we made it.
Lighting set-up for this shot is as follows.
1. Main Light – 3×4 Soft-box at f11
2. Fill – 4×6 Silver Reflector
3. Edge Light – Covered with Amber gel at f 5.6 1/2
4. Background Light – 7″ parabolic reflector with barn doors, covered with purple gel – f8
5. Background Light – 7″ parabolic reflector with barn doors, covered with blue gel – f8
6. Edge Light – Covered with Blue gel at f 5.6 1/2
Here’s some other photos we made with this background.
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You can find all kinds of photo tips on studio lighting and posing techniques in our Forum. It is a valuable resource. It is a place where you go for answers, opinions and community. In fact, there’s at least 100 tips just like this one that you can find in the Forum. It’s great way to interact with other aspiring photographers like yourself who are wanting to become better photographers and learn ways to build their photography business. There are no dumb questions, just lots of great answers and POSITIVE feedback.
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Studio Lighting with Photogenic Mini-Spots
May 11, 2009 by Lee Hughes
Filed under Articles, Studio
This set-up was done using 5 tungsten continuous light sources. The lights used for this set up are Photogenic Mini-spots. These lights are a lot of fun to work with, and provide a will you can only achieve with his style of lighting. We use these lights a lot for Hollywood style glamour and when doing character studies.
A couple things to consider when using tungsten continuous lights are:
1. Make sure you get lights that have focusing capability.
2. It it is also important to be able to control the output of the lights. For this particular light we had to purchase third party Rio stats
to be able to control the output
3. You will also want to lights that can accept barn doors. This is critical for light control.
Here’s a link to the lights used for this set up:
http://www.photogenic.com/store/item…PARTMENT_ID=62
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Want to know more? Check out this video on dramatic lighting.
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You can find all kinds of photo tips on studio lighting and posing techniques in our Forum. It is a valuable resource. It is a place where you go for answers, opinions and community. In fact, there’s at least 100 tips just like this one that you can find in the Forum. It’s great way to interact with other aspiring photographers like yourself who are wanting to become better photographers and learn ways to build their photography business. There are no dumb questions, just lots of great answers and POSITIVE feedback.
The Forum is available to 12-month subscribers only.
Ready to get started becoming a better photographer?
Click here for more photography training.
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If so, let us know. Post your comments below.
Using Posing Stools Correctly
May 10, 2009 by Lee Hughes
Filed under Articles
At first glimpse talking about posing stool height may seem silly to you. Although that couldn’t be further from the truth. Correct posing stool height is very important to maintaining your subjects proper posture.
The correct height for the posing stool is slightly above the knee. At that height it forces the subject to sit properly producing a slight L shade between the body torso and the upper part of legs. The subjects feet should just reached the floor.
Basic Posing Tips
May 10, 2009 by Lee Hughes
Filed under Articles
Basically, your job as a professional photographer is to make your client look good (or better than they actually do) in their portraits.
The first thing I typically do is a quick facial analysis to determine if the subject has one side that is better than the other. Many times this is very obvious, especially if they have a scar or blemish, but often times you need to make a point of doing a quick facial analysis before starting the session.
Here are a few common things to look for:
One eye smaller than the other – by putting the smaller eye closer to the lens it tends to create and evening effect so they both look the same size.
Crooked nose – put crooked side towards main light to avoid crooked shadow. Shoot from side to which the nose curves.
Facial blemishes / scars etc… – hide in the shadows
Crooked smile – put the highest side closest to camera
Part of hair – you typically will not want to shoot across the part. It has a tendency to throw a shadow across the forehead.
When doing head and shoulder portraits, proper shoulder positioning is very important. The shoulders provided a good base for the head… too little base and the portrait feels uncomfortable.
Football Shoulders – when the subject is squared off to the camera it tends to add weight to to the subject and creates a very masculine portrait. You will typically want to avoid football shoulders, especially with women.
To slenderize the subject turn them slightly sideways to the camera. I will typically position the subject’s shoulders at a 45 degrees angle to the camera. From this position you can have the subject turn her head comfortably into a feminine or masculine position.
In addition, for most portraits, the subjects shoulders should not be positioned horizontally level in the portrait. It’s best if the shoulders are position more diagonally in the portrait.
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You can find all kinds of photo tips on studio lighting and posing techniques in our Forum. It is a valuable resource. It is a place where you go for answers, opinions and community. In fact, there’s at least 100 tips just like this one that you can find in the Forum. It’s great way to interact with other aspiring photographers like yourself who are wanting to become better photographers and learn ways to build their photography business. There are no dumb questions, just lots of great answers and POSITIVE feedback.
The Forum is available to 12-month subscribers only.
Ready to get started becoming a better photographer?
Click here for more photography training.
Did you find this post helpful? Got a comment?
If so, let us know. Post your comments below.
Studio Lighting and Posing Tips for Couples by Rick Ferro
May 10, 2009 by Lee Hughes
Filed under Studio, Videos
Romantic Studio Engagement Sessions
Improve your photography with these timeless posing techniques & studio lighting tips for couples from Rick Ferro.i In this 50-minute video, Rick Ferro, Master Photographer and nationally-known teacher, shows you the absolute best poses for couples that will generate high quality images AND the greatest amount sales.
Once you know the simple but effective lighting techniques and posing keys you will be making photographs you will be proud of and your customers will love (and buy)..
In this video you will learn how to:
- Set up a light at 2/3rds view
- Set up a profile and light it successfully everytime
- Photograph hands in a way that conveys romance and emotion
- Use lighting that is simple but effective
View the Trailer
You can have access to this photography class along with 44+ other as a 12-month subscrber OR it is available for individual purchase for only $39.
Order this Photography Video
Get 44 photography classes for less than $1 per day
More photo classes by Rick Ferro
About Rick Ferro:
For the last 39 years Rick has impacted the photographic community by being one of the leading photographers in the nation. Rick began his career photographing for the Miami Dolphins, going on to owning several successful studios and in 1993 helped develop the Wedding Photographic Department for Walt Disney World. He started Signature Studio in 2001 when he married his wife Deborah. He is a Certified, Master Photographer and received, along with his wife, the United Nations Leadership Award from the International Photographic Council in 2006. Rick’s love and passion for photography and people is evident in his work. Rick’s Website
Here are some of the images from this video.
After you work with this video, you will be able to take beautiful photos just like the ones below.
