Dynamic Posing Guide: Modern Techniques for Digital Photographers

Create a mood . Tell a story . It's all in the pose . Whether you're telling a story or selling a product, the people in your photo make the difference. The way you place their bodies crafts your message. In this book, you'll explore how the human body moves and the subtle effects that different poses can create through the lens. You'll discover how various stances showcase types and styles of clothing, how to pose your models to create a mood, and some valuable facts about lenses and lighting. You'll learn the rules, and more importantly, you'll learn when and how to break them.

About the Authors vi Dedication vii Acknowledgments viii Introduction 1 CHAPTER 1: Breaking Down the Human Figure 3 The Human Figure as a Diagram 4 Head to Toe 10 Head and Eyes 10 Shoulders 14 Torso 22 Hips and Waist 26 Hands 31 Knees 41 Feet 44 CHAPTER 2: Rules of Posing 49 Stacking 50 The T–Stance 53 Hand Placement 56 The “Sell” Stance 58 Tried–and–True Posing Rules 62 Rule 1: Make Women Appear Thin 62 Rule 2: Pose to Capture the Correct Mood of the Clothing 62 Rule 3: Show the Heel and Toe Box 63 Rule 4: Don’t Be Stagnant 64 How to Pin Clothing 68 CHAPTER 3: Seated Posing 75 Using Chairs and Stools 76 Placing the Legs and Feet 79 Placing the Arms and Hands 85 Seated Poses with a Short Dress 88 Pose 1: Correct Pose 89 Pose 2: Incorrect Pose 95 Pose 3: Correct Variation of Pose 1 97 Pose 4: Incorrect Variation of Pose 1 100 Pose 5: Correct; Open, Elongated Shot 102 CHAPTER 4: Posing on the Ground 105 Common Techniques 106 Do’s and Don’ts of Posing a Model on the Ground 109 Pose 1 109 Pose 2 112 Pose 3 113 Pose 4 115 Pose 5 116 Pose 6 116 Pose 7 118 Pose 8 118 Pose 9 118 CHAPTER 5: Camera Angles 121 Perspective Angles 122 Men 123 Women 125 Distortion Angles 129 CHAPTER 6: Equipment 135 Cameras 136 Lenses 137 Types of Lenses 137 Common Lenses Used in the Fashion Industry 139 Lighting and Lighting Kits 141 Basic Fashion Photography Equipment 147 Soft boxes 147 Beauty Dishes 148 Light Stands 150 Grip Arms 151 Weight Bags 154 Accessories 155 Photography Accessories 155 Other Accessories 158 Dressing Room Accessories 160 A Well–Stocked Camera Bag 162 The Fanny Pack 164 CHAPTER 7: Breaking the Rules 167 When to Break a Rule 170 How to Break a Rule 171 CHAPTER 8: Putting Your Poses to Work 175 Shea’s Florida Formal 176 Susan in the Red Dress 178 Shea in a Parachute Dress 181 M’Kaylee Floats 183 Paige in Bloom 185 Kung Fu Emma 187 Paige’s Las Vegas Airstream 190 INDEX 193

CRAIG STIDHAM is a professional portrait and fashion photographer whose groundbreaking images have appeared in fashion and photography magazines and on billboards nationwide. He teaches his avant-garde style in his popular workshops. JEANNE HARRIS is a freelance writer and content creation/social media professional. Her career has revolved around photography since she began producing TV commercials and fashion catalog shoots in 1993.