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Shoot: Mature Male Poses

Lesson 16 from: Posing 101

Lindsay Adler

Shoot: Mature Male Poses

Lesson 16 from: Posing 101

Lindsay Adler

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Lesson Info

16. Shoot: Mature Male Poses

Lindsay shows you how to pose older men to make them look good and age appropriate.

Lesson Info

Shoot: Mature Male Poses

The biggest thing I wanna do is talk about the differences for posing an older gentleman, or maybe just not a teenager. And so, first of all, of course all the rules that apply to photographing a guy are the same. Like, all the fundamentals that we talked about yesterday. There're just a couple more things to watch out for. Let me see if I can switch it over. Right, so here's what we're looking for. Generally what you're looking for when photographing a mature guy is confidence, and relaxed. It's what I notice. Especially, I mean, I was mentioning GQ. If you look at editorials in GQ, the younger guys have a lot more movements, and their poses are a lot cockier and over the top 'cause they're compensating. Versus the older guys. They're cool and confident 'cause they knew who they are. They're in control of their life. So, it's not that, I mean for, you know, teen guys, sure, go over the top. It doesn't make them look insecure. It's just, older guys, they've got themselves figured out. ...

You know, they don't need to go over the top. Expression is key. So you can definitely do furrowed brow. You can do squinted, or as Peter Hurley says, squinched eyes towards the camera. And I would do that a little bit more. Something that is perhaps more thoughtful. It's not about being like cool and comfortable, and leaning, it's more about, here's my confidence, interacting with the camera. Always direct to their hands. Always, always. And I, I use a lot of chairs for mature guys. I do have them sitting, I have them leaning, I have them crossing their legs. And when I pose their hands, I just make sure that it's not super distracting. That's really, the biggest differences are just I'm not gonna have a mature guy lying on the ground. It doesn't, it doesn't work. That's not what I would do. So, don't feel what I've said is, you know, okay, so some of the variety of poses you can get are because you have standing, and sitting, and laying, and leaning. You don't need to lay every subject on the ground. And this would be an example where you wouldn't. So I am going to take just a couple of shots with my handsome guy. Oh, and I want that chair, please. But I'm also gonna use this one too. Okay, so. Yeah, actually, just bring that one out for now. Hi. I already met you, but hi. (laughing) So, let's take a look at a couple of different things. All right, perfect. So. Put this in my pocket. So, a couple things that I might do a little bit differently. And you can bring that over. Perfect. Is I am going to have you pose with this chair, okay. Okay. So I'm gonna have him kinda lean. Kinda lean out. And I know you're significantly taller than me. Like a ton taller than me. I could also turn it around and just not photograph this part, to have him lean. Or lean, or something like that. So, will you just comfortably place your hands here for me? Let me move. Perfect. So, he looks okay, as long as he doesn't slouch too much. I'm gonna have you just spread your legs a little bit more. Do what? Step your legs apart just a little more. Good. That was good. How you were doing it before. Just like that. Perfect. That's great. That's fine. So let me just move this light. And because I have the chair faced straight towards camera, for me he's too straight on. So, I'm just gonna come over here, just a little bit. So let me grab my camera. Great. Oh, I like that. You're smiling. That's good. Perfect. All right, now, I get like, my base shots. Hands, guys can raise their hand up if they want. That's fine, like, I've got my super basic. But one pose that is often a go to, I'm gonna have you give me something else, if you don't mind. I want my chair. Not this chair, 'cause it's too high. Just that chair. Yeah, perfect. Do a switch. Perfect. I'm gonna have you sit in that and cross one leg over. And I'm gonna turn it just a little more towards the light. All right, so just be comfortable, cross your legs. Okay. Now I'm gonna show. All right, so. What I'm gonna have you do is I'm gonna just have you comfortably put a hand here, and put another hand up to your face, okay. So, why don't you just put this hand on your... That elbow on your knee, okay. And I'm gonna have you kind of like cup this. Perfect! Okay, so I was looking for his hand. The reason I said, perfect. So it's not here. People, I see that a ton for guys. Is they'll have the hand here. I almost have them like, pinch their face almost. So it's off to the side instead of fist obscuring the face. It's softer than that, but not soft. And so now he looks comfortable, I have some kinda nice angles there. So let me take a look from the front and see how I would want to tweak. All right, so where do you wanna put that arm that's comfortable? What feels comfortable; do you wanna tuck it across? Do you wanna put it on your thigh? What's comfortable? That fine? Yeah, that's comfortable. Okay. That's all I want. Is I just want him to be comfortable. So that looks great. Sit up straighter. Good. Great. Perfect. And don't press on your face. Just set it there. Perfect. And I think it's just a little too far in front of his face. So just put your fist back a little bit. Yeah, right there. Great. I'm gonna come in for one closer. Good. Perfect. I'll take a look. So I'm getting like, nice leading lines circling around his face. So it get shots kinda like that. Notice like, the whole time I'm like, okay, I want you to be comfortable. Are you comfortable? Let's focus on being comfortable. All right, so now that I just had you sit down, I'm gonna have you stand back up. I've got my chair shots, I've got my closeup shot. I always get my basics. One thing to be aware of is shirts like this, I generally avoid crossing arms too much. When, if I wanna cross arms, instead of cross... Will you cross your arms real quick for me? That doesn't look too bad. That did not actually wrinkle bad at all. But a lot of times, depending on how the shirt fits, it wrinkles everywhere. So I avoid that 'cause it doesn't look finessed. I would do an arms crossing shot more with a suit jacket, because then those wrinkles aren't as defined. Just something to think about. Or if they're wearing a polo shirt, or something like that. So we need to do my standing shot. Will you put your hands, let's put your left hand in your pocket, and thumb out. Good. Perfect. Okay, so, got hand here. Right now he's kinda flat footed. So I'm gonna have you do. I'm gonna have you just look like you're stepping towards camera. Just kinda do step and lean. Perfect. All right, so let me take a look here. And so right now, straight on to camera, it's a little less dynamic. So what I'm gonna have you do, is I'm gonna have you turn to your right. Good. And now lean out towards me. Good. Perfect. And I'm going to have you do one more standing shot. Can you cross your hands in front like this, okay? So you could also do hand shots like that if you don't have a chair. I can have him pose like this. And I'm not going... I see his hand right here. See how he's, doesn't know what to do with it? Will you make a fist and just, squeeze it in; that's fine. And also, he doesn't have to do hand on face. You can just bring your hand here even. Like, we'll give you a fist and bring it here. You can hold it out in front a little bit. If you have something he can hold onto, like glasses. He can hold it here. Who have glasses? Can I steal someone's glasses? Can I steal your glasses? (laughing) So I'm gonna have you hold glasses in your hands, just like this, okay. Off to the side, just like this. So, this way? Yeah, do this way for a second. Good, and hand up just a little bit more. Okay, so I would do something like that. Notice so much cooler, calm, and collected when he has something to do with his hands. When he doesn't, you can see it. You can see the stress in someone's hand, so. Looks cool and debonair. Excellent. And this is an instance where I'm a little too short. Can I have my apple box for a second? Or, a step stool is fine. Oh, the apple box is right there. Okay, so what I wanna do is I don't like the hand I can see. 'Cause it doesn't have a purpose. So I'm gonna get up, at a little bit taller angle. And can you raise your glasses hand up just a little bit? Perfect. And turn your body to your right, just a little bit. Great, and then bring that glasses hand towards me a little. Good. Perfect. And I'm gonna just have you switch the glasses hand. So just switch hands totally. Yep. Just like that, and now flip 'em open. Good, and now turn it so that the points of the glasses, the ends of them are towards you, and like, rotate. Yeah. Okay, good. So I would do things like that. I would tweak. Have him hold something. And just, I would do arms crossed, but not if he's wearing a shirt that wrinkles too much. So the biggest difference is I could still have him lean against a wall. I could still have him sit. I could have him, for example, on... Where's that tall stool? Actually can you give me the tall chair? And I will take those glasses back. I love your glasses, so. Oh, thank you. I'm gonna have you sit on this, and can you face it towards the light? Perfect. Great. And will you sit and put one leg up on that, that bottom railing? Yeah. Okay, so I can, of course, have him put his elbow back on the chair, and kinda do leaning poses. Look comfortable. All I'm just thinking is like, okay, no scrunching, elongate. What can I do, 'cause when he's that, everything gathers. I can elongate him, but still make him look cool. That's what I want. Great. And I'm gonna have you cross that arm over to your... Yeah. Like, wherever's comfortable there is fine. Great. Now let's try one just like this. And I'm gonna shoot from right here. And can you look at the light for me? Let's try from right here. Good.

Class Materials

bonus material with purchase

Keynote 1
Keynote 2
Keynote 3
Beauty
Boudoir
Bridal Couples
Bridal Parties
Bridal
Children-Multiples
Children
Couples - Different Height.
Couples
Families
Fashion
Female Seniors
Folding - HowTo
Groups
Male Seniors
Maternity
Maternity-Dad
Mature Couples
Mature Men
Mature Women
Men
Parents Children
Plus Size
Same Sex-Female
Same Sex-Male
Women Posing

Ratings and Reviews

user-305e84
 

I would highly recommend this class! I have been shooting for some time now and I've been pretty satisfied with my pictures from each session. A few weeks ago, I happened upon this class and thought it would be nice to get some new ideas. I then took the ideas from this class and applied them to a maternity shoot. I must say it took my pictures from good to amazing!!!! My clients bought them all😊 Thank you Creative Live for offering such amazing classes to help any level of photographer learn and grow!

Ruth Ganev
 

Lindsay is such a great teacher. She doesn't overcomplicate things - so that you can really learn. She also reviews things again and again - only in different contexts - that make total sense. I have learned so much from watching this course of lessons. I went to a natural lighting portrait workshop a couple of weekends ago - and was able to put into action what I have learned. The models loved my photos, too. She keeps things moving, is clear and to the point. I highly recommend this class to anyone wanting to become better at posing. It is so rewarding to look back at my previous photos and understand what doesn't work and why, and also to see things improving. She is a natural teacher - the course is not boring - you will learn tons!

Maya Tleubergen
 

I really love it! Thank you, thank you, Lindsay! Beautiful girl with a huge talent to teach! I absolutely love it! Worth every penny!

Student Work

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