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Lighting Couples

Lesson 4 from: Unique Posing for Weddings

Doug Gordon

Lighting Couples

Lesson 4 from: Unique Posing for Weddings

Doug Gordon

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Lesson Info

4. Lighting Couples

Lesson Info

Lighting Couples

the crowd has been going wild at home for you we have over two thousand request on twitter to see you but show that's getting what they want so hi jesse he's very very cute come right over here okay no get a stool so no I'm not gonna go into posing yet but what I am going to go into okay this will definitely never work the way it isthe she'd never be into jessie mawr to someone like me but that's okay you come right over here so what we're gonna do is again I'm going to do this is though it's a bride and her little brother okay going you on on jesse right here good now take a look right here what's key and all of this okay I'm going to do with the right way actually because it's going to bother me and I'm not going to flatter her I want you to take a seat braid in here beautiful okay it's always key and we're going to talk about this when we get the posting and all the while do I ever ever want her bigger than him taller than him why because if she's told to the camera that translates ...

to what bigger bigger I'm not worried about jesse having a napoleon complex jesse knows who he is more worried about heart being like oh my god I look like godzilla next to him I don't want to happen come right in close here arm around each other now here's the thing watch how easy it is to screw this up have you ever noticed when people posed couples they tell their heads together that's all they do besides the non connecting part which we're going to talk about look at how bad this looks jesse tone down the excitement take a look at how bad this image books it's very very simple and bad and I'm going to explain why this is when nothing is going right why isn't it going right can someone answer otherwise you're getting thrown out of here painfully bring it on broadside is showing to the camera the broadside is shown to the camera so how does her face look wider looks bigger now what about jesse he has same thing totally broad light well to a certain extent but you got big shadows can I fix that problem okay let's watch how we need to turn her face again to the light to light in tow have base through the body can I ask we're going to slide you over tea here so you get a better angle on them to see I'm sorry I don't mean to be difficult okay come right over here a little bit we're going to bring him here so now this again isn't the exact pose I don't want to tilt them together I want to bring him here and now I want to make sure that both their faces or into the light now here's the thing if she's here and her body's open that means and lighting into the face for the body her face is tilted away from him isn't it by tilting his head to them I bring them to the same exact look right so now we're bringing bolt their faces to the light so jessie is in a masculine two thirds for you she's in a feminine two thirds view and now we need forward so I need to get right on the light so let's take a look turn your head to make beautiful a little bit little bit more to your right a little bit more a little bit more little bit more perfect jesse lean forward turn your head to her a little bit jesse chin down jesse jesse if you can keep looking pissed off for this I really like it I'm kidding jesse smiling good excellent take a look so let's look a right here and say there's our first image or second image it's not even comparable is it but there is one minor problem I'm gonna point out a problem can any of you see it it's not perfect okay it means you guys are doing a great job because I still know more than you what do you think it is I'm confused then if it's not this but you're supposed to be shooting from the short sight is that still happening what do you think I don't think so you're right you're not why because her face needs to come maura here on with her face there I'm going to get the shadow in here now isn't a big minor dietz is it a big detail no but it's a detail that makes them look that much better that's the point you don't want to be too broad so watch did I tell you to move right here good I mean forward a little bit now weaning here watch the difference excellent you got a perfect your nails exactly what you were looking for a good turn your head a little bit to the right beautiful jesse lean forward a little bit good you're doing absolutely wonderful stare right there guys looking straight out jessie turn your head a little to the right good smiling happy jesse teeth faking it excellent and take a look watch the difference off what happens here and watch now do they look thinner that is an excellent job give it to me here girl give it to me you give me one of these too okay do you understand the difference how much did I actually step over I was here and I moved here using the window watch how simple this stand on up for a second there's not a lot of light in here right now is there it's just a little bit watch this can I bring you back on the wall here okay now I'm sure you've heard this a thousand times don't ever excuse me ever ever ever put the subject to close to the background right never never never because you're gonna get big shadows but once you know a rule which I'm gonna teach them all to you what can you do break the throw them out the window you know the rules let's get rid of him gone watch this so what I'm going to do here is I'm going this isn't exactly what I want but going to work with it I'm gonna teach you a little bit about what we're going for imposing I need youto break it the knees and pushed down like this not like that good okay I need to get her lower ok so the easiest way to do it is in this case I know I'm not showing her feet so pop off one hell for me I don't mean to make you work so hard I'm sorry this is one way but only one hell you don't need both my steal his shoes because I got a little bit of a foot thing okay now technically what I'm saying the heart is spread your legs wider but I don't say it that way can you part at the knees okay now come right in here going to push against the wall okay is all right if I pose you coast with her you're gonna get in trouble at home it's something I'm willing to try I open your legs a little bit wider exxon you come right in here if you're uncomfortable tell me I'll do it and you'll take the picture all right good right in here now take a look here here here now I want you to look down again I'm touching them to get what I want but I'm leaning forward off the wall not turn your head stretch chin up a little bit eyes down now I come back here to where if they can turn your head to your right a little bit beautiful jesse stretch your chin out attack get in a little bit closer jesse excellent take a look there now watch how easy this is looking at me beautiful hold on one second actually eyes down sorry take a look don't move look at how great that light is if you guys want to clap it's okay don't move now watch the simple adjustment once you see the light and set the light the whole purpose is to make life easier for you everything just comes to you watch take a look eyes up to me beautiful chin up chin up now I want you to bring I'm going to move over a little bit because I want to get her I centered and we'll talk more about this imposing turn your head to your right beautiful not so much back a little bit and you're smiling happy teeth good chin up a little bit take a look I didn't do anything did I but I was able to create another image without moving them in seconds not so hard is it and where is all the light coming from it's a window jesse you slide out before you get in trouble take a look right here watch what we do with her here go away jesse it's my show it's not about you this is my thunder you're impeding on so you do that again can we cut that part out on the final copy I don't want anybody else but me no good radio so watch what we do here did you just touch me look right in here bring nestle again here lean forward head there now let's be honest who looks better look at our simple turn your head here push your hip in now lean off the wall keep your backside back and wean off chin up eyes right here look at the light can we pull from this camera here good take a look at the light ends right here doesn't it but if I turn her face she now looks heavier doesn't she because it's too much light back edging right here now if I want to have fun have you ever thought about it saying I want to add a flesh I could take one of my speed lights which you'll see me do later on because I could bring it right back here and ad saying it's a white wall I put one of the orange gels on hit it from behind with a kicker do I need an assistant to do that no but it's exciting isn't it thinking about it you would fight oppa's I am because I'm really pumped up by this good turn your head to your right a little more a little more now eyes here take a look so right there she's doing great she's leaning off the wall eyes up smiling beautiful now part of being a good photographer is listening to you camera I have a feeling my exposure's going to be a little bit overexposed it's funny how he knew that right because I hit the exposure lock and I didn't actually lock it but I knew what my camera was doing before I did it do you listen to your camera if you don't they're in trouble I knew that before I ever saw the image come up because I listened so watch turn your head a little bit to the right a little bit more you not so much not so much back a little bit you're doing to reference stay there beautiful eyes up here now it's right okay and I know that just by sound of shutter speed now take a look watch the difference look down beautiful chanda serious watch how we take this here and make it unique looking down chin down beautiful eyes down watch this let me make sure I got what I want their old it good eyes down remember about turning ordinary into extraordinary finding something that nobody else sees nobody saw that did you I think I'm really pumped up now like I'm feeling good about doug you know the idea is to see things now you may say why but that's a good thing orders about why audis about what am I finding orders about what am I seeing its all this and it's just one little soft window okay so what questions do you have here all we seeing the direction of light be honest are we seeing ladies what do we have cause I know they're bringing it now right oh they are they're bringing in a lot of people are getting questions about the touching do you want to get into that places you shouldn't say those so adrian far from england what approach could you take to get people into position if they don't like being touched arthur toledo says doug you think it's possible to guide the models of the couples with just talking because not everybody will feel comfortable within photographer touching him or her and that's from rio de janeiro I'm going it's always something about touching on my thing is I always wonder who's worried about touching is that the person doing the touching or the person actually being touched I've always been a touch when my dad taught me he taught me he said don't touch don't touch worried about a suit I'm worried about this and what about that don't touch but it took him twice is willing to do it is it did may watch us come off the wall for a second I want you actually you know bulldog I I want you to walk back to the wall now I want you to lean on the wall I want you to put your backside on the wall I want you to turn your body here I want you to do this I want you to lean off I want you to turn your head to the right turn turn okay hold on one second turn your head back to me a little bit now lean off the wall some more now turn your back side in now turn your head slightly here I could've shot three images already I could have shot three to four images during the time so my answers could as you could tell my close to what I had did she have an advantage because she already did it and here's the other thing which is very very very important okay I don't mind getting involved if you connect with them on a personal level does it matter that you don't touch them here's the thing I promise you when I work with a model for about ten minutes you'll see I stop touching you'll see I stopped touching there are certain things I'm going to do it let me borrow the two of you for one second this is an example of where I have no choice but to touch them I want you can you turn your back to me beautiful you're going to go and face her I want you to turn your left I want you to wrap your arms around him nope I want you to wrap it up I know I want you to turn your head over your shoulder beautiful over your left shoulder good now I want you to lean in close star lean in close but I want you to come around this way now more more more now you look down beautiful good now in your heads close together now you're going to turn your head backto her not so much back a little bit now look down good now lien to me a little bit push your pelvis into him I've already lost my interest in it I've already lost my interest in it so my question is I told you it always comes up why touch if you don't want to touch that your personal prerogative can you do this without touching thank you obviously I do every type of ethnicity and every type of wedding there is if I'm doing an acetic wedding can I touch them no they can't touch each other so I need to find a way around it this is just a matter of preference I prefer to touch because it's faster here's what I can tell you I have photographed for twenty two years I've done over thirty six hundred weddings and I have been able to maintain this absolutely gorgeous face without ever being hit or angered or anything if I said to my client here's our options I could try and guide you through it you're not really gonna look is connected as I want you to it's going to take me at least two times twice a cz long and it's not going to look is good I'm not going to touch you or I could touch you and be done in fifteen minutes what do you think they'll choose I could assure you that everybody at home it looks like I'm beating her up I'm not beating her up do you like it good okay so I really appreciate you getting into debt with that because we do have a naughty in ce from around the globe so there are a lot of cultures where there's going to be people where it's not for them but it's my way remember one thing it's my way how do you adapt it toe what you d'oh here's what was funny when I first started learning from monte and I first started teaching this is how we had you could be an art nonsense people would be like oh my god he's a monty cone he does exactly what monty does well it worked out pretty well done in it but I made it my own you take what you learn and make it your own I've constantly changed and evolved but I could assure you of one thing every one of my photographers touches we've done in twenty seven years we've done over seventeen thousand weddings we've never been sued we have no complaints with the better business bureau we are we are the highest rated vendor on wedding wire we have one hundred and something reviews one hundred eighty reviews with a five point all raiding a perfect rating that's pretty good isn't it because people like to connect that's not bragging that's being realistic about I think it's ok but if you're not comfortable touching do you need to do it no but I like to touch if I was shooting a fashion model um I'm going to touch her not a lot because I know this is someone's experience but I am going to direct I promise you I could direct her to the way I want but I like to touch because it's faster okay sorry one window now that's great joe joe photo says please tell doug he please let doug know here so correct I have followed what he does and it's all about personality so there you thank you so we have a question from fashion tv in singapore who always comes with the best questions so I days out from tv stays up all night long to watch us from singapore so the question is how many contact points do you suggest we keep our subjects to the wall and which parts of the body if you could review that how many contact point contact points to the body to the wall when candles applicants I'm keeping they'll lower half of their body to the wall and leaning the top portion off because that's where my shadows they're going to start to occur because I'm gonna highlight on dh remember if I keep the subject straight without leaning forward they become fuller if I leaned forward stretches thumb out thins thumb out makes him look that much better thank you right there were quite a few questions about shooting outside so mark maggard who's from national said what about when shooting outside and the light is so strong that you can't put a face it's very very simple the light is always going to be strong outside cause got intense sunlight do I want to put the subject's face into the sunlight I don't want to use sunlight is a main because it's going to be stronger it's going to be more intense more importantly it's not going to be flattering but what I do want to dio is creates sunlight as a backlight don't I I want to use it so I want to shoot direct into the sunday because all flared the lens flare is the new in thing but do I want to do it on all my stuff no but I do want to use it there's the sun it becomes a kick alight there still direction of light based on reflection and it coming from one side of the sun's maurin aside the directions going to be here but if the sun's here most likely I'm going to turn away here a little bit okay I'm going to find that direction of the light but it's it's not like the sun is directly on top coming down and if I did have to use the sun then I would just go this isn't the right when I have another five and one reflector that I use again it's a cheap thirty dollars item it's a forty two inch reflector um I put that up and what do I do I let the like do what come right through it I don't even do I need an assistant for this no I have a little reflector stand but I am always always we're going to talk more about this wood exposure on our next segment I always always always shooting from dark to light I don't want to put all the light on the subject remember this morning when we used all the light on the subject what happened to the background it went what doc so I want the background to be open if you look at my images you know my background is open and airy that's how I want to keep it and I'm doing up by lighting from behind keeping the subject in doc there's always a shady area I want my shadows coming forward at the camera rather than going backwards got it got it so we're going to take a break do you have any final thoughts before we go to lunch final thoughts ok number one don't drink anything very very heavy that's not what you meant was it ok no my final thoughts towards launch our your world is a photographer begins and ends with where the light comes from this little segment here should mean the world to you if we look at her again look at how about look at her isn't flattering you need to look at one area you need to look at her face turn your head to your right beautiful that light needs to end their if you do that you have a winner

Class Materials

bonus material

Day 1 Slides
Flow Posing Guide
Bonus Video: Workflow: Doug Gordon Photoshop A
Bonus Video: Workflow: Doug Gordon Photoshop B
Bonus Video: Workflow: Doug Gordon Photoshop C
Bonus Video: Workflow: Doug Gordon Photoshop D

Ratings and Reviews

a Creativelive Student
 

I loved every minute of it! I watched and re-watched the Live show 3 times and now have the video version to burn into my mind. I don't get sick of watching it, I learn something new with each viewing. I have notes upon notes, inspirational quotes and I was truly inspired. I saw you live at your workshop and I wish we would of covered the business section a bit more in depthly because after watching you here on creativeLive I was floored! I can't wait to attend another one of your workshops because you are a wealth of knowledge, energetic and you inspire me to be better! I'm so glad I wasn't afraid to try even though I was terrified at first. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being such an amazing mentor!

a Creativelive Student
 

Doug is AMAZING! The way he teaches makes it fun and easy to understand. The way he poses his couples are so fast and easy to learn, I have taken my photography from mediocre, to world-class. I would love to meet him and thank him personally one day. Thank you Creativelive for introducing me to Doug, and thank you, Doug, for introducing me to CreativeLive! The best community for learning!!!

Adrian Farr
 

Doug has so much enthusiasm, it is beyond measurable. He is truly a fantastic motivator. He helps you understand the best ways to work with the light you have and shows you some very simple yet effective posing techniques. I highly recommend watching and buying this course if you want some great advice on improving your photography.

Student Work

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