Lesson Info
7. Wrap And Q&A
Lessons
Introduction to Family Posing
01:51 2Floor Posing Small Groups - Live Shoot
18:41 3Floor Posing Large Groups - Live Shoot
10:34 4Single Chair Posing Small And Large Groups - LiveShoot
17:59 5Large Wedding Group Pose - LiveShoot
10:42 6Couch Posing Small And LargeGroups - Live Shoot
15:00 7Wrap And Q&A
09:56Lesson Info
Wrap And Q&A
So with kids especially these ages, you'll hear my shutter click click click, click, click and somewhere in all of that madness is the one shot where everyone's looking at me and I'm not a big fan of swapping heads and all that I want to get my image straight in the camera so yes, you have a question so you get this shot and everybody's great except one will you go and post and then do a head swap? Or will you keep trying to shoot just to get it in camera it's so much faster for me to shoot it in camera than to go back and post later in the rare occasion that it happens, it can be done but why not just keep screaming like a lunatic and telling people to look at me so I actually get the image in the camera and I don't have to do that the five minutes I spend five minutes sound like an ape eyes five, ten minutes less I have to spend in post production, right? So I'd rather get it right in the camera but everybody's kind of everybody kind of has to be having a good time so that's, why it'...
s really difficult to be behind the camera? Okay that's it lean in, turn your face this way oh, that looks good great one, two, three right where's the energy there where is the passion where you getting people excited about what you're doing so yeah I sound like an idiot but the kids were laughing right and they're in here there's one where uh don't tell me liam is looking at me right and jacob loves me like I was just doing itcause totally embarrassing at this point but but yet remember remember you want everyone in that group to look good you know she's got victoria got a nice little slant on her shoulders you know if I had an extra ten seconds lift her up a little bit more but you don't too how old is she again how old it said seven oh you're nine yeah nine which very good we got seven lean seven twelve damn I'm good sixteen and thirteen fourteen avs close and thirty two right so family portrait is a whole different ball game you know I mean it really is because you're working with so many different groups in ages and you've got to get so many different levels of attention and you have ten seconds with a two year old you may have twenty minutes with a sixteen year old you've got dad who's you know eventually slumping over so speed energy lots and lots of energy I mean you kind of look ridiculous but it's ok at home I have kids right up to me in starbucks and like show I got because that's what they remember this crazy for time river making you know crazy sounds talking about poop and farts and princesses and cars and movies and all these other crazy things so is a little bit of psychology there's a lot of personality and then there's skills and learning how to puzzle pieces together so I think we hit everything and we did a whole like what twenty fifteen twenty people there is a need to know I'm going to come up and join you yeah teo fun let's have a seat on the couch let you have some coffee so we can talk I don't know before me wolfie I do have some questions I think we could use some rapid fire questions yeah okay so by the way you've got family still laughing is pretty fantastic okay so people kept asking about got the opposing tell us again about your focal point with that money people what do you what do you think I'm working with the cannon five the mark three and I love it because there's a sixty one focal points in there so I drop behind the camera I actually changed my focal point tio one person's eyes so probably the person closest to the middle of my frame I leave it there because I know pretty much that there that's where they're going to be and that's where they're gonna stay ah lot of times I will manually focus and just leave it there so it doesn't have to constantly go back and forth once you have a group here you can see they don't go anywhere with little ones will move around a little bit, you know? I mean that's all kind of normal but you know, I try to just focus either on the eye or just manually focused on what that group you're at a five I think you know, so you're going to get those people since you've gotten them into that plane you're distant thing people on the same focal plane if people are too far behind their not leaning over enough I mean and when you say lean over, people are really stretching their leading leaning leaning leading until they're like, oh my god, I can't lean anymore, right? It feels so uncomfortable, but in the end because of the compression of the camera and two dimensional it looks good so people like one's my butt sticking out like mike was like hello, all right, fantastic and that answers somebody's question who asked if you locked the focus so that you didn't you have to keep going behind the camera and that's why you're on the tribe are yeah so easy on the tripod learned how to shoot on a tripod it makes your life especially with family groups when you're running back and forth and you have it set up and then you can just you can talk to people like you can't like talk to people like this, like from behind the camera, you just can't, you know, and you can drop it and go back and drop it, go back when you're looking to kids and you need constant attention from them and you need them giggling and laughing, and you have to make stupid faces. You can't go from behind the camera, you know? So I know you got see they they love me way have a question on the studio audience she wider open than five I just for this, my settings were all just based on the natural light available light we had in here because it was really all about just the posing and the puzzle pieces, so I didn't really I just said it so we'd get a good exposure for the screen, but outside, I mean, there are times I should wide open two point eight with my seventy two, two hundred I don't think I really ever go past five six if depending on the group, but I mean, even those groups for still okay, four point five still okay, because all their faces are on the sea, right, so if we were like this, no good. But because you see you hear me go on, bring your bring your face closer me lean over a little bit more bring your face closer to your mom break and those are all those last minute things so a call like the macro opposing the big stuff first I get in there I placed people that's the big stuff then behind the camera is when I'm like okay, lift up lean and turn your face this way squeeze together all those little things get done behind the camera so I can rapid fire and get the expressions fantastic. Okay, thanks for your tips. This is from a s p uh let's see what your approach with families that have teenage kids that perhaps won't be as comfortable being close to each other. Yeah that's a good question a lot of teenage kids air not that comfortable being close but they get their right and it's almost like you kind of force it and by the time you kind of force it eventually they're kind of like, oh, this isn't that bad I'm gonna pretend I don't like it but I mean kids everybody wants to feel a connection to their family period you know for me family portrait like this not so fun I need squeezy hug ian together expressions and so you know, I always knew this would get closer she's your sister yeah, whatever just do you just do it and make your mother happy? Like, you know, just come up with crazy things? I just talked to him, you know, you know, just talking to people and getting to their level is the most important thing you can do, you know, what school do you go to what sport to you into? The more I talk to people and then I'm like, oh, lean closer tomorrow? So what kind of sports do you like being closer to mother? Oh, yeah, really? You played quarterback and by the time I'm done there where I want them to be and then I just lose nudge here and there and then squeeze when I'm telling you, if you just tell people the squeeze together, you just can't help but get a smile and eventually they get into unless they're totally miserable and they had, like, I mean, and you get that work with what you had on three years ago. I had a family where the teenage boy had braces on and he straight up said, I'm not going to be smiling today, and I looked at mom because he was not gonna smile said, okay, I can't force that can't make him and then he's gonna look like a poop. So we just redid their family portrait this year, two years later, and he was all smiles. The whole portrait session, his braces were often he met a girl and he was totally happy. And I was totally picking on him. Like omar. You're like a different person. He's like, yeah, I know. I was pretty miserable back then. Like he knew it, right? It was so funny. And so this time it was all smiles. Very cute. Yeah, well, I really love that. You are, in fact tweeted, I love that you started this class out by think let's start by making mistakes and that is such an amazing way to learn. So this has been an incredible ninety minutes, maybe three hours because you talk so quick. I got a country trying to cram a lot into a short period, and I did. You did. That was fantastic. Wanna let people know that they can continue to follow up with you on your facebook page? Yeah, if they want to connect and have work questions. Now we have a learning group called the montana learning group, which is, you know, it's, a private group and it's all about portrait's and posing people and I've been a little absent cause I've been traveling. I'm sorry, guys, but way do weekly assignment or bi weekly assignments, and I give you guys critiques and you send family dio four, which is favorite family photo friday, right photo spelled with an f but and so every friday or every couple, friday's will upload family photos and, well, critique, come and go through and try to get to most of my try to stay pretty active, really, you know, I'm passionate about photography, but I'm even really even more passion about this industry and education and giving back to an industry that has really given so much to me so well. It definitely shows through you, so thank you so much.
Ratings and Reviews
a Creativelive Student
Fantastic! A noticed someones posing technique on a portrait and commented on it and they said to check out Michele Celentano on Creative Live.....well, I am so glad I did. This 90 minute video was jam packed full of great information on how to piece the puzzle of family posing. I learned a lot and can not wait to try these tips on my big family portrait session in 5 days time. I was panicking about this session, but now I feel I have a good understanding about the basics of family posing and how it is all just a puzzle that you slot the people in and create triangles, lines and how to make Mum look amazing! Thankyou :)
Joshua Meadows
A good course on posing groups and families. It is good supplemental information if you've already studied some other posing courses. The only drawback for me is aspects of the photographers social interactions aren't to my liking (acting like a chimp and blowing raspberries). I will say though that she does have high energy and give compliments and talks with the subjects on things they like. That is what I would do on a shoot and she does that well. As for the posing it was macro level of fitting people together with a skimming of the minor details. It is a good condensed lesson and worth a watch.
Billabongfox
Amazing class! I would highly recommend anyone looking for more detailed and in-depth direction with family posing. Michele goes over how to start with a small group and build on to create large group portraits! She shows how to combine different family members to get a wide range of shots with more selection, which we all know translates into more potential profits in print and product sales. She demonstrates by posing a family on the floor, in chairs, and on a couch, using all age groups from 2 years old and up. I could spend an entire day listening to her! She does a great job explaining things and showing just how to do it. Great course, great video, great information! Thank you!