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How to Fix a Pose

Lesson 7 from: Wedding Photography Problems and Solutions

Roberto Valenzuela

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Lesson Info

7. How to Fix a Pose

Lesson Info

How to Fix a Pose

Let's start with a dumb mester post let's pretend we don't know what we're doing we're freaking out we don't know what's going on okay go ahead and get up for me let's bring this chair over here let me see take a seat on the just using that stuff in the room right? This is not something I brought I'm just using it go ahead and put your gun and sit right there in this. All right? Let's let's start working on this let's fix it quickly. Okay? The first thing I'm gonna tell you right now is that from the angle off that direction you have symmetry here on the on the fireplace, right? You have symmetry so I'm gonna grab the camera, go in and slouch or back the way everything wrong do everything wrong. I just want to show to the people watching on the internet how easy posting really is not complicated twenty one points five lighting things to keep track off that's it all right, I'm okay let's do something kind of interesting she's sitting down there symmetry there it goes there symmetry, sym...

metry strong so let's play with that symmetry again go ahead and put your arms I don't know growing up with your arms this lower the angle of one of them only one of them good bring the other let's see bring that right hand across your left eye right there keep your spinal cord super straight right there soft in the fingers of your right hand I concede tension beautiful the lighting is terrible we're going to fix this lighting is a total mess so I'm gonna graham two of these suckers and we're gonna put him together can you help me under quick put on put one but lay one right behind her just lay it their vertical rested on the chair but the other one by her face break it please just let's break the light just getting that's good let's go beautiful that's going to give her you can see the light coming through her elbow relax theo beautiful relax your whole body will keep your spinal cord straight good breathe in breathe out okay I see your problem we're going to fix the problem by simply driving this and I'm gonna make this more relaxed by having her rest her back against that make sense then I'm gonna put this right there let's put the light on her ok bring your chin up reach into the right to the towards the light keep your eye stores me so look what I did guys triple triple check collarbones are towards that direction chin is in that direction eyes are in my direction spinal cord straighter chained away eyes this way bring the light higher so he hides the nose did you see that no shadow disappear bring the light closer to her so I can get a softer shadow stopped too close little level look at the shadow guess I'm just looking at the shadow in her face making vertical so I can get rid of the shadow better beautiful missy bring that light and bring it across a little bit no letter no closer around her either way stop now look at the camera my children gonna change my lens to worth thirty five millimeter letme explain why the symmetry of all of this is way beautiful so why not take advantage of it if I want to take a picture of just her close up it would've been cool but the reason why we're posing her this ways because of the cool symmetry were taking advantage of it. Okay, so thirty five millimetre I'm gonna go to point oh aperture move away by a split second on the lighter you go that's it that's it breathing went two three close your eyes chin down. Uh check something real quick. We have heard her face is late beautifully just like the background had I not done these lights had I not done that if we turn those lights off and we turn down enough to wave back I'm not done that this is what you get you can't through the if you look at picture number, number something look at the ratio forget deliciously picture fifty to zero for you even see her right away no what about fifty two zero three this is what I mean why we gotta take the extra step the extra step and make sure that their face is spreading to the rest of their body okay didn't take long to get it done you know so all right good good. Thank you. Let me get you get you up from there. Let's move this couch over here. Conway it's moving right here in the middle right here in the very middle of this. Take a seat. Go and take a seat right there yeah. Move about one inch this way stop bring your arms in the back of the chair to rest your body to give the hand something to dio spread your elbow sauce so I can see the god from between your elbows bring your chin towards me when your chin up a little more all right, this is how we do. Oh, brad oh portrait's quickly efficient. I put the couch in the middle because that blue is going to give her a beautiful contrast with her white dress in her skin. Okay, gonna put my eighty five millimeter here when I have a message one for my eighty five millimeter or you can use your macro or you're seventy two, two hundred for this andi I need toe adjust the light so she's brighter than everything else he the little details so can somebody call this up right here well um julia oh there she is chicken chicken ointment I'm going to throw this quick reflector just on the ground so it avoids any kind of fun funny shadows happening because of the light being at that closeness okay put the light right over here so okay we see here chin up stay right there don't even worry about your eyes I'm not even photographing them relax the right elbow get closer to her lips no bring the other l to your left elbow bring it out right there and one two you mean the one morning chin up a little turn your lips to the left or the right they're right there stop one two three take a look at for a number fifty two zero six it's a cool little detail for the top of her dress her hair and her makeup her eyes her lips her nose shouldn't be showing their um so I should have corrupted down just a tad more but that looks quite cool I'll do it again real quick without without the no showing no bring that hand goes into your body mean that alba farther away from your body this way yeah more out relax the whole arm bring that hand closer to me so it's like this turn it towards me good night debbie ringel in the handless fix it so put it down them relax it good perfect gina you know for one more on dh that's nice missy when I do one more here let me show you this guy's real quick and then we'll continue why am I doing this kind of picture? Do you think that is its late beautifully that you can see the white with a blue really nice right? Picture number fifty two zero seven it's got a cool look to it does it have to be showing her entire face and everything every single time? Why not throw a little angle that's? Not quite the obvious. I always tell people people told me like especially in latin america like, well, you're not showing the face it's really weird it's okay, I'll show their face twenty thousand other times you know let's do this picture that's a little detail on the right or on the left? It will be beautiful when you consider the pictures have been taking off her with her dress there and sitting there with that what she was in silhouette or the photo that I took of her by this couch or whatever I've been doing at all of that together put this little detail picture number fifty to zero seven animation look like you have an eye for detail because this tells the viewer I'm trying to show you her lips I'm going to show you her hearing I'm going to show you her beautiful detail in her dress I'm not trying to distract you with everything I'm not going to sit there and go like this I'm not going to sit there and be like all right I'm good here we go I'm awesome this's not exciting for anybody this is really interesting. Okay, so this is shows everything um let's see can you come over here for me for a second? Wei have too little pictures here. Come over here now forget come over here. Can we move this table out of the way, please? Can you rest your back against that all the way all the way so turned this way yet beautiful grab your dress pick it up bring your chin up let's bring a video light let's put it over that over her head or unless you actually do to the lights there's another one where is the other? No thanks. Another isolate here we go way. All right, let's see, julian I'm gonna move you back a little. Come over here. Maybe you'll enter from over that time because I'm going to use this angle when I move these chairs out of the way see, I told you furniture movers, furniture movers yeah, there isn't what I'm doing this it's because I have a photo and I'm liking it but when you're photographing a bride it's okay for you to take another second to take a quick look at the room and see if you can do something cooler nicer we're creative on right now um uh come in quick sack I'm gonna take another second here come closer closer turn around face the window bring your face towards the window arch your back I wanna put my eighty five again yeah turn your face towards the door is the right there's a left? Okay, let's get the light really close to her more closer closer closer like inches away inches away bring your chin up when I tell you close your eyes and breathe in pretty one two three okay let's bring the lights just a tired away from her one gin up one, two, three okay let's shoot! Show his picture of quick thank you and action stay right. There was only one more quick. Okay, guys picture number fifty two eleven just take a look quickly here so you have a little bit off something kind of fun, right? You see, you can see it there actually too. Can you see a little bit off a little bit off the reflection and the what's the mistake I made on that the shadow on her nose unlike that broke one of the five rules I made right so what could we have done to fix that that's it it was a simple is telling julia to move four inches to the right and that I would have taken would've been taken that would have been removed completely so let's do it again quickly okay let's see all right let's see who bring the light closer when your chin to the left ring your eyes up eyes up higher put one hand higher than the other over your chest let me try something in them look to your left more to your doctors your left shoulder little last britain kept a chin oh, here you go right there now let's see julia bring the light up a little more and closer to her nose a little further back further back that way right there right there now we have zero problems chin down a bit okay thank you. Go on and take a look at that one that shows up on the screen. Which one do you guys like better isn't it beautiful? Okay that's a lot better that picture on the right it's a heck of a lot better so that it goes to show you how the left photo I made a clear miss take right no problem but way fix that easily so it's not an issue at all the four on the right makes people want to buy your photography the picture on the left just looks it's okay just creative that's having on the couch again I'm gonna have uh associate I'm gonna have your post okay yeah actually cecilia I don't even want you to come close to thinking that you're nervous just roll okay do it I'm gonna have you I want to give you a big challenge when I have her lay down and you're going to fix the whole thing laid down their drop like don't even help her practically not to syria there's a spot there's a spot off son before you say them let me show the camera is a spot of sun right there you see that that's your problem okay you have to fix that and you have refused reflectors the few sirs you have everything you have but let's fix that ok ok go ahead lay down but have her tell you what the which direction to lay down and everything and go ahead and laid out like that um fine I'll just put this on fix the post first and uh let me go ahead and ask you uh put your feet down yeah I'm gonna ask you just said that I set up a little bit uh go ahead and move good to the back there go and then you want her lead down right I do go ahead and go back down theo way quickly okay and then I would you know what's happened anyone I don't know what you're trying to post. Visualize it. Okay? I know where life who cares? Relax, visualize the post in your head. Just visualize it for a second kind of see where things are and then put the put her in there that's better than starting from scratch. Don't start with zero. Start with at least a visual, a visual foundation and then make your micro adjustments afterwards. Okay? She's totally not helping you right now. No. So, actually, I'm gonna move you to this site because the light is hitting her face and that's kind of create a problem. I want to think this, remember, you have reflectors, diffusers, lights to help you with. Okay? That's perfect. Um go ahead and have the sun, right? I like the gap. Just drop it. Um, I know that you said that the forty five angle degree he looks kind of strong, but that's what I'm going for that's actually good it's fine. Because her elbows resting on something right as long as the elbows resting on something that ninety degree is more acceptable on dh you can keep the strength if that's what you're going for this beautiful so good job. You know, I want that, but I also want, like, a soft and in the face, so I'm gonna have a look to the floor right here uh well just chicken they look at me while you do it I just need to know you already stopped in the body by the collar bones not being towards you so do you want everything soft or do you want some part of her to be strong this looks like a strong like a clear clear poetry are kind of looking thing yeah so you already have a soft body try to make the face stronger now so I would say chin and ice towards the camera so go ahead and and come over here look at me and then just a light here so if you want your refusal here you want a light here's your they can help you with that yeah like uh what about the spot on her dress you want to get out the fuse in right yes but if you could just uh really here on face a little bit more problems here grab one of these suckers pull it out and simply put you where you need to defuse the light you want to make the face brighter than her body which is so julius doing but she's too close to the camp is too close to your photo so grab your I'm gonna grab the camera here I'm gonna put this right there that's gonna block the light okay oh actually I need the background to show so we're gonna put it on somebody help me maybe yeah thanks everyone just kind of holding here blocked that block that light coming through and I'll tell you what, position it okay? Are you happy with this post? Um I think you're forcing your hand a little bit too much so if you just drop it yeah trumpet a little there you go. High five high five um he's one hind higher than the other yes. It's her spinal cord as straight as possible it looks radius straining a little more know drop a little perfect. Good. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in. She even comes up a little more when she breathes in. Okay, now let's, go ahead and photograph for so let's see how it looks? This is your oppose, okay? Understand? Take the picture. You are I can tell you right now. All twenty one points are kind of happening right now. Okay? Her face is lighter, lighter than is brighter than the rest of the body. So excuse me, all right? To see who would actually go to the bed and shooting from here. All right, david, this maybe kind of, uh interesting for you because we have to I'm gonna shoot the whole no, you see, you see here let's drop bringing more toe that way more that way, drop this, get rid of it I was gonna take a quick picture but I can't take the symmetry anymore because that's in the shot so I'm gonna make it a symmetrical look straight at the camera your spinal cord went out a little bit just move a little bit to the right okay bring your chin that way I store is me much likes your one two three beautiful stay right there you just look at what david's doing right there what do you see it's blocking the light no look at the cool look at the cool silhouette this I'm going on so go ahead and come over here for a second you're like lipstick or something do you have any can you give her a quick stand behind it's time behind the window on the diffuser is in between so it's okay that you could drop it drop it let her stand right they're going to stand like sit down or something silhouette bring this around okay julia I'm sorry uh move to the right now they don't more so I can see your silhouette yeah, I just saw the sun is right there so get closer now let's take a look at it again bring all come over here more stop let's move this out of the way furniture movers furniture, furniture movers can I have another? Maybe actually can you come over here for a sec? Let's get out of this we're gonna put this little this little guy's we're gonna put it here to decorate her face with it see what I'm saying I say actually go ahead and move those to decorate move closer no back now you see me in your body towards the diffuser chin down put your lipstick on turn your face towards the left a little right there a little more right there down, up move your body about an inch back stop with that crap those little turtles on go higher conclude get closer to her closer stop no! No actually let's bring your backs a ce far as high as possible your backs to strain your back chain that way don't move your chair at all let me see your neckline there you go. Check into the right put on the lipstick chin to the left a little more more stop actually grabbed that thing and pull it out a little bit that way ok, let me see let me just grab this. Yeah, you know let's try that your suggestion to score a little closer drop it down a little composer shot chin up, up, up up your lipstick closer ten men to the right to the left I'm sorry closer lift the closer okay, you see and there you go, how does that look pretty cool, right, interesting yeah, I mean, combined, all the photos have been taken today. You're starting to get a pretty cool getting ready and bred a portrait section. Okay, now, quickly, quickly. By the way, let me explain something. This is reacting to what we saw, right? We saw were putting the diffuser. We reacted to it, and now we have this entire cool thing. Bless you there isn't I asked for the lipstick is so there's a reason for her to be there without a lipstick? You're not adding a photo journalistic feel toe a portrait if she would've just been sitting there without the lipstick, it just would've been like this static something if you're watching online, remember to try to add a hint off natural nous off photojournalism to your beautiful portrait used the tools around you to create fortress like this because they're quite interesting. Picture number fifty to one four it's what's going to sell you show a bride this no one's gonna be like you are not worth it. That is just not gonna work urine. So, um, I want to talk about beauty shots, real quick beauty shot shows you do for the person who's in charge of the makeup and the hair they always want. Pictures for them on women go to them and they listen to them like they're another god or something because they are the beauty queens if you can get yourself in good graces with those people you are going to be doing a lot better than you think on a lot of times we take this beautiful portrait of her with the landscape and the curtains and all this stuff but we forget to just concentrate on the face and just take beautiful photos of the face so um I'm gonna have you two stay right there turn your chin towards me wait we have limited time so where's my refuse er okay this is gonna be a clear background but I'm using that sun coming from that window to light her up so let me see where's my other diffuser this was my very strong pull another one out hey where's the other one that I had here and another one yeah that one can you get a little closer to the window source is that working guys so we stop it and we move totally okay can you move I'm not feeling it don't worry about it let's now though the opposite go buy the yellow well please okay could you open up all these windows is we just can't do it I think there's let's get him open as much as you can okay let me see let's get a reflector the sun's going to hit that one's gonna hit this and it's going to hit her if you can see on the internet the sun is not hitting this at all is it okay but how about now? Okay now you flip it towards her so a lot of times I have my second shooters and they're like it's not doing anything I'm like right go to the sun go to the sun and then flip it towards her so I see okay julia can you hold that kind of awkward but you're gonna have to kind of very nice when I grabbed my macro lens this is one hundred millimeter macro works really well for beauty shots so grab this and no I had a camera somewhere I'll make this really quick and this is pretty much pretty see pretty straightforward on the face okay alright archer back put color bones against the wall archer back drop your body weight put your body weight on one foot grabbed this leg cross it over beautifully grab one of your arms lifted higher than the other in any way, shape or form you want drop that a little bit keep your spinal cord super straight when you change this way bring your eyes this way down a bit che more this way more jin this way good grab your left hand and bend the elbow a little more towards the camera you know button right there one two, three but there's a crazy shot on that side so we could have to reflect to be moved a little bit or be soft and so soft and add a little bit one, two, three breathe in, relax. Look at the camera with confidence ready it is ready? Go to you know relax breathing close your eyes, chin down. Look straight at the camera. When you went to three again, close your eyes one, two, three let me came more light on the reflector or light or light more light, more light, more light close your eyes when I tell you look at the camera. One, two, three chin down close your eyes a tad up right there. You guys were out why I'm closing her eyes right? I'm showing the makeup I'm showing just a makeup so when you look at the photograph take a look at that. I should not that one. The next one coming up this one it shows make a beautifully all you have to do now is have a brief letter for lip reach out of your look at the photo again take a look at the photo beautiful keep your chin in that direction look at the camera with your eyes only beautiful chain this way a little more now I look at the camera beautiful this is this is one hundred millimeter makris and is very close up to her face. The beauty p person is going to love this kind of thing.

Class Materials

bonus material with purchase

21 Point Posing Framework.pdf

Ratings and Reviews

Sean
 

Roberto is a great photographer and a great teacher. Roberto took me a little bit to get used to because rather than just memorizing, Roberto teachers you how to think like a great photographer. Roberto studies the best of the best photographers and painters and he incorporates it in his photography business and his teaching courses. Over and over, I have heard other top photographers referring to Roberto. Cudos to Roberto, for being the go to Pros,' Pro. Roberto is a great teacher and a great photographer that takes beautiful pictures with mastery of beautiful light, posing and composition.

Nadine
 

Roberto is a photography mastermind. I'm very grateful for his CL courses that are available. He shares so much during these courses, I cannot help but making many, many, many notes and I'm sure if I rewatch it, I'll still learn new stuff. This course is not only for the wedding photographer, but the information he shares is applicable for all kinds of photography. If you want to learn how to make use of the gifts of any location (while throwing some very helpful posing advice in the mix), this course is for you. I'd also highly recommend his course "Location, posing, execution", which I saw before buying this one. And besides his very inspiring teaching style, he's also very funny! This course is a joy to watch.

ogonzilla
 

Absolutely amazing. Roberto's background as a classroom teacher (and crazy OCD perfectionist) is a true gift to us, the students. He has analyzed, practiced, and tried/failed his techniques countless times and it shows in this course. I have become so much more aware of an environment's "gifts" after taking this course. I myself was a science teacher (and am also a goofball) so his style of teaching resonates with me. While some workshops are amazing at making us feel inspired and fantastic, these are short lived emotions. Roberto's preaching of get out there and practice is a no-brainer!! Best course to get me started on my wedding photography career! Thank you Roberto!

Student Work

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