Lessons

Lesson Info

Couch Posing Small And LargeGroups - Live Shoot

To me bodies are puzzle pieces just puzzle pieces how can we fit them together and how can we make those puzzle pieces look good together because you have teo you have to adjust small puzzle pieces with big puzzle pieces you can't identify every single body as the same size that does it hurt you ok on a lot of times we'll say we'll do you who do you do you put dad in the middle of you put grandma on the middle I put who's ever smallest in the front tallest in the back medium sized people in the middle and little people all the way up front meaning children so it's not about who's more important in the family it's about who's going to look good where because when people look at um pictures are not like oh I'm so glad she put dad in the middle because he really is the most important right there but I can't believe she put me there because I look fat period like that is what's going to happen they give you really just completely straight up and honest about how people feel and we're all i...

nsecure about some sort of body part right I mean is there anyone here who just one hundred percent is like I have going on right like you are that's awesome that's awesome even though you did this or you get it this that's awesome right so is kelly back within let's get the whole because let's do another whole family group together. Do we have another question? Jimmy? Is the wolf in its crime? Yes. Oh, I know that was so funny. Oh, did you want to use the couch? Yeah. Let's do that. Let's, use a couch. Thanks, guys. I get lost in my passion, and then I just forget what I'm doing. But that was great. I'm so that somebody asked about that because, it's, one of my favorite things to do is assemble big groups quickly if you could do that. That's what I'm telling you what? A wedding that's money, right? Those groups l like people want those groups. I mean, you know, all the fun. Listen, I was a wedding photographer for more than fifteen years, so I know all about photojournalism, candids, no fashion, all of that stuff. But I think as photographers, most people feel really awkward and uncomfortable posing groups because they just don't know where to put bodies and how to assess them and where to put them and how to adjust them. And, you know, just to be. Oh, thanks and used to be able tio I could have a martini. No I'm just kidding just howto get them set up and feeling comfortable and I think most of it is personality and I say this all the time eighty percent of this industry's personality and if you can smile of people and you can you know like kind of squeeze um and get in there and you can feel comfortable whatever your style and your personality is that's what needs to come out and so I just met these guys this morning and they're having a pretty good time right? I'm touchy feely jacob and I were gonna you know he loves me don't you love me so and speed speed, speed speed with groups and families we have limited amount of time it's not all they shoot you know you've got an hour hour and a half of the family you've got thirty seconds at a clip with a two year old so you're dealing with all different types of ages personalities you really have to learn how to cater to each one dad probably is like oh my gosh cam please talk me into this mom is like do I look fat? The kids are like who's sucks right the two year olds like what what's going on where my cheerios like so you kind of have to like no where everybody in that portrait is that it's so much more complicated than just working with one or two people there's a whole thing going on so the more comfortable you can be with people and eighty percent of personality, you can learn camera technique, you can learn, light it, you can learn posing, but you can't. You've gotta learn howto infuse your personality into your portrait so that people feel comfortable because they're not uncomfortable positions. We all really comfortable sitting there with your spy, always straight up and leaning in and all that good stuff. No, not really. Right. So say, say were in their home and we just want to use the arm of a chair so waken use this. I'm going to use this couch is the arm of the chair and let's, do this let's have kelly come sit right here. You know what, let's, do this let's have olivia right here. I'm not olivia here. And olivia, you'll be like this. So always on the hip and then lifting up like this. So what have I just done to her body? So when you're here, right? Don't do this. See the shoulder. So you want to be up nice and tall. It's a simple little movement. Okay, so we can start there. What's up high body high. Hi, body. You ready you want take a picture? Okay, great. So this elbow is going to match it but we'll bring him in let's see if we can put him right here in his sister's lap and then look where I'm gonna put kelly we'll have I just done what has this shoulder done to this part of my body puzzle piece fit it in. Hi, michelle. Body got knuckles got not good now. Okay, so just let him go don't worry about the two year old right? Just let me do whatever needs to this would be typical for a session for me I let him go don't try to control the two year old not gonna happen okay, so just let him go. We need him. We'll meet him so you're gonna happen here I don't care what he does right now let him be happy. This is literally what you have to do on a session. So now look look what happened now remember this all has to come out so that your mom convene over look it look at her body now what happens here? She lives up she leans in so lean sculptured push back just a bit further and screw your arm up just a bit more so I have to ad space to this area so that they can lean together it's now lift up and lean your face into her if the bodies are too close together there's no leaning going on I can't get in close enough but if we back the body up and leading from here there's all this space but our faces together dude you're awesome okay so there's just using a simple arms here what's up oh my gosh she's cute I want to eat him up olivia lean toward your mom just little bit turn your face to her that's it kelly turn your lean your face into olivia just a bit more tilt in yes lift up nice and tall nice and tall perfect squeeze and lean over her a little bit more she's not quite on the same focal plane that olivia school this way this little bit to get a little bit shorter perfect there you go now in over her kelly so I'm just adjusting their height this is gonna look so much better it's a minor adjustment but it's going to look so much better here we go see that tiny minor adjustment now again the hands if we have plenty of time you know we can rotate them in or up this way so you can like rotate your hand up that way way I thought um do you want to come and sit here buddy come sit right here ready I'm going to get you that your belly I got to get your belly okay put it right here so at this point we're going to get anything we get within because that's just the way it's going to go see if he can sit in that little tiny slot and cross his legs over that's it and squeeze him back toward you a little bit more pull back pull back in what's your body weight really right back at you see and you just wait he's waiting for that like right in between with two year old you and that's why I'm not looking through the camera can't see what's happening through the camera but if I'm right here and he's reacting to me hey finn hey sam what's going on finn he's got no interest in me right that my face is planning behind the camera but this way I'm talking to him hey huh? And you know and in between that when you get that shot that's all you get with a two year old boom done none ok? So let's add two more people here, okay? Come on, jacob, come to mama. You love me, man. You know it, right? Yeah. You do seem like a big sister. Come on. I could be another sister. I just dyed my hair blonde so good, right, okay, right here on your knees and we might need to make him a little bit taller, actually, we don't turning toward your sister bring this arm behind her right. So let it go let it go let it go. Drop it! Drop it! Drop it! There you go. Lean into your sister this way had over here's another way look, check out the triangle's there, right? And jacob, turn into your sister just little bit more. Hold on her wrist right there. Yeah. Don't punch him. Oh, my god. Now like you want to kill her, okay? This right here this is I killed my sister. And this right here is I kind of like my sister like, so kind of like your sister. Beautiful. How my gosh, right? Just like that. That's it and relax your fingers, olivia. Just a little bit and then watch those fingers in the side. Kelly so bring your hand behind her so I don't see that hand perfect and then bring this hand out a little bit more on his shoulder so I see your arm. See how now I see her arm. It makes a little bit more sense. Is that just her fingers now? Kelly lost her mojo back there, so lift up and then lean over and now already squeezed together toward your mom. Actually, I'm shooting this vertically, but I think I would actually like it better horizontally, okay, olivia squeezing towards mom this way, but relax that shoulder relax it yeah and then jacob till you're heading toward your mom a little bit last tiny bit less and kelly lean towards me and then tilt your head towards me and then just adjust your hearing on this site because it's like sticking straight out towards me perfect and now come in a little bit until your head towards jacob. Get that chin a little bit lower. See what happens when you start tilting the head look so much better. Watch till the head tilt the head here you write simple tilt to the head if the head is too straight up and down. It's kind of boring. Okay, so I think we have some more holes here. Can you fit right in there? Awesome. And then lean on your sister? Yep. Ok. And then let's see cure you're gonna lean right in here and lean on your sister this way. Legs going out that way. Perfect. Yep. So what? Right here. Lean on her arm right here and then I need you to get nice and tall between your sisters right in there. Yeah. That's what I'm talking about, okay, let's. See, I don't know if this is gonna work, but analysts try it let's see, you know, this might be a spot for jason to lean in, so you you gotta bring one leg up and then like uncomfortably ridiculously leaning because I don't want him to be too far back here so if you're using a prop like this and there is this too much space in here no good so if he's not tall enough you can use that apple crate and lead him in this way just a little bit more like so have my floating head back here right or we can bring him right in here okay right here and oh this will be good uh and come right back here I got it so you're going to sit right here with your feet here perfect and now lean over but lift up and lean over but his shoulders how does she look good okay you're gonna come right here where is finn gonna go? We're gonna go finn right there okay let's do it okay it's may require backing up oh he's actually pretty good right there will he sit on his knees out there that might be a little tough you stand up everybody that's awesome yeah hold I don't know what don't fall and then you're gonna lean out this way so bring your foot this way around him leaning this way okay and he's a little far back but it's okay because he's too and it's totally gonna work anyway what do you think I shouldn't go this way buddy go this way not that way now that is probably a little dangerous this might not be the best idea let's do this okay I gotta get okay so anna you're gonna move over and go in this space and he's going to stand up right here let's make this a little safer for you okay? We're gonna get all kinds of emails like you not sticking it to your mom okay can you stand up hey stand up lately are you sister give her a big hug give her a hug that's it moving his hand for anybody move that hand hide that hand for me way yes ok and I go this way a little bit yeah my gosh e r don't you get it don't you gigolo you better look at me finn keep looking keep looking at me he's gonna get tired he's going to keep looking jason lean this way over kelly shoulder a little bit more this way this way this way and I'll go this way a little bit that's it squeeze together look they're only together I got for you do you want an imminent you want and uh ok this is what you get with a two year old right? You get everybody else smiling and laughing at you and oh, this is so fun oh how fun is that right and look, we actually have more space for more hey uncle might go get in the bag right there uncle michael sit right back here yeah who else is wearing black and victoria auntie victoria victoria's gonna come right here right and then open the scene appear buddy ready I don't get you an m and m o k I will bribe children with sugar right in here okay so lean in there get nice and low well look it's a hole in time coming squeeze this way victoria separate your feet just a little bit so you get lower that's it and lift up and twist in this way way you're wrecking my shop there get in there freddy who's got number who's got him put it in cure his hand okay but not yet not yet everyone get me victoria roll the shoulders back lift up and then but now and hold on to the kids a little bit singin in there you want and eminem you wanted eminem I'm sorry I'm really sorry about this go sit next akira go civic secure put it in cures hand caress and put in your other hand your other hand hit look ready okay game stand up stand up first ready stand up first then you get the minimum that's what happens with a two year old okay ready stand there and she were done okay listen when I count to five I'll give you the m and m okay you look at me can you count to five one two three four five okay ready? Okay right here, here we go. Here we go. Okay, ready what to twenty three? Oh, where's human in it. Where is it? So you seriously get thirty seconds with a two year old and, yes, right. Ah, so, as a family portrait photographer, you know there's a lot of times where I'm like, click, click, click, click, click, because I know you can't get everybody and especially kids to keep right. It doesn't happen. So with kids, you guys could take a break. Awesome, thank you so much, so much.