Lessons

Lesson Info

Defining Body Type: Quick Tips, Q and A

How many how many of you are shooting in the cold december avenue shooting clients in like thirty forty degree weather twenty thirty from new york's twenty thirty four degree weather larger subjects shouldn't wear bulkier clothing it's cold outside yes but even like I said even with the fashion shoots that I do but I tend to do is have subjects run from the car to the chute and if they're cold right back to the car and use the things that you can do larger, larger pairs of clothing as you're piling amount on what are they doing there? Bulking everyone up big puffer jackets like very very very wide on someone larger layer coats over one another large scarves everything that you're throwing on top is adding to mass subsequently if you have something that's a little thinner and you want to make them look bigger add bigger pieces and articles of clothing because you want them to look naturally figure those those are easy concepts you have and it sounds so simple but again it's the details ...

we talked about simple photography with attention to details these small little details that have changed at the bulky layers thie outerwear consider pico thin peacoats look great they're timeless and you don't have to worry about too bulky of clothing and just looks form fitting it looks nice and exudes kind of timelessness the next photo aside from this gentleman's mustache that doesn't like appropriate whatsoever suits advise your client that roomy suits look sloppy you know wearing the pocket square so let's look at the subject just quickly if I'm looking at the subject and I'm looking at him he looks like a big a round object ruskin a body for a moment do you mind putting on your blazer again for may thank you. Can I have a small piece of white paper unless like blotting paper if anybody has one thank you sir. We're gonna we're gonna use a pocket square blotting paper usually wear a jacket with rolled up sleep that's okay there's no judgment here no judgment perfect again we're not worried about lighting here. We're worried about styling so I'm going to photograph him. Why am I still holding this perfect like he's literally things perfect. Okay, you know, I'm actually just a little closer I was gonna focus here want to three awesome russ, do you mind putting this? You know I got it. I'll be stylist today there is no help fancy there's a song about that you know, in case I sneeze I mean, I got a photo before we're good can actually those last two photos together we're side by side rather thank you, russ I sincerely appreciate it I took your blotting paper for you where's my eyes leading I'm no longer thinking about his size and looking his face in the pocket square makes a big difference that contrast, visually looking in this generic area here, where if I needed to kind of show somebody who is a little more self conscious about their weight, I can use those little tiny nuances to make a difference and what I'm trying to showcase. And this is why I have it in my pocket pocket there doesn't oppose the squares and maybe like a triangle with that come into play anywhere, depending on the style of this shoot are dependent in a fashion taste of the person that's my person present, like textures and patterns, and stiles is onto something is in that pocket that's contrast in matches to whatever whatevers they're whether it be pink, purple, polka, dotted, whatever it is, some contrast that contrast is what's going to dictate? So I don't mind if it's a triangle. I don't mind if it's a square I don't mind if it's a rose, whatever it is, I want to see something there, so consider those elements so wedding photographers even consider, like going to prom, but consider things that are in these little areas, like even if you're shooting problems and shooting problem guys like maybe the little hearts and lapels and things will help visually distract elements towards your subjects for your subjects, go next. Hat's give the illusion of elongating the body it's a great way of making your subject look taller and a pinch um let's see somebody have hat around here at all no hats I have to wear a cup on your head if I need teo I'm gonna borrow you ross for a momentarily and we're going to figure out what we can use how we used she's a linds what can happen here we use yes can I use a reflector russ gets to wear reflect their head reflector yeah okay I want a photo yet this is really happening do me a favor and move over tiny them so I'm gonna shoot you before I'm gonna photograph before oh my god this is going on facebook this's what happens when you don't talk about styling right before him this is my fault means the photographer you know what we'll actually jeff that's a fantastic question that I just saw you come in with somebody asking about whether you do have these consultations with people before they come and you tell them I don't know I'm trying to ask a serious question and I'm also putting this on my head right now one two three it's over it's done thank you thank you we're good rest thank you very, very much can I see the comparison between the two that's going on facebook how's that elongating russell's body honestly aside from the silliness of it it's higher right along getting form it's elongating the body all in all I'm looking at is the structure you know from the top from the bottom of his valley let's go all the way to the top so even with short subjects, consider wearing a hat that fits their specific body type that helps accentuate the body. I need to go onto the next slide because I will keep laughing well, russ things you d'oh facial hair is a good one anybody who has any problems with double chins facial hair actually helps define your drawing, which is great, but what happens if you like me and you have sporadic little tiny you can't grow a beard we're going with? I have have mutton chops and like this room patch in whatever favor her helps define jaw lines if you have very little sporadic hair keeping it very, very short, so it looks like it's fuller this short is the more full it looks for those of you with sporadic hair growth, I would recommend asking if you have a portrait session and it's not like on a budget time like you're not working in like three minutes with donald trump ask him to wear something that is a little sorry ask him not to shave see what it looks like if they have time to shave during the shoot it may be a little better for you. You may see more defined jawline that way if somebody has any issues with double chin when suits out of the question. So this is a question that you had before when sita out of the question, I tend to ask my subjects what to wear a sari. I tend to direct what my subjects where before we even get there, because I know what looks best. We talk during photo week about wearing v necks and how v necks accentuate the neckline we talked about. Look the way that pockets where is actually help define where your subject is supposed to look, we talked about the way that figment of clothing supposed to be in regards to genes. But what about, like sweaters? What about jackets? How are those supposed to look? I would just try to make sure that as we're talking and we're looking at what we're speaking about before that you're defining the person's physique, using lines to justify the different kurt sorry, that toe high different curves that they have we talked about with ross, you want something that looks form fitted and not something that looks too bad because you're adding from areas, consider those things as you guys are styling your men. Okay, so I got the next one why don't keep putting this thing down? I feel like a leash. I could have a leash on me. Perfect. Next. So those of you that are interested those of you that do purchase the our class today to get the style guide for free, which includes how to compliment larger men. How to compliment suits who's supposed to wear suit. How it's supposed to fit little styling guides. Are you guys familiar with steamers? Do you guys want steamers are clothing steamers? They're great tools in a pinch that also explains how to effectively use one. We talk about the little clamps. The little clips that we use perfect styling kit is a great one for you guys. We talked about blotting paper way talked about eight claps when else can use style men, what else can use teo make men with their best? I tend to keep a powder a lot of times because if you don't have blotting paper runs out, at least you kind of start dabbing. I find that sometimes even like baby powder, start absorbing some of the some of the what's it called contrast in tones we talked before about what happens if you have sweaty armpits what you do there's actually a couple ways that you could do that and this is going to kind of be a little politically odd sanitary napkins for women are great sources to actually put on their men's arms because they absorb a lot of the moisture underneath and it's going to make your client feel weird but it's gonna absorb any sweat that they have under their armpits it's a great form away to at least dab some of the sweat underneath we talked about using let's even a blowjob on set to start drawing some clothing that's underneath all of those are paramount when you're trying to make men look their best do you guys have any questions so far? We definitely have questions coming and go and get some ready out here if you guys have any biggest one, how do you correct for glare on glasses cannot be done without post processing absolutely it's for me it's always angle of light so I need to make sure that my life is either eh a little higher than my subject in my certain subjects moving a little lower we photographed well with you you'd like to download we condemn what it's also angles whale you know what can I have you sit without showing the crotch towards may crotch yeah, that works from a thankyou, sir. There should be a rule, an unwritten rule about crotch shots somewhere perfect. We're getting you have non glare glasses on without any one of those do you think that I bought the uh, glare resistant coding stuff for the but it definitely does still appear on tv to get it right. I trust you if you return the other way to move this whole thing that way is fun turned towards the light weight trust your glasses. Magic didn't stay that you see, this actually works out if this works, I keep clipping this thing onto my my, uh my belt by action, which is not a smart thing to do perfect by my belt. I mean, my pants belt. I'm human by using a different lens you guys ever watch mario like the cartoon mario like, marry it's me madia? You know those dogs that have the chains that's me today? Perfect. Awesome. Blair and I are gonna see that last photo perfect glares in there. What can we do? I just fix the whole problem by that one inch, so all I did was raise the light just a tiny bit perfect. Perfect. Do me a favor, chin down a tenement, right? Perfect. Awesome. Can I see those last three photos? Achievement unlocked? Anybody plays xbox is gonna laugh. Okay, so let's see those last three photos first shot declares in russia's eyes the three light is actually directly contrast it to the glasses themselves is repelling off the glasses I'm seeing in my camera moving up the light helps quite a bit I'm just getting the edge alight and then the last shot had rust move his head down just nod and what difference do all this what is have like maybe a korean ship difference well that those moves head down a tiny bit move the light ever so slightly so making sure that your subject it was like playing pool if you guys ever play billiards making sure the light is hitting and reflecting directly back into those glasses heading back into your lens you would make sure that you you move that that way is that easier way too awesome right? But here while I'm sitting down rest we need some blotting paper on your forehead yeah, we do take care of that. Ah let's see um adrian far again had a great one here and we can actually do this for any number of combinations but says are shorter brother guys anymore difficult to photograph than taller rounder guys? Is there a way to make them look taller without also making them look heavier? I would say using that thirty five again so using that thirty five I mean using lens distortion see advantage of making them look a little taller and if there broader and short using thirty five counting helps them accentuate like him a little little small in a little taller I would use one of those that would be my go to any other questions? Absolutely we've got an interesting one this is something that I think you see more with like bodybuilders or more fit people but a couple of related questions gold xiang dong says how do you style a man who has tight clothes and he's only wearing one layer and then also related lee is it acceptable to see the shape of a man's nipples under his shirt and that is something that will happen in a cold studio with a tighter shirt I'm going to do the nipple one first sounds great I just that's he's funnier to tackle um honestly it really visually just can't even say that without laughing it's visually distracting I would generally put some sort of barrier between I know runners generally put like tape on their nipples or band aids on their nipples which helps so I would be that would be my first go to band aids on set connects the type form fitting one outfit are we talking about like a tracksuit? Are we talking about like that? I'm just talking like a tight muscle shirt basically or you know not muscle tea like a you know like under armour or something like that if it's for a fitness shoot I mean it's supposed to define the physique itself if it's not for a fitness shoot I would just try to make that person look as best as they can you being an athlete if you were wearing under armour, sure, I'd want to see abs. I want to see, you know, pecs. I'd want to see muscles as opposed to if you weren't like a body builder, and I don't want to see any any of that physique, I want to dance a little broader. You know, those those of the recommendations I have with people that want to style there shoot what's the purpose of the final image, if it's not for something that is athletic and it's just a portrait advising to bring a shirt that's a little more form fitting would be a little more flattering. Wait now have wonderful conversation going on about men's, nipples. What happens, guys, sometimes you got to talk about it. We have a question from china, rivera and martin. I'm yacht on one of the person wanted to know when you refer to texture in men's faces kind of goes back earlier in the segment, I specifically older men, I find that the national geographic type of portrait and I think you know what we're saying are extremely captivating because they seem to generally try and highlight and emphasize every detail in these in these images. Is that what you mean by highlighting the texture in male portrait's, I would say variation of that in that fire. From my regular portrait clients and every client wants to see extreme texture and their skin I would say a watered down version of national geographic although I like me a national geographic photos they're my favorite photos in the world but free average client they don't want to see every single porn in premise on their face they want to see enough texture to look to see dimension in the photograph without looking like they should be on the cover of national geographic that's all instances in which you have you know personally I'm not initially as it goes to a styling but there are some athletes who I actually have to get clothes that don't fit them so that they will fit them like you know they have smaller ways but the thicker thighs and stuff like that in order for but then they pants may look baggy in the rear in section so I mean how did you how do you come back here? You pin it in the front if there you know if it's a shot that's being taken from behind or how do you combat that that's a great question large men with larger cafs actually they do make actually pants now for that you know that they started a kickstarter campaign you're going to like to write this down broader thighs, smaller torso they definitely have pants for that but whatever is in your client doesn't invest in that pins. Same thing. I'm shooting from behind. Pin it towards the front, pin it towards the center without accentuating the buttocks, because you don't want to be like toe. Looks like a butt commercial. If you're trying to photograph the guy, you wanted to make it look form fitting without visually distracting images. So I would just be careful, unconscious with their painting, something like that when it comes to pants and comes to a waste. I would go from that little tiny clip to something a little larger like this, because that way, the pants don't fall off and that kind of even making another awkward shoot all together. So try something a little larger.