Senior Portrait Posing

Hey yall, this weekend I am going to be taking my friends senior portraits. (My first portraits) The problem is I don’t

know anything about posing. Are there any photographers that have some senior portraits in the portfolio I could look

at for some ideas?

So....you have undertaken to do this important job. You have no idea what you are doing. So.....you want us to show you our work so you can copy it.....right?

 

Not too cool, Colton........

To be a little more helpful you can go to any book store and buy a book on posing any im positive you probably will be doing poses that have been done a million times just a little advice take as many photos as possible and really watch your lighting and also if you google it you can find lots of ideas

 

 

Amber

Amber....

 

I assume that Colton might have thought of that himself. I don't agree at all with the "shoot as many as possible" advice at all. Colton is a hunter, and hunters know to shoot with forethought and precision, not just shoot as many rounds as possible.

 

Colton:

 

I have browsed your image galleries. Clearly you have a really good eye....many of your images are really remarkable......so you need to do the same thing here with respects to the grads..

Use your own ideas. You have the skill to do it....so do it.

Absolutely no disrespect here to either Colton or Amber......just seemed to me that the original post was off base somewhat.....Respects to all...Bob

Colton,

 

Of course, Amber is correct. It is always wise to shoot more than one or two shots of each pose. This way you can choose

the best of each pose. There will always be slight differences even if the pose seems exactly the same for each shot. Shoot

many images with slight differences. Subtle changes can make a great deal of difference later when you look at them

carefully. I would not say that looking at a photographer's work and trying to make use of a shot that you like is copying it.

Every subject is different and every photographer is different. If you can learn by looking a other photographer's work, by all

means do it. I would hope that we can learn from each other. That is what these forums are for (I think).

 

Mark

The website for the following link contains portraiture info that might seem a bit dated, but the basics are worth considering: http://jzportraits.home.att.net/

 

This one has tutorials that are a bit more hip (maybe too hip in some places, but what the heck): http://www.studiolighting.net/

Photoflex has lessons online.

http://www.photoflexlightingschool.com/Lighting_Lessons/index.html

<i>"To be a little more helpful you can go to any book store and buy a book on posing..."</i>

<br><br>

OR you could save some bucks and go to the library. In my experience, public librarys have a more than adequete

supply of books on photography, and if you live in/around a larger city with a well funded library there is probably a

book on

posing (and a gajillion other fun photo things ; ) ) ...

I didnt mean to sound like a b@#&% but i have been in the situation myself and i agree you want to think about the photo before you take but like Mark said even a 5mm change can make the difference in a photo i know he probably shoots digital and can preview the shot after he takes it but its better to shoot shoot 25 times and bring home 5 ducks than shoot once and go hungry lol with digital its free so why risk missing the big one

 

 

Amber

Library is free and so it the internet, there are many sites that you can visit. Just do a search for senior portaits and study the poses that they use. People are getting testy today must be the economy, not enough work

I didn't want to copy yalls work, I just wanted some inspiraton I guess. Anyways, thanks for the links. I would get book, but I don't have time. I think i'll be ok.

Colton,

 

You are sure welcome to look at my portfolio, my first grouping is of senior portraits I took for my own

son and a friend of his. Like you, I needed ideas and the group here has given you some good ones. I

have done a lot of looking online and reading books. Make sure you ask your subject what they would

like too. I got good suggestions from my sons friend on what he himself wanted.

 

I am satisfied with the ones I took, if you have time, take a look and let me know what you think.

 

I agree with the taking of multiple shots for each pose. I came up with some good poses, (not all on my

portfolio), and took several shots of each, I found that occasionally there was a blink here or there that

would have ruined the shot had I only taken one. A slight tilt of the head or a different gaze might make

the difference between a good picture and a really good one.

 

Good Luck, and post your shots so we can see them.

 

Matt