How do you photograph your wife?

<p>I looked at my picture again and recalled the situation. I believe she was listening to somebody talking and not entirely noticing me.<br>

Probably that's the key, as for any portrait: the photographer has to disappear to eliminate the influence on the model's behaviour.</p>

<p>One essential with your wife - never show her the bad ones!</p>

 

<p>Two females for me hard to photograph: My wife and my cat.</p>

<p>Wife here, and I love for my husband to photograph me. I think it is fun! We're a pretty laid back couple though, so if one person wants to try out a new technique, we're both game...</p>

<p>...wow, that could go a totally different way than photography...</p>

<p>Anyway, how are you husband at having your portrait taken?</p>

<p>90% of the time she hates her photograph, whereas I love all of them. I usually capture her in environmental situations, most often unposed.</p><div></div>

<p>Here is another at a friends wedding.</p><div></div>

<p>How do you take pictures of your wife? I actually wouldn't know, the only thing I can say is that mine makes a terrible subject to be photographed , she is either impatient (with some right in fact because I always spend ages to in search for the right light , exposure, DOF etc.), or she actually starts to pose in a very stiff way trying to offer her best "look" to the camera. Probably there's no easy solution to this, as, like the old adage says, "nemo profeta in patria".<br>

You know the funniest thing of all this is that by casually reading this forum I maybe stepped on what I suspect is a former schoolmate of mine (L. A. Remotti) of whom I hadn't heard of for over thirty years !! I don't know if that's really you, but anyway compliments for the nice portrait of your wife.<br>

best </p>

 

I make sure that our son is on it!<div></div>

<p>I produced some black & white portraits of my wife not too long ago. We had attended the opening of an exhibition of Yousef Karsh's work at the Art Institute of Chicago, and she wanted something similar in terms of lighting and depth.<br>

I rented time at a friend's studio, and used similar lighting techniques to produce the images.<br>

She loved the results and her portraits have helped attract new clients. One of the shots below:</p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/9932453-lg.jpg" alt="" width="487" height="600" /></p>

<p>I used the excuse: The pictures are for the kids/grandkids...<br>

It was difficult at first but I convinced her: just think about the little ones having fun at the grandparents' expense.<br>

So now we normally collect memories in every changing season/ every change we get, by taking pictures to make slide-show for our grandkids.</p><div></div>

<p>It sure helps, if your wife has a sense of humour, too :-) This one is an unposed grab shot, BTW:</p><div></div>

<p>Great contributions to this thread, including the wives. Even Luca Alessandro Remotti himself has joined. On Jen's point: I am a lousy photographic subject, no question. The one on my profile was as the father, taken by my daughter when she was 4 and I like that one.</p>

<p>Always with Fish Eye lens!<br>

Just kidding:) Film camera + Avaliable light + Sense of humor :)</p>

<p>Always with Fish Eye lens!<br>

Just kidding:) Film camera + Avaliable light + Sense of humor :)</p><div></div>

<p>I click, and hope it looks good! She doesn't mind.<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/5450490-md.jpg" alt="" width="680" height="498" /></p>

Someone else said it: never show her any of the bad ones. They are not her fault. You can delete them yourself without any help from her. She has veto power, and I delete anything she doesn't like. No questions asked, no arguments. This creates a sense of safety that is important if you want a relaxed smile that really shines.

 

Also, use a portrait lens with some reach to let her relax, and turn the guide flash off. I use a Nikkor 80-200mm f2.8 for this so I am back a pretty good distance and don't need a flash. I drop the camera into continuous shooting and fire away while making jokes and conversation. After about fifty or so images later I retire to my computer and pick the best two or three (if I think they are really good), and discuss them with her. A few I make prints and frame them. Above all, be patient. There is no rush. You will be living together for decades to come, so relax.

<p>Another wife here. I have always hated being on the other end of the lens because I am NOT photogenic, and my teenaged son used to delight in taking the most awful photos of me that he could get...usually when I wasn't expecting it. When I saw him first, I'd pull a face at him. One day he said to me, "If you think the picture will be bad anyway, why don't you just smile instead of make faces...I'm not going to stop taking pictures, and the smile would look a whole lot better than the weird faces." That made some sense, and I eventually got tired of fighting it and gave in. I still don't like them, but once in a while someone gets one of me that isn't too bad:~) So the advice to take photos constantly and she'll get used to it and relax might have some merit.</p>

<p>How do porcupines make love?</p>

<p>--Lannie</p>

<p> </p>

<p>One ultimate flattery of a woman (outside of some other obvious things which I won't write here) is to take a stunning photo of her that she can show the world (or that you can) of which she can be proud not only of her looks, but also of you, the photographer for capturing well the 'essence' of her beauty and showing it off distinctly.<br>

Because I have a history of doing that with my photography (of close women), I am allowed all sorts of freedom, even if there are initial objections, because the ultimate goal is well-understood and it is agreed, 'that is what I do', and when I do it well, the results are agreed to be 'worth it'.<br>

I've never had a serious fight or objection over taking or attempting such a photo - it's seen as ultimate flattery, especially since I occasionally have a choice of pro model 'cover girls' to photograph (though I do not post same any more, and that work is 'just for fun'.<br>

If that means getting a rather wide angle close to a loved one's eyes and her holding an expression for a while while I zoom on 'C' drive that is something that is suffered; the result is usually a choice of just one photos that can be shown off (often for life). [but note, I have developed as a 'street shooter' an ability to take a photo of almost any type in a second to several seconds, and seldom labor over any.]<br>

(The photos in my links above are 'real photos' - one in a hotel lobby, one in a McDonald's, and one in a dentist's waiting room, yesterday. When I see 'the look' I just take out one of my cameras and 'shoot' - I'm trusted to do the right thing.)<br>

John (Crosley)</p>

<p>Generally it involves requesting a picture of our son with her in it. Most of the time I get glares, funny faces or tongues stuck out when attempting to take pictures of her. Sometimes though she'll cooperate.</p><div></div>

<p>The usual wife picture, a cameo with our son</p><div></div>