Lessons

Lesson Info

Posing and Anti-Posing

I think of posing as kind of a trojan horse everyone wants to know lighting, imposing, lining, imposing it's so funny and so you know, probably the least amount of what I focus on um so I call it the trojan horse because I like t do anti posing because clients get intimidated by posing he already heard like their biggest their biggest fear like I don't know how to pose no not oppose it's up to you to find a flattering posture let's say I don't like the word pose so I'm going to talk more about the secrets of anti posing so let's get started um how did direct models without quote unquote posing um when you coach a model to perform actions a few things happen so I'm really big on coaching actions and we're going to go down to specifically which actions I love to coach but here is why I do it um she transfers her focus on performing the action instead of trying to pose and look good you know you can kind of feel most wanna pose get stale so for me coaching actions kind of breaks you out o...

f that and she doesn't have to think am I looking good? Am I doing it right she's focused on, you know, tossing her hair or whatever action you gave her you're creating a natural movement to capture instead of stick static pose is stiff static poses so again, this is what I like my image is to have a bit of movement and you know, even if a model just you know puts her hand on her shoulder if you're kind of sitting there like that for a little bit and you have her look at the light like it just feels stiff aesthetic, but if you just have her kind of move her hands along her body and just keep doing it just like move your hand along your body on your shoulders or brush your hair back, keep doing it again and again you'll just kind of capture in there. Um something that's natural and a npo posed no one I mean, nicole, you getting this so glad you're out of the hot seat right now and you're also, as I mentioned before, you're exhausting her nervous tension by keeping her in motion and repeating the action it's so easy to dio one of my favorites and we'll get to my favorite spot tonight favorite is run your hands along your body so just doing that, you know, it doesn't look that spectacular maybe, but I don't really have to think about where to put her elbow or shoulder sometimes I'll tweak it depending where the light sources if it's coming from here okay, open up your elbow, open up your shoulder so you're not blocking your light or, you know, I'll tell her if she stayed like this, you know, cross your legs, that's something easy. But in terms of most of what I do, it's coaching actions, um, and it keeps her engaged, can revive expression and is one of my favorite tricks to create emotion. So, yeah, if you feel like your client is fading zoning out, um, you can just quickly get her back in the game by giving her something really active to dio. And if you're shooting in a bedroom set or a hotel, I like, have them jump up and down on the bed, I throw pillows, adam, have him tossed the pillow in the air, toss their hair around, run towards me if there's not there's enough room twirl so I can get a little peek of her butt cheeks through the skirts. You know, do all of that stuff just to keep her keeper engage keeper active. Um, so this is how I like to do it, I demo. Everything I asked her to dio I would never say go do that without personally putting myself out there first. This also takes the performance pressure off of her. You don't want her feeling. Am I doing this right? It's like, well, tough or hair toss, hair toss. It can't be that difficult, so do it yourself. And I understand maybe the guys might not want to do this. So you know, maybe you can have your makeup artist shooter might be hysterical. If you do it, it might be a way to break that might be who you are and break the ice. I think it would be funny. I saw blaine color really do hair toss. I would laugh hysterically. I think that that would work for you. Um, and then you just asked her to repeated again and again. And this is like, sometimes it's for me. I want teo. You know I want it in their head and then I'll stop her when I see something awesome and all, but I'll just keep asking for it again and again. Because sometimes just like really run my hands along the body it's like yeah you're doing keep doing it and then she loosens up a little bit more as she goes through it um try a few variations of the action so for each thing I asked you to do I have to do it a few different ways so the hair was a big one wouldn't love their hair um sometimes all you need is a good hair day to feel great right and uh one of the shots I love it's super easy to coach is just going to get my hair caught my lipstick but just toss your hair around and they shoot this at it I drag my shutter on this one so maybe a fiftieth so I get some motion in the hair with me across and it looks like the woman is just having the best time the thing you have to pay attention to when you're coaching this is eyes have to be closed you can't make your hair look just look it's weird and it's really with your head down and a slight smile on dh that's just you know it isn't not funny you know just like screw up your hair look into the camera or you know bluff it out get all up in your hair you know basically so it's not that difficult it's super easy anyone could do it that's a great one to start with andi any questions about capture the pinnacle of the movement as well as the in between moment so like I said I like to kind of push for the extreme and get her at the height of like if she's twirling a running or ecstasy trying get her at the peak but be prepared to catch like that in between which is usually like this stay area and laughter or just like sai it's all good but you want to make sure we can focus a little bit more on this and editing I don't like the just after the moment like if you're in between you could tell in between a blink or after a feeling do you know what I'm talking about right you don't want those you want the moment of chemical and then or the in between moments of laughter does that make sense sweet asked her to hold when you see something awesome and just if necessary so this is my secret I just have her do some action like you know run your hands along your body something simple is that and then when I see something great I was like oh hold hold hold hold hold it and then okay but just move your chin to the other side so that's better light and so she's not feeling like I'm taking her body and manipulating her imposing her like that um so any questions so far? Okay here's some of my favorite actions toss shake out your hair this is when I already told you about run your hands along about it. These two will get me through any session just these two you can work, pull down your strap, flirt with it. Okay, so this is something easy and especially if you're feeling a little like shy or nervous and this is an easy one to start with whether you have a slipper address on or even a robe it's basically just like taking down and start flirting with your shoulder and then you start getting sassy you just can't help it. Um so that's a nice easy one crawl towards me is a guy like this on floor on the bed I like getting that girl crawling towards me with a nice arching her back and that usually produced a little after also and play with the prop whatever it is, the pillow the hat have them just have fun with it it's fun to see what women do with it without you necessarily coaching them all that much. But if they stand there like a little awkward like I feel funny playing with the pillow I just start hating him with it are just say this, throw it up in your ear up in the air, throw it at me and you'll see this we pre taped to shoot on tuesday I shot very nervous soccer, mom, very body conscious and in a budget hotel, we'll talk about that after lunch, but basically that's one of the things I had her do because she really felt I felt like he wasn't really having much fun yet. S so we got some pill action. Get your groove on. This is a nice one. I don't like to making music for some weird reason. I'm like a bizarre individual, but it just distracts me and I feel like it's, inorganic tow what's really happening, but sometimes it really opens up clients. So I definitely play music in the makeup chair that one hour and a half is for them to loosen up. We have a glass of champagne we put on her favorite. I tell her to bring her playlist, and occasionally I will use it to just have them, like closer as and get their groove on to like their favorite song blast that fan and those produced a lot of amazing and it is, but I don't have the music on the entire time because when you do use it it's pretty powerful costume let's talk about that when we talk about ok building business, and that was that was one of the big questions that we were holding back on was music, lots of people would love to know we wanted to know right? Oh good I'm glad I answered that question but yeah it's just my personal preference some people shoot to music the entire time do I know because it actually doesn't it inhibits me I can't focus it takes me over I want to start dancing or whatever I just can't and so what do you know my client what do you tell clients when they say can we have they don't even notice honestly I very like much have the makeup artist like turn it off as we you know get get going but it's definitely playing during the makeup on dh then like when I feel like I really need it I'm like okay let's get let's get some fun stuff going so we'll play a couple songs oh I skipped yell that's when I used to loosen up some just have good I just have them go hey and just say hey I'm like you feel ridiculous and you laugh but at least it lit it you know and livens you, um kick up your legs good one for leg shots and it's just instead of posing you're late with your legs up in the air and that rather you kick it up there and get some motion and I did that a lot yesterday especially a girl says she loves your legs were going to do a lot of kicking on the legs strap on your shoes. So this is any action with the shoe? Another money shot is is all about the shoes. John cornyn cello loves this shot. Uh, exactly. So, you know, women love their shoes and they probably paid money for shoes to bring to discretion, so you know, you're going to photograph those shoes and if you don't, you've made a serious omission there. So sometimes, you know, it's just like pretending to put it on take it off. If it one of those type situations, it hasn't been down the boots. Anything, any action relating to the shoe it's another one a goodwin fasten your garters, lift up your shirt and zip your dress. Basically, this is called getting dressed or undressed so I love to do that like unhook your bra strap on your garters, roll down your stockings, take off your love anything like that theworld that's a good one because I like a good butt shot and I like to see um yeah, peak of cheek right through like a skirt and I have to say the secret to the good but shot is give a wedge and I'll demo this later, but seriously create a juicy ass instantly just give the girl wed, you gotta have some butt cheek hanging out there and close your eyes, and this is one I just kind of let trail off, kind of depending where she at if she had a naughty night, another girl, or whatever, and suddenly, just close your eyes and let your mind wander for a second and it's. Funny. Sometimes they blush. Sometimes, you know, it's, that's, just one that I leave up to them, um, and brush the hair of your eyes when I actually have to put on this list, because some women feel like they don't have permission. Teo. If the fan blows her hair like this, tio, you know, just brush their hair, their eyes so it's a simple one. But when the fans blowing it, if they just do that, it's it's kind of sexy, and, um, I do feel like I need to give permission for them to brush the hair out of their eyes.