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Shoot: Large or Small Chin

Lesson 20 from: Photographing Challenging Features

Lindsay Adler

Shoot: Large or Small Chin

Lesson 20 from: Photographing Challenging Features

Lindsay Adler

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Lesson Info

20. Shoot: Large or Small Chin

Lesson Info

Shoot: Large or Small Chin

I only have this as one slide. Even though it's two people but the reason is, is you just do the opposite. So it's like I don't, you do the opposite. So let's talk about someone with a large chin or a jaw. Going through the pose. So avoid, someone who has a large chin or jaw, chin up. Or avoid the low camera angle. 'Cause it brings it closest to camera. Okay, switching brains. Okay, switch over to small chin. Small chin you avoid chin down. Small chin you avoid camera up. 'Cause then it's further, right? So this is why we only have one slide. They're just opposites of one another. Next one, with lens choice, probably a longer lens. And in this case my subject is, in this case if I get down, you know, maybe the angle's a little bit lower and I use a wider angle lens, it's just gonna exaggerate it, so I want that longer lens usually. The next thing would be lighting. If somebody has a really broad jaw you wanna avoid too much light to it or too much attention to it so filling in too much...

. Maybe a little bit of shadow is good. Depends on the person. And the retouching, you can liquefy it, but it's their jaw. Like I would do it in camera. You're gonna be able to tell if you try to fix it in post. So, if you wanted to just a little bit, but I'd be careful. So, I'm gonna bring you out, if you'd come out here. Let me check, Douglas, right? Doug? Hi. Hi Doug. How are you? Will you come take a seat for me. Perfect. Okay now I will say, (laughing) I will say again I was looking at his photo and was like, I'm like is his chin big? Like, you know, but then when you look at people in person you don't see things, right? So it's something that he thinks about, like I said. What I'm looking at here is, when he, can you sit up real straight? When he actually sat down, I don't know if you noticed this too, he actually naturally lifted his chin up. Doing that, chin closer to camera actually makes, will make it look larger. So let me, where's my other lens, oh it's right in front of me. (chuckles) Hi. Okay, so here's our no-nos. Ready? So, chin up just a little. This is his like natural kinda hangin' out there. Then, 'kay? Slightly wider angle. We're gonna go, let's see, we'll just go 70. Still not super wide, but a little bit wider and lower camera angle so... (camera clicking) And then we're gonna even go to like 105 here. See? Alright, so looks a little bit bigger. Like I said, he's still, it's like, nothing crazy. 'Kay. So now I'm gonna switch over to my longer lens and I'm gonna have you stick your chin out and down. Great, perfect, just like that. Can you lower the light a little bit? When he does that it lost a little bit of light in his eyes. Great, chin up just a teeny bit. Right there. Okay. It's interesting 'cause it kinda, like it's just different face shapes. So it kinda depends on what face shape for him. 'Cause I'm looking at it and it's like neither looks particularly large. It's more face shape, so find this interesting, an interesting exercise for him 'cause I'm trying to figure out what balance I like. So let me just get a little bit higher. Good and chin up just a little. Great. (camera clicking) And give me one more smile. Good, perfect. Okay. How'd we do? (laughing) You look real intense, it's good. Aw see, look how cute. Adorable. Okay one more and chin down just a little. And you can still smile. Good. (camera clicking) Alright, good, so let me just try one and see how it looks with him with a reflector and then we'll move on and just see for analyzing him. It's fine. One thing that might be counterintuitive is shadow underneath could make it look bigger or smaller. Does that make sense? 'Cause if there's more shadow it could actually draw more contrast if the chin was really large so it would draw more contrast in so it might actually draw less attention to fill it in, so let's just try one more. Good. (camera clicking) Ugh, blank. Great. Yeah, this one's all good. (laughing) Let's see. I think I like the fill. It cuts from the edge so it's not saying here's where the chin edge is compared to the neck. Just softens that a little bit so you can't see the edges as much. Yeah, I like that. Looks good. Okay, so we're just gonna switch into small chin mode so that was it. Thank you so much. (audience clapping) Thank you. Pepper? Yes. Hi. Hello. How are you? Good, how are you doing? Good, great. Come take a seat here. Okay so going the other side of the coin, you can lower that. You can lower that a little. He's just really tall. It's on the other side (audience laughing) There you go. Okay so for somebody that has a smaller chin, you just go the opposite direction. So you don't want to get up higher 'cause it'll look smaller. But you also don't want them to stick their chin down too much 'cause the way from camera, so it's just the other side of the coin. So let's take a look here. Can you bring it just a little closer to her? Great, alright so let's do less good first. Alright so I'm gonna shoot at 70, 80 something like that. Little higher. And then chin down. Little less, like right there, good. (camera clicking) Okay. Can you center it more 'cause there's a little bit, the shadow's obscuring. Can you bring it this way for me? And then can you rotate your body back towards me? Right there, good. Little bit more, you're good. Okay and chin back down for me. Great. (camera clicking) Okay, oh, blank hold on. Good, alright next one. Blinking and next one. Okay so chin looks a little bit smaller. Can you give me fill underneath? Yeah. So most of the attention is to the top of her head. Everything tapers off. (camera clicking) Okay, so... This is the I don't like. Like it's not bad, it's just not the best. So it's because I'm high and her chin's down. So I'm gonna step down off my little thing and then little lower, John. (camera clicking) Good, alright hold on. This'll be better, okay. I'm gonna do no fill for a second. And I'm gonna use a slightly longer lens and I'm gonna just be a little lower. And chin up just a little. Good, wait, this made a huge difference. I'm gonna show you this difference. Chin down, okay, ready? Little bit lower, okay, right there. And now bring your chin up. (mumbles) little more. (camera clicking) Yeah this made a big difference for me. So here's with her chin down and then you, like this is minute difference. Like a really, like a minute change, but it makes everything look a little bit more proportional on the lower part of the face. So it depends. In these before her eyes look bigger, right? Because I have it at a higher angle, but the lower part of her face, I mean if you look at this, to our camera it's not reality. Look how small this is, right? To our camera that small whereas in this shot, much more even. I'm gonna put those both up and then that wraps up this segment. So, Kenna, let me put those up on the screen and then you can let me know anything else. Awesome. Alright, good, okay, great. Quick question for you. Yes. And that is from Delta Dave who says, "When would you use depth of field "to control the facial features?" Since this whole segment has been about the face. Sure. I don't typically use that as a control. I've used that as a control for body. John do you ever use depth of field for face. Not really. No, no I don't really use it for face. I mean sometimes it would just be if there's maybe it would be soften the sides of the face for a rounder face. I don't really use it.

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Ratings and Reviews

Sharma Shari
 

This class was amazing! It was great seeing a demo class with real people. As a wedding photographer that specializes in offbeat/non traditional couples, it is always good to see how I can enhance all my clients beautiful features, and make them feel their best and confident when I am taking their photos!

a Creativelive Student
 

I was so excited to get the chance to learn from Lindsay live, and this course did not disappoint! The techniques she shared were insightful and straightforward. I felt like seeing them on different subjects throughout the day really helped to cement the concepts and grow my photography tools to bring out the best in those I'm photographing. I'm not a studio photographer, but the ideas apply in natural light as well.

maria manolaros
 

Great class! Impressive amount of tips on posing, lighting and photoshop techniques , a real good no nonsense approach by superb teacher. Numerous amounts of thumbs ups

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