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Shoot: Portrait Posing Part 2

Lesson 32 from: Modern Women's Portraiture

Sue Bryce, Lou Freeman, Lara Jade, Emily Soto

Shoot: Portrait Posing Part 2

Lesson 32 from: Modern Women's Portraiture

Sue Bryce, Lou Freeman, Lara Jade, Emily Soto

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Lesson Info

32. Shoot: Portrait Posing Part 2

Lesson Info

Shoot: Portrait Posing Part 2

I would love to meet the two men that air here behind you have been popping in and out and helping you out, because having people ask if you do, you always use an assistant or work. Not all is when I'm outdoors. I generally like to be by myself for outdoor shoots because I am able to. I like to keep my teams really small. Does help a lot whenever he's available. He works full time, so a lot of times during the week I'll go out. But it's great whenever I have. I do have an intern that sometimes will come with me, too. So it's great with my Polaroid cameras if I can't have someone along. Since I'm shooting with so many cameras, it get it kind of narrows down how many you can take out, depending on if I have an assistant and then I normally have a lighting assistant coming to so so yeah, okay, okay, so let's do a couple more hand kind of shots. I want you to just look up, extend your neck. Let's put your arms down for this one. Let's just cost them and take one tiny steps. You're right pe...

rfect look back of the camera, gorgeous. So you can do just simple things just by having her extend her neck and close your eyes. It just shows so much more emotion to the shy in. Just okay, that beautiful. I want todo put a little bit more emotion into your eyes, so maybe look like right over here. Perfect. And put one hand out touching your face just a little bit more. So I really looking at Chez Posse's. Well, I like to have the model Whenever I put it out, I like to have a little bit of negative space and just having having her move around. So I get different angles and shapes look like no. Then I bet. And now let's let me see a little bit more of the flower, so just drop your hands, drop one hand down. Let's touch your with a other hand, perfect and put your elbow and a little bit closer for that. Gorgeous. So also, I don't mind with my images I'm really looking for, and I taken artistic approach to the photos so I don't mind cropping and a little bit here. What I wouldn't want us to crop right here. A crop right here. But a lot of times I'm going and really height. Since I shoot with the Pineland most of the times, I'll go when and get a lot of portrait's and a lot of close shots. So it's just looking at where you're cropping and exactly where it is on the model's body. So I'm gonna go in a little bit tighter for this one right through. So I'm gonna crop right below the Bussi A for that. And then I'm gonna go winning a little bit tighter. Changed my settings a little bit. So I'm going up to 1.8 on my aperture. And for this one, let's go a little more to the side. Look over your shoulder gorges privet and open your eyes a little bit more often. And what told your had a little bit over to this site? Beautiful. Yeah, you guys saw my Polaroids and film yesterday. It's really important for me to make sure that I get the post that I want, especially when I'm shooting with film. That was a great thing for me to step back and start shooting with film, because when I started with digital. I could get a lot of shots and and constantly have the model move and work with the model. But for this I really need to know what I want. So because I don't have that many shots and their extensive so I do have my I have my film camera again today and then amended. I might make sure that I have the perfect shot, but it is great T step back and make sure that you're getting the shots you need and that you want and senators shooting and doing, just letting the model go and do whatever she wants. Calif. Through a couple more So these were some more examples of just a lot of emotion. I love the one in the middle, how the model wish, shaping her hands around her body and just looking up. So like we were talking about earlier. If she can show emotion and many different poses, I think any of those you could just kind of look told her Chen up and close your eyes and it would be it would show a lot more emotion. You've seen the right one. I cross off just a little bit of the elbow in the hand, and I was okay with that. What I would change with that one is the right hand. It's a little bit distracting, but I really like the rest of the composition because for me, it's my artistic approach to photography. I'm going to go ahead and bring a stolen. So what I would do after I had the model standing for a while, I would bring in a soda, have her sit on, and I really like having the stool to get more portrait. A lot more of the model. Looking back, I really like her shaping her body and curbing it. So you have a little bit of curve right through a torso just looking back. Once again, I always have to be aware of hands and where their plays. So we're going to do a few different shots with and Thick and Justin are assisting today. I don't think that way Husband didn't tell us about you, um, Victor myself first. Okay, so I'm a portrait photographer. I, um one thing I learned I think it's been talked about this these past three days is networking and getting to know other creatives, and I've been lucky enough to meet Emily and Vic and been able to assist on a couple shoots and really just be great friends. And I think that's important in becoming a successful photographer is being able to network with other people. They don't have to be in your general, you know? And I think when they're not, they force you to be better at what you dio. So I'm lucky enough to sling some lights for Emily here and there and do whatever she needs me to dio. So thanks for being here. Yeah, Thank you. Justin helped out at a lot of my work shots and this amazing at lighting and has a really different style than mine. But it's really cool because I learned a lot and he learns from my file. So just learning from other photographers is always awesome to, And I'm Vic, and, uh, I just assist when I can on the weekends or are you know, if I'm I mean, I work in the same place she does, but I'm always working. So she does have a lot of other hands that help out, you know, switching cameras, mainly because she has so many cameras. It's just like one after another. Did you take a 35 millimeter? Did you take the And then you got to make sure the models good and got water. So, you know, I try to do my job. Good point, they said. He's always reminding me of my cameras because generally I'll shoot with 3 to 5 cameras that shoot. So it's a lot of changing them around. And sometimes I forget. I'm like, Oh, wait, I didn't use that one yet. So he always my reminder, whenever he's available, it's really nice, because I like getting a Polaroid. I like using 35 millimeters film. And then I like using my digital one as well. Okay, so I'm going to get a couple portrait shiny. I want you to put your leg a little bit more to the back for this one. Let me check my settings a little bit. Great. Let's move this The light just a little bit to the right, Right? Yeah, I just took a little Tilt it down, or I'm just a little So I want you to extend your fingers just a little bit and put maybe cross your hands together. Great. A little bit, right, Great. Going a little bit closer. So I really like when they shape their shorter's. So I won't even shape a little bit more in curving your body just a little bit more great and look away from the camera, right? Look right over here. It was really all all about looking at the different angle. Let's come a little bit more towards me, actually. Show me. I waited in this direction because of the course that there's not, but and look a little bit back of the light. Great. And because I'm shooting with the type plans I'm gonna have you move your hands in a little closer and let's tilt your head a little to the side. Great. And put your legs down a little bit lower for the shot and must move a human life to the scythe. So what I'm really looking for is just the curvature in the body. I love to get some close up shots for this. I generally wouldn't dio full bodies with this kind of stool because it doesn't really match the dress, so I would use more of a wire. Stoller really vintage kind of stool. So I'm going to do more upper bodies and Portrait's with her right now, so let's go ahead and move in a little bit. Good. Where does not going to go ahead and set her up for just for a Polaroid shot. So I want to do something just really soft in when school. It's going to be crops a little bit below your course. That So since she had as well in this kind of outfit, like I said, I want it really soft. I'm gonna have her hands out. Just kind of like a ballerina. Really soft fingers and put it a little bit closer to your face. Perfect. And go down a little bit on your arms. There you go. Yeah. And this is the, uh this is the land camera that we were using yesterday. Many of you probably picked one up last night and on her Facebook page. We just saw, you know, a lot of people, just like hey, look what I found in my closet. Found one. So you guys are doing your job Creative. Be fun, you know, Pick one up. It's Yeah, my last workshop. I was amazed. Half the class bought it before the second day of the workshop. So they are really liked it here. Their enthusiasm. So for this one, I wanted to be a little bit more emotions. I'm gonna have her look right over here. I want a really tall body for this. I don't want anything slumping. You always want a model that kind of looked like she has a stream going through her kind of like a puppet unless you have this one more of a lunch e kind of body, but not, but you want to make sure she's not. She's not plunging. It's more of a posed pretty one. So it's a little bit tricky sometimes of different models. Keys. Let's look a little bit away from it and tilt your head in a little bit of it when you're in a little closer. Okay, so one till three. So with this, with the MP 3000 year always have shots, I do. You have to make sure that I'm I am going consistently and getting the shots that I want with the impossible eight, so it's very limited. Go back to the front, so get a couple more with this. I'm going to go and really close to her. So I'm going to change my aperture just a little bit. I'm gonna go upto one point a and get a portrait for the portrait. Charmy, I want your hands down on your lap and I want you Just look right through the camera right over your shoulder. I like how you're sitting really straight. Perfect often prevent. Now, look, a little bit more yacht into the camera. We go up a little bit of my I s l since I changed my aperture gorgeous. And let's put your head a little bit more. And now I want you to put your hands up, Teoh and do a little more of a total. And let's put your hands a little closer to your face. Yeah, There you go. And I'm copping in a little bit more on her shoulder, but I'm not cropping out her hand. Oh, come on, Huh? Also with different angles, like a total guys yesterday and usually pretty close and heights to my model. So I go down just a little bit. I like to be right in front of them pretty much seems the same level is them. Unless I'm trying to get a really long shot. So unless they're standing up, then I'll go go down So the legs look really long. I never want to go above the model because whatever is closest to the lens is going to pair a lot larger, so I don't want it to be a distorted and manage. So please go go from down up rather than down then up, down. So it looked about will be here long time. Where does perfect And now let's come on, turn around and face me a little bit And let's put your legs a little off to the side. Um, yeah, yeah, putting filling. And I'm just a little bit gorgeous. Perfect and kind of like a broken doll. There you go. Beautiful. Make it your and dropping you down just a little bit all not by ship. It So anything you can reference to a swell as faras emotions go or opposes. So for this one I kept keep telling shining more ballerina, more whimsical, more fairy tale. Can I Do you have any questions? You know? So we've got some questions about kind of expression and whether you are intentionally going for kind of a sadder look. And if you're posing intentionally to accentuate that, help bring out that emotion like a little bit about that. Yeah, so for this I wanted to be really Ah, lot of emotion, more of a sad kind of look to tell a story. That's a good question, because if you're working depending on your client, they might like different lugs. When I work in California with model agencies, I have to get really smiley kind of look, so I usually don't. That's not really my kind of style, but I always get my looks that I want. And then I'll throw in some smiley kind of looks for a more lifestyle and commercial used, and that's what the California clients are really looking for. So it's a good question. It really depends on your client for my work. I really like more of a somber kind of move, just looking away a lot of emotion in the face. So it's more of a sad look rather than a smiley happy look to a couple more. And then I'm gonna switch back to making perfect, gorgeous permit. Let's move your legs a little bit too. This way, and dropping him. Found it a little bit since the flowers sticking out. How about putting them on your lap for a minute? Prove it and lengthen them just a little bit with your finger is perfect. And tilt your head a little to the other side and extended it. Gorgeous. Beautiful X in your neck of just a little bit. Okay, so the magic time feared the FP 2000 be used Takes 30 seconds. So, um and like she said, it can be pretty expensive. Do you only have 10 shots to take? You got to make sure use it wisely especially, you know, with the Impossible project Or, you know, films that take a while to develop. Um, yeah, Just use it wisely and check your sidings. Yeah, so with the impossible film, that's a good point. It usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes for one image to develop. So I have to make sure whenever I'm starting off to go ahead and get that image because we're going to take a while. And if I'm change, if I have six or seven looks, I have to make sure I get each look. So I do that in the beginning because it might be a way to find out if you like the shot. So getting that pose right is very important because sometimes they don't have that amount of time to switch. So, yeah, so this is the positive in the negative. So whenever I have clients with my celebrity client, okay, with my celebrity clients, I usually have about three or four hours with them, and that includes styling and hair and makeup. Very limited time. And they love Polaroid, so I have to make sure I get those in the beginning. Girls, I might be out of luck if they're to brighter, and it really depends on the lighting as well, how they're going to develop and turnout. So whenever I'm in studio, I have it on the medium setting with this Polaroid spectra. There only three setting that's medium, dark or light, so I know outdoors. I was having a own dark in because of the sunlight, but it's too bright, like I want a beach. Then they might not develop it. Also, you have to point it away from the center of Ian Shade. So with these poses, I really like the soft arms with the middle one I wanted. It was a very long, whimsical dress, so I has a model posing a little bit to the side. I wanted kind of that somber look. So I had her putting her hand on her head, just moving, moving in a little bit and shaping her body. I will, yeah, exactly the same. I know it's a little bit different with this stool here, but and the model heights a little bit. So let's go ahead and put you put one leg out over here and then the other one down, and I want you to lean your body and a lot and put up one. Let's put just one hand up and let's try fitting another one in that look, and I want you to know kind of a long gay just a little bit until your head out the look away. Look away, so that's a great point. If you had, if you had a reference you could you could recreate it. You could also make it your own and change it up just a little bit. Maybe I wouldn't put her hand right on her hit. Maybe put it on owner lap. But, I mean, if I'm inspired by oppose, I could really change that and make it work with the concept. So let me all go ahead and shoot that, you guys. Okay, so for this, I'm gonna have to get a little further, and I'm going to get a little bit of the mola in it. But I can go back later and read and take that out. I want to see both of your feet shiny. So put. See if you can put that put out a little bit. Yeah. There you go, gorgeous. Let's actually move that movie or left. And so that it's on the front pole instead. Yeah. Yeah. There you go. And just really kind of saw. There you go. Perfect near the lake. And relax your toes. Just a little bit gorgeous. Profit. Beautiful. So let's move the light. Just a little bit to the thinner. So there's not It's not dramatic. So yeah, this is the same kind of pose that I would use that we need to change my lighting a little bit, so I don't have as much shadows on so up a little higher. But I love the motion she's showing. I love that she's going in and doing something kind of similar to that post. So any time you have a reference, it's great to ask the model to re create it. And a lot of models of Lord people that you work with. We'll do it in their own way, so so they'll take their take on it instead of just directly re creating an image prevent. And like I said as well, if the dress was longer, I would love it if it was covering the stool, because the silk I feel like, kind of detracts from the image. I don't think we could do it a little bit. Sure, where does? But just having the model Look how shiny is just tilting. Looking away, looking at the ground that it just creates the mood of the shooter says It shows she's a little bit sad. Ah, little and it's a little bit more creative and whimsical. Are there any other questions right now? Take a look. Yes, way you can grab the other Mike Warrior while we're waiting my question more for Shawnee are you, but didn't help her to see the pose that are. Do you ever show your models poses that you've done before That you like that? I have done before. Before? When the first thing could you create? Yeah. Pose, like didn't help her to see it first. Or do you just want it? I normally don't like what I do is your Show them the mood of the shoot before. So I'll tell them that I want a lot of emotion and then I kind of recreated with them. But if I had a brand new model, it would be helpful. Just a habit and show it to them for me. I do have certain poses that I do all the time. I have a model looking back over their shorter I get just kind of stagnant water. They have certain ones that I I always go to. But if it's more of a creative shotting, might not want to directly recreated my image and I already have it. But But it would I think it would help Johnny. What do you think? Shoni? Yeah, she says yes, I think so. I doesn't have in life, but yeah, So I think that it does help certain models whenever there, especially their brand new might make them feel more comfortable. What do you think? So look like Go on and go on in their way. Thank you way, I guess. Um, when I first started out, I think funding like inspiration photos help me like a collection of poses that you're trying like the mood you're trying toe achieve, I think when you send the model photos, um, it kind of helps studying poses. And is that how you learned to pose? Yeah, that's how I learned up. OK, And when I first started out, I had photographer sending When I wanted to shoot with a photographer, they would send me videos as well. Like fashion films. Um, just showing, like Coco Rocha moving. Amazing. I dio, uh, like a public, not a public pain. You can have a 1,000,000 representations because he's very good. You got the bank would love to ask you a couple questions. So first of all, I think he might be interested. Start out when you are. When someone is looking to get an emotion out of you, do you find it's easier for them to just ask Show me sad, or is it act like you're a broken doll? And really, you know, do you prefer painting a story or just direct? I like I like being told an emotion because I feel that it's easier for me to think of something really so or something to get me in that in that mindset. So I think, I think being told, like, sad or like sensual or sexy or whatever we're trying to dio, I think hearing the mood helps me better. But then also, if you like, give me a scenario like when I first started, I used to have people tell me like, Oh, imagine that the camera is Johnny Depp or something. OK, do that that'll dio scenarios or like emotions help get. Get me in the mood, I think. And how about when you are physically having to do like what you're having? You jump and move. Do you find that you can just do that repeatedly? Do you prefer, like toe break, go to a different pose and then come back? Or if you're just, if it's just not coming together right away? Generally I just do it a 1,000,000 time. Think, Think doing it repeatedly. Help Rather than going back to it later, I would rather just keep jumping like question. Do you stretch before? Actually, yes, you should. And I think I don't know about everybody else in the world, but my feet always cramp all the time. So stretch your feet, ladies and gentlemen. But yeah, I think stretching helps before to definitely Don't you have a question in the audience? So just because I'm really good getting my models to do somber, Not so much getting like the happier. Yeah, see if you know. So as we're going through this and you've got a doing, like the somber Yeah, how would you How do you handle changing gears with locating and the emotion Teoh turn it into? Maybe a happier Yeah. Yeah, that's a great question. And sometimes it's easier for model to be sad, unhappy like with their faces, sometimes like agencies. I've had new models that they sent me, and they've been like, you need to work on her smile, cause sometimes not everyone has a really good smile on camera, so it's just really relaxing them and getting them into the mood. So So I had one model one time, and it was awesome because I just gave her animal poses like be a giraffe would be a monkey and like that, and it was funny and she was getting into. And so it's just making sure that they're relaxing and trying to get that out of them and some then going back into that. But you just have to change the mood. It's really important for me to have music on that. That helps a lot to it makes the model a lot more comfortable, especially when you're in studio. So maybe just changing the style of music. Thio more energetic or happier kind of music and said, Usually I have pretty in urgent, energetic music playing throughout, which is because of the posing. And I want the model to have a good mood and the ambience city night. So So I think it would just be talking with the model, changing changing situations and trying to think of something fun, fun poses that you could get them. That's a good question. Another another question for from quantum for Shawnee, is it possible to switch a mood quickly So do you have a hard time switching between moods? E. I don't know. Yeah, I think I definitely I think music helps a lot if you need to go from one mood to another. Really fascinating trouble with that, I would suggest putting on music that that just it makes the world of difference, especially when you're first starting. And then one kind of for both of you bobbing. Dallas wants to know. How much discussion do you have with a photographer in advance? And how much discussion do you have with your model before you even pull out the camera to talk about the moods? Talk about the posing. Talk about the emotion that you want to get out. Yeah, start with them for Start with me. Yeah, it really depends. I What I do is sit down my mood board. So send it to my hairstylist, a makeup artist model as well as a stylist. The water of silence. So they all conceded it in advance. But sometimes it doesn't quite make it to the model because I'm going to model agency. So a lot of times it's funny. The model show up in traffic. So what are we doing today? And even though I've spent all this time making a move board, I wanted her to study and know what you know in advance. So generally it's just when they come in, I start talking with them. I let them know a little bit about the motion that I'm looking for, the poses that I'm looking for, as well as the concept of the shoe. So it just depends. Sometimes two in New York, I do just really natural girl. So say the models just coming in and we're gonna start shooting like, pretty immediately. So I just have that time just connecting with them, letting them know a little bit what I want playing around with different expressions, like like happy faces or Smiley, or pretend that you're putting them in different scenarios in that kind of thing. So, yeah, what would you say from Yeah, I agree. I think it depends. I like I've had shoots. Like what? I'm testing with someone where we don't really have a whole lot of discussion like, Oh, let's shoot tomorrow, OK? And you just go. But then, like like a big planned out thing I've had like various email with the photographer, which is good. I think communication is very important. I think that helps. I prefer I prefer lots of communication. I think then, then just kind of on a whim. But I mean, either way, you gotta be flexible. Yeah, because recently I did Allison Wonderland inspired Shoot. So we wanted the model beforehand to really study that and watch the movie read the book, saying with I did like a Marine twin Antolin add inspired Siri's. I really wanted her to be in that that percent percent so So. I think it depends on the concept. And how do you tell that it's if it's just you want a little, a little bit of somberness or a ballerina? It doesn't take quite as much as if it's something a little more detailed and structured. No one shining. This is really, really helpful. But wait one more because this is really helpful, especially for photographers who are not used Teoh working with models and are new to working with models. So for that person, what are some of the mistakes that you've seen new photographers and make with you that when they're trying to work with you that that would be helpful for folks to know. Top 10 things, Not dio number one. I would say professionalism. Super important. Like even if they were getting along really well. Sometimes people cross the line a little bit and say things that are kind of weird and, I don't know, think professionals and was very, very important. And being on time and for everyone, everyone needs to be on time. But, um And then when you when you're looking to set up something, I think emailing is the best way to go about it. Not like, hey, come over into my house or, you know, clothing professionalism. Number one. Very important. Um, uh, I know things that make it difficult to get a good pose. OK, Um well, not not playing music. Sometimes I think music helps a lot, so I think that's very important. I think their stories generally be music. Um, that helps make the pose better. Um, let me think. Wittels food and water helps. Thank you very much. All super helpful. Thank you. Like food and water. As a photographer, you're in charge. Is the food in the water? You should you slide and has something to drink and giving her break fuel because if I had her jumping, all they that would get tiring really fast, just making sure that you're working with her, that she's comfortable and she's happy, so that that makes you shoot a lot better as well.

Class Materials

bonus material

Photoshop: Alison Action
Mentoring With Sue Bryce
Photoshop: Victoria Action
Pola Negatives
Emily Soto Posing Guide
Lara Jade Posing Guide
Lou Freeman Posing Guide
Sue Bryce Posing Guide

Ratings and Reviews

william mazdra
 

Occasionally, things fall into place, and you end up with the kind of event that we just watched. It was marvelous to see these four amazing individuals contribute their own perspectives and content and to see them interact with one another. It was honest, brilliant and a must have to view many times over. One of the best courses on Creative Live and further evidence that Creative Live is going from strength, to strength and is worth every bit of our investment and time.

a Creativelive Student
 

This was such a great 3 days! Each one of those women are so inspiring in a different way. Sue Bryce is my absolute role model and it was a great experience to get to watch and listen to her. She makes her lessons relatable and very easy to understand and remember. So many small tips and tricks that will make a big impact on how I shoot as well as how I market! Thank you Sue. I had never heard of Lara Jade and Emily Soto before this started and I can say thank you to creativeLive for the opportunity to be inspired by two other amazing women in the photography business. The unique style and confidence they displayed was great to watch. I don't shoot fashion, but I was able to take good bits and pieces from it all. I am stepping out of my box... starting today! Thanks again to each of the women and cL for putting this all together. Kristin Campbell Journey Images, Alberta, Canada

Kim Sleno
 

As a participant in the live audience, this is a fabulous course, from Sue Bryce's honesty in helping a person to look within themselves to find your own motivation, her wonderful real examples of posing women, to Lou Freeman's posing for boudoir this is a course that will help a person learn a craft and where they might want to go. I loved Lara Jade's vision of fashion and how she has arrived at such an early age. Emily Soto brings a different dimension to fashion photography that is inspiring, from her use of vintage cameras to her editing skills. This is a course for anyone wanting to learn about photographing women. I highly recommend. Thanks CreativeLive !!

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