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Lesson Info

Posing the Couple Part 1

I know there's been talk about what you do with the bride that's, curvy or thin whatever I basically do, I give you two options, you know, I give you the curvy and did you see them or diagonal shot? You know? So if you if I have a bride that's a little bit more curvy, I'm not goingto have I'm not going to be so aggressive with my posing and have her do a curvy type thing. I'm going to do more of ah, like a long gated diagonal feel to it, all the polls is will work with anybody if it just depends on the degree of that hip popping and all that. So I would be for a person who is a little bit more curvy since they already have curves, you don't have to exaggerate it as much, and you just have to just do it slightly and they still the same principles will work, leaning forward, just shifting the weight. Everything works the same exactly, but just don't do it as aggressively for somebody who's a little bit more curvy as this somebody who thin somebody who's rail thin might be have to go a li...

ttle bit more aggressive to what accentuate that shape. And the lighting is very important for a person. Who's, maybe a little bit more heavier set because it will define their body more. And you could see that shape and dimension morsel lighting is very key on top of that. Okay, so now let's get into posing the couple. Uh, this is a long section. This is actually there's even more slides here than in the last one. So it's kind of just screen through this a bit. These air, my go to poses and what I call this one is called the modify prom pose. Anybody been to the problem? Right. Okay, so you guys are a couple. Why don't you come on up and let's pretend we're at the prom. Okay, so what is the prom style like this? Right? Ok, so I do this you go ahead. Sit down. I do this exact foes, but I just slightly modify it. And this is how I modify it, okay. If bodies are in the same direction which it is the problem, right, my body's going this way, her body's going this way. What I do is they make sure their heads are not doing the same thing to and that's what makes it cheesy when the body and the heads are doing exactly the same thing you get cheese city that's just like when you do the group shots in all the groups they're all lined up like this the groomsmen and all the brides are looking lined up like that it's like very when they're doing the exact same thing to get you so what you got to do is change it up a bit switch it up on what you do see the bodies are together but their heads are different and so what to do is the head's create a t so the one person will turn their head okay that's exactly what's happening in this post does that not look like the prom pose there what's different about it her head is turned so her head is parallel going parallel to her shoulders and it's creating the tea so you could do the prompt host but you just modify it the same thing here prom pose who's turning the head the female right so now I'm getting that tea going and what you want what really kind of makes it is to see how she's tilting her head back it creates that little triangle there and that's what you want that little space and how you get that little space is you I have to tilt her head to create that triangle there okay here's the same thing here modified prom pose here face towards the light and the reason why I love this pose is because I can feature one person and whom I featuring most of the time the bride okay and so that's why I love that this is like a go to post I love it I could just live by this all day long I mean sometimes I never do anything else but this because it allows me to feature one person and I used to be a graphic designer before I became a photographer and a graphic design you wanted to have one when you designed a page basically you had one central idea and then all those elements complimented that idea okay so when I want to be a ten k wedding photographer I am featuring mostly one person who the bride so I'm featuring her and then I'm using the groom to kind of highlight her also so that's what creates impact impact is created in your photos when you see immediately the main idea when you're confused so when you have a page and has a whole bunch of stuff in it and it's not organized you eye has no idea what to look at first it has no impact but if you do the same thing with posing if you feature one person first it creates more impact and I usually uh opposed the I have the bride as the main feature um also if you notice how many of these photos do you see of the bride and groom looking at the camera none I rarely show the bride and groom looking at the camera at the same time I do once in a while a program or whatever but my whole philosophy is this is it every bride and groom comes and they tell you oh you know I just love those photo journalistic shots where we look so natural and beautiful and whatever yeah they don't know that I pose every single one of them but I create that look and so when you don't have when the person the subject is not aware of the camera it has more of a photo journalistic feel to it and that's what they want and that's what I like it has that certain field um that the viewer is just kind of like the fly on the wall we happen to catch the scene here okay so make sure you popped the bride's hip became we'll get into demonstrating this after we go through this section will bring the bride and groom will demonstrate it but that hip the same oh yeah this is another important to remember you can't pose a couple together and you can't do it well if you can't pose one person well okay, you need to be a master at posing one person well in order to do have couples posed well because you can't put two mediocre things together and make it great there's no way so if you look at your couple posing and you're not happy with it it doesn't move you you don't feel something about it it's because probably you haven't mastered posing one person right? And so when you compose one person right then you can add another element and it's still going to look beautiful but if you get too mediocre things together to mediocre doesn't make amazing and so that's very important to just start with one person I can live by this post and so basically she's leaning in he's leaning this way ok it's the problem style but she turns her head she's featured I could just live with this she can look at me right? I can change the emotion they can both look at me they can both look off that way we could both look over there um I can shoot it wide and you can see look it there's one polls right? But basically it's wide right and I can alter it I could go in close I could do something like that um so you can get a ride then I can have her open her eyes so I can have a variety of things I can live off this sometimes I don't even do anything other than this post because I only got one minute I got one minute I know this works on I know that the brightest featured first with it so I start off with this pose is very easy to do and we'll kind of get into it uh after I get through this section so there it is again where I am what pulls the bride is that she was alone then throw the dude in ok that's been my philosophy that has gotten me very far once I realized that philosophy I started to make more money a lot more money okay? Because in general whose wedding I mean the wedding is planned by who write like the bride is all into eddie's I'll give you an example of this I'm driving my daughter to school she's five years old she says daddy I have a problem oh really honey what is it what is it she tells me I'm not sure who I'm gonna marry yet she's five years old ok girls have been thinking about their wedding day since they were very very young when do you come across a guy and he's like right uh yeah I've been thinking about what I've waited a long time ever since I was ten of whatever right holy cow it's completely different and so when I when it comes to weddings it's like the woman she is fully invested in I mean she loves it she's planning the details and the invitations and all that kind of stuff she is totally engrossed in that wedding day and so to me weddings a lot of it was featuring her. Of course I'm gonna have pictures of the groom and all that kind of stuff too. But in general it's all about her now let's, do something different. This I did descending different. I'm featuring the guy but it's the same. Do you notice his polls? What I'm doing is it looked eerily familiar to that same polls we were talking about. Okay, change its expression, throw her and it's the same thing. You can do this too, so you could do both so you could feature the guy you could feature the girl um uh with the same post. Okay, do you have? But that has more impact to me when I see one person versus what I call equal billing equal billing is you're making the bride and the groom equally important and the and the viewer does not know what toe look at first it doesn't quite to me have much impact. So if I hadn't just the bride facing each other and looking at each other like that and really there's no beauty of the bride being accentuated, um doesn't have impact to me. I need to know what it's just like when I did was in graphic design what's the idea here if you're going to do the groom find an accent if you're gonna do the bride that's fine, you can also have those together shots too and some of you can't do all like this you could do some equal billing ones and if course you don't do the holy hands looking out or whatever looking back of course, but really this is the meat and potatoes that I really like that I really feel get you to that next level because there takes a lot of skill involved with this it's not easy that's why a lot of people don't even do it because I don't want to bother with it because I tried it looks terrible it's better if I just have them naturally do something okay, there it is again um we're in uh brooklyn there I can feature her sees the beauty here you can also do it laying down the same isn't this a pram post its exact same thing his but his body is going this way her body is going that way but they're on the bed noses towards the light get this nice shadow here I'm coming in here I'm featuring her she's not looking at the camera I could shoot like this and then I can tell her to look back at me and then another thing that you've got to remember is that you've got to try to not mess up the groom's profile and hide it so tried I mean, I'm looking at a long my pictures I don't like him now is like I think grooms profile was too squished into her face or or kind of covered by their hair so oh, shoot I said he is important to okay on dh try to creep his profile in the face then you can see it great for couples that are the same height you can do the same thing it's the prom poles but they're sitting down her head is changed turned his is not and she if they're the same height you can scoot her booty down a bit and get her lower and different heights create a more pleasing picture. Why? Because ah height different heights will organize your brain onto what to look at first if you if if something is at the same height you don't know let's look at first, whereas if it's different heights it's forcing your mind to choose, are you going to look at the lower one? Or you're gonna look at the higher one? Okay, but if they're at the same level so tried to if you can create different heights the problem you know, not a problem, but a lot of times if they are the same height or if the bride is taller than the room, well, well, I can't guess it's different heights but then you can't it's a little bit different that way because usually the taller person has a more masculine pose. Okay, same thing prom pose instead of her looking that way, I just had him both looking this way because of the light was going that way and her arm is going up. She has a lean see how she's leaning it's it's so it's a subtle thing. It takes a lot of effort to get somebody to actually lean like that, but on camera you hardly notice the difference. But would you look at your photos? Those subtleties? That's, the world class photographer knows those subtleties and they can see it right away and what happens is your client's sometimes can't, but they look at your overall photos and they got there's something about that photographer that I like I don't know what it is, but I just like his photos, they can't describe it, but once they start looking at your work and they're serious about to go over and over and they're thinking about hiring you, so they've been to the website ten times, it will make a difference. It will same thing here, uh, right, prom pose, but she's kind of looking forward, and I have him looking this way, okay? Now in this particular case I'm sorry that these photos are kind of I think I adjusted diminish in just so they like pasta rise but anyways she was taller than he was okay if you kind of look at how long her legs are right you can kind of tell if she stands up she's going to be taller than him right and so what was great about her I loved her she was taller than him but she went ahead anyway since I'm wearing these darn heels that are three inches tall and she's like doing with it right and so what did I do in this case I got it's the prom pose but it's sitting down faces towards the light right that's the six same thing face to face okay, so let's do that let's let's let's go back and do that now this is face to face but we just did so let's coming this demonstration of the prom post here uh so hannah so what we're gonna have you do is you're simply gonna lean this way and look over this way okay? So I want her maybe if we move over here outside of the screen with that is that better? Okay, so you're going to come in would stand right here hanna and you're just goingto lean that way right? And then you're going to look this site okay or look out over here and then so you're going to come in here you gonna put your feet under here like this and you're going to lean in this way but you're going to be right here looking at her so you're gonna put all your weight on that left let and but you're gonna look back at her right? And so now his face is generally forward and her face is a diagonal and I can close him off a little bit more can you accentuate that lean a little bit more this way, joe this way. Yeah, okay. And then you're gonna come back right here she's gonna turn this way and you can actually put your forehead right where her your chin where her forehead is can you do that can come in closer a little bit it's hard because they're actually not married and I know how comfortable have meals and they're not very but anyways okay and so he's kind of kind of put your head down and it looked towards that way good and look down this way don't look at me so you see what I do because I have their eyes cross each other when their eyes when their heads are close together they can't look at each other because it looks not natural, so if you could tilt your head this way because her hair is kind of in your way so I don't want to miss this well I like that right there so that I've got a profile there she's turned this way now I can have her look past my ear here hannah can you look past year right can you move in a little bit closer there? Uh yeah your hip this way yet good turn your face this way look a bit but look past my ear here so I can see her I could focus on her and I have him but I can live all day on this post it works every single time it's simple and you could you know and so what happens is now try to look at each other it looks very uncomfortable right so when you get the heads that close they can't be looking at each other because they would have to actually be apart this much in order for them now you could now let's try looking at each other what you could do is accept what stay there you're going to do that same post and it's almost like you're dipping her so you put your arm around her waist and you're gonna put your uh okay so you're going like this I want you to have be more of a stronger base behind you like you're goingto support her and you're going to turn more this way the other way towards each other right there put that hip in now look at each other I see that you've got the distance you could do that so it's insane okay but you can also look this way now you look at her and look past my ear right? I could shoot that right there with this arm out slightly to show that shape I could give him the hero pose like this I could shoot in tight I could have her look down this way close your eyes close your eyes kind of touch your nose to her forehead just whatever's closest to that you could get out get out move your head this way because this hair is kind of going into his those close your eyes so you bring him out here I don't want to ruin his profile there it is like so if he turns his head this way a bit then I can see his profile there like that and so what I do is if I want them their heads to touch I don't make them kiss right now because they would be straining because there's too much distance there so his nose is closest to her forehead so I try to get it right they're of course they're not married so it's a little bit difficult and I move into there so whatever's closest like depending on the height difference right if the foreheads there kiss the forehead if whatever it's the nose or whatever I try to just work with whatever's there okay, so thanks very much so that is the pro any questions on that we can still maybe have them here if they have any any questions on the prom coast I'm going to do it to you too. You guys are married let's go okay who want anybody want to pose them who's scared out of their mind I've never even done this before and wants to try you know what take off your jacket sorry who wants to who wants to step up and take it for the team you want try it and if you're scared I like that because we're gonna work through everything for you. Okay, so come on up uh you could go a little easy on them. Okay? So just stand like yeah you're together like you're going to do a shot like that. Okay, okay if I listen to you correctly we should start posing with her first and then bring him greater okay first so we're going to get to stand over here please I'm gonna stand over here on duh you can pick any him it doesn't really matter which one you are comfortable with is there you go on duh. You come okay over he's not there okay sees put putting her hip out but to me she haven't sold me yet oh, you wanted more yeah, because that just looks way you need to tell me so pushed him a little bit more there you go teo goes elwood yes that's cute okay, go back to normal they have just slightly do your him that's what a normal person that will do for you they don't understand it needs to be exact gold more exaggerate that's what it needs to be that's the difference was it would be so successful because you're going no, you gotta sell it more, okay, now we're doing like the curb, so look off that way right perfect there cs and then we're gonna bring the sheikh later needs together a little bit more too if she wants decide behind her behind our more and you're gonna hold on her but don't cover her like that when you're going to be looking down here and you're gonna be looking for her okay that's good, but you didn't really even close him. Okay, so what I'm gonna do is pose him, okay, take your hands away, okay? And so I'm going to show him what to do so he's going to see me so right so I got to tell him to do the same thing right? Leaning in this way. All right? And then I'm here like that's, so cool, okay, yeah, right, good he's selling it okay and look towards her right and get a little bit closer no, with your body's. Okay, but I got to see some distance between well, now, don't be afraid to put your hips together, man. You gotta have the hips together. That's another thing, okay, turned this way that way. Right on and then right in there. Right? So she you could do this, but she could come back. This is what I like when he's she's back here, I gotta create some sort of connection between them, right? And so, like, I like that a lot, right? And I give him a hand, right? Perfect. Dads the prom pose. Thank you guys. See how easy that that wasn't that difficult, right, but that I like what you did. You started with her first, and the only thing that you didn't quite do was him. You just had you just well, you literally took what I said just throw him in a way I kind of have to mold him a little bit too, but very good. Yes, the one thing that changed the energy in this was that there was an audience here watching. Do you usually try to do this in an isolated environment? Oh, good question. Ah, lot of times they'll get nervous with the bridal party around, and sometimes I'll tell the bart bart, a party to go because they're making jokes and doing this and they're like uh right and so a lot of times if there I will tell them I like to just have the bride and the groom because they can't get intimate and close their eyes and all that kind of stuff okay, okay, so let's get going any questions on that? Okay, so let's go to face the face okay, so when now they're back to back what do you do when they're face to face and so what you do here uh it's the same thing they send them back back you just gotta create a tea with their heads so if you look at him her head is turned right it's the same thing here and the key to this is c this uh t that were forming with their heads so their bodies they're kind of like together parallel but their heads are perpendicular and that's what crate makes it interesting. Okay, now the thing you don't I can see the profile his face I didn't cover it up I can see her face is that correct? And what really kind of makes this work here too is, um that head tilt for her because that had till is going to create the space there that little triangle in there you need that space the worst pose that you can have a couple of do his two sticks together okay you need to create that space by tilting the hell let me show you how powerful this is I am going to pretend to be the bride which is nothing new but I'm going to pretend that that wall is my groom okay so let's come on over here if we can do this so here's my groom right and I'm the wall and high cheesy right that's right but now if I'm here and I'm here like this that's triangle that's here creates that space like a look down here this could be your best friend sometimes that's all you have sometimes so you can make of all of good then you're doing pretty good but it's that little space that you've got a crate in there so just don't press two people together to create that space you gotta bend that head to create that little triangle in there okay even even light or directed light towards the groom's nose this time actually in this particular case okay so there it is again do you see the space there that triangle in between them and see how his head is leaning forward there and when important thing to do with this pose this look at how he's posing okay is his weight on both feet it's on one foot going forward like this okay he's selling agent when you okay so it's there's a certain kind of energy if you lean towards each other okay, I'm just standing here you feel zero energy, but if I actually lean towards you, get you a little bit excited doesn't know you that energy is being transferred just buy that lean forward, so I have him leaning forward, right? She's actually, they're kind of back, but but I still have that space in there and they're face to face her head is turned to the side. They're not looking each other so when her head is turned to the side who's being featured here the bride I've got impact when you look at this photo, who do you look at first? Bride immediately it tells it conveys what I'm trying to convey bam immediately and so and that's that's that little space turning that had even though their bodies are together, one turns the head and it and it creates a nice look to it. And I'm featuring one person on ly hips together that triangle heads tilted to create space need to tilt the head to create the space weight on one leg in this particular pose when I'm doing a face to face it's almost like I'm making the man the statue, the wall and you know how I kind of cuddled against that wall. I want that man to feel that way like I I am the one here I am the foundation I am the pillar of life and you're gonna lean on me and I'm gonna lead you through life I know it sounds cheesy but that's romance right that's the romantic feel the man is strong luminous somewhere right in my case my wife I did everything for the first twelve years because she supported us all the way so she did all the leading but anyway well she probably does all the leading now anyways but uh it's strong right I am the rock I am a pillar woman oh hug me and kiss me and hold me you know that that's what I'm trying to I want complete opposites that's the key to posing is the complete opposite and it must be reflected on the way you pose somebody it look at your photos when you go back home and how you post couples together do you feel that immediate I'm strong I'm this and she's this then you're doing something right but if you can't really tell woman isn't being a woman and a man isn't being a man then you can do better okay here it is again different angle who are they looking at here they're not looking at me they're looking past my ear right I could do one shot where they're looking at me but I take the shots that I like that I have a feel to it because you know what, when they're the kind of looking at away, I get that photo journalistic feel to it, um and it doesn't, you know, if you had a huge portrait on the wall and everybody was looking at the camera looking, don't you feel weird, like, different? Go to those never go to those houses, and they have the huge family photos right in their face is big, and then they're looking at the camera you feel like, whoa, wow, right, you kind of feel like this, but when they're doing this, you can make that I could make by could blow up this picture, I could put it right on this wall, you'd feel comfortable looking at it because it's not directly in your face so you can sell larger photos when it has this mohr type of photo journalistic feel to it, and and you can do artistic things to it when it's that way, like I used to do a lot of these things, adding textures, I always had a texture when they're not looking at the camera because I wanted war fine art, okay, when the couple doesn't have to look into camera photographer gains more freedom, I can go to different angles and things like that, okay? These are, they're not actually a couple, but I was doing a workshop, and I didn't have any guy in a girl's hair let's, hear a get together at what's. Great about this photo is that this was the first time that they met each other at this workshop, and we took a cruise aa to cozumel, mexico. We started in florida. We had a great time. But what I love about this photo was they became really, really good friends during this workshop, and they were, like, has been a wife because they were inseparable. So this is actually photo means a lot to me. But this is the same type of thing there face to face, noticed that head bent there, right, creating that triangle there.