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Posing Q&A

Lesson 9 from: Unique Posing for Weddings

Doug Gordon

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Lesson Info

9. Posing Q&A

Lesson Info

Posing Q&A

the eye level looks great for the average sized couple so why ever moved to the waist level why would you move to the waist level because sometimes you could actually make them look too small you could make them look manu according to manu is that a word you could make them with two small to the point like a given example depending on the background I may want to show what background so if I'm in front of a big beautiful castle if I shoot down on them is that going to create what I want I'm gonna bring the camera height down so that I could show more of the surroundings here's the thing I don't want to shoot too tight I want to shoot further away and crop in because I know I'll have the clarity that I need okay so let's see a question from uh this was back when we had uh kara and her husband from photo jo who was saying are you still looking to the light with the bride in two thirds white when posing the groom of course because the groom is in two thirds light as well remember you're p...

osing a couple together she's naturally turned their head this way to the light the guy has also turned in a basic masculine pose to the same direction I'm going to get the how to pose a guy in a second but yes question from fashion tv in singapore doug you just suggested leaning forward while posing what are your thoughts when photographers say the closer you are to the camera the bigger you are what exactly do you need to look out for you I don't agree with that I don't agree with the closer you are to the camera the bigger you look because I'm right on top of her and she's not looking big I'm cutting her out it all depends on you crop in relation you may look bigger is close camera but if you don't have him stretched out what's gonna happen the body is going to be here is there anything you're going to do depending if I'm here like this do I look flattering at all but if I leaned forward the camera make sure dinner okay so I want to try to really get that out so I don't agree it's a matter of the relationship off the camera is a relationship to the background I'm not concerned with it in relation to the subject okay all right I have another question and this is from michael tolls photography and basically just looking at the the way that your whole flow posing is is so specific and people don't necessarily look super comfortable and so a lot of people are noticing that are saying um like do you prepare people to say look you might not this might not feel normal but I'm doing this because here's what it looked like they don't look comfortable when doing it my job is not to make you comfortable right I'm very honest I'm gonna put you in the most uncomfortable positions you've ever been in in your entire life but I'm gonna make you look better than you've ever looked so you totally prepared them for that that person told him because it's not about them being comfortable right nobody hired me to be comfortable they hired me to make him look good right so I'm not concerned with that all that matters is what is what comes out of the camera right that's the only thing that matters to me that's it okay just making sure on that communicating that beforehand so they know yes they're well prepared like I said it's about getting to know your client your client getting to know you that's going to make all the difference in the world another camera height question from lucy adele soul from new york city what if the subject is plus size and very short wouldn't a tall camera height caused the model to look even shorter no because it's not about that remember my camera height is in relation to hart I'm not going to be shooting from the ceiling and sometimes that's not so bad either I'm going to be shooting above eye level the perspective is I'm not worried about it if the subject knows they're short they understand it but I'm not making them look short I'm just making them look thinner by raising that shin up like give you an example can I have you back for a second gretchen one of the things when I first started doing it was people said to me you can't do this you're out of your mind you want to put a plus size subject on the ground you can't do it so what we'll do is ask you to take a seat with your body facing that way your feet facing that way ok and I'm gonna ask you she's uncomfortable you saw the look on her face already I don't care I'm not paying attention it doesn't matter to me all that matters is that I make you look good you gonna lay flat on your back beautiful let's take a look here nice and relaxed now uh if you want thank you so here's the light it's coming from here correct bring you head back this way head back had no is this a good pose for a class I subject you can't answer because you don't know where I am yet you don't know where I am it's a good poets depending on where my camera is but let me ask you in order what's the biggest problem that a plus I subject deals with right here right so by bringing your head back on my eliminating that do I want to shoot from here no but watch so I'm gonna bring the light back in turn your head to me beautiful gonna try to get the light the way I want we're gonna light into her face through a body get head back a little bit beautiful now this light's killing me here do I really need it why because they have so much beautiful overhead light now if I look at her like this isn't the most flattering opposes it says no but bring your hands back behind you a little bit I want her to feel glamorous because that's why she came to me so watch what we do here I'm gonna go down I want to bring myself down to the same level is her head back close your eyes and take a look head back a little further turn your head to your right just a tad actually come back to you left that they're just gonna get better light back pull that right hand out a little bit good girl head back a little bit no let's see how bust is gonna look a little larger than I wanted to but I know that I'm ultimately going to crop it out how's that image look it's a nice clean image of her isn't it exemplifies a bust does she look plus size at all now let's take a look head back to me a little bit so now what I need to watch is when I'm shooting this is her neck is kind of bunching up so bring this arm down a little bit good let me see what happens if you bring it on the crushing chest good relax a little bit you doing great how good you're doing perfect good head back and let me see if you turn your head the other way I get better light which I think I will turn your head a little bit this way no up a little bit bring your other hand to your chest a little bit get a little bit higher and turn your head to your there you go head back a little bit down a little bit because I'm getting too much good look at me beautiful smiling gorgeous happy come on you've got more than that do we make her look heavier what do we make a look thinner okay see the bunch in her neck this is us having to spread her back just a little bit you gotta pull back just a little bit okay but the idea again is to still make her try and feel sexy so it's legal can you sit up for a second for me slide to the wall little bit I want you to bring your hands right behind you spreadem wide yeah and I want to bring your head back bring one night how does she look now so let's take a look at what we're doing turn your head to your right a little bit I'm sorry to your left head back now more more close your eyes relax your forehead so the higher camera angle take a look at what we do sorry don't mean to get in on you you're doing spectacular take a look are we able to pin her out with much higher camera angles can we push the envelope with her ok so what I'm gonna do here watch how we adjust I'm going to slide you all the way into the war on what we're going to do this is a conversation I'd have before but I'm not gonna have it with her I'm just going to surprise her okay you're gonna slide in and we're going for your legs up in the world you knew what was coming didn't you okay but make sure one of the important things when doing this is that I always have eye contact with her and never make her feel subconscious okay this is a sexy boudoir almost slide your fanny and all the way you like nobody have a wonder about this part did they good now I want to make sure that the lighting is something unique if I'm flat lighting her or it's her legs or her body going to look bigger to the camera yes so I need toe work with light steady going to make it look then head back a little bit closer I spring your hands back behind you okay so watch what we do know what I'm going to do is intensify the light but I'm going to intensify it from an area where I'm not going big so watch what we do we're bringing the light behind her so what is that going to throw everything on this side into a short let had back beautiful close your eyes she looks sexy she looks sexy and she looks beautiful and she's gonna like it head back a little bit cause your ice now mind you is that the ideal background no so we're gonna lock in honor its exposure take a look she's gonna leave feeling good about herself and that what matters she looks pretty good doesn't she all in the way you controlled the situation so camera height met miss what matters good job relax one second okay okay accent thank you beautiful okay so do you understand relation of camera high to subject and subject leaning forward what's the one commenting their heads always up they're leaning forward camera heights always above especially on a plus size subject any questions on us okay what about a guy in nick's legs are going up on the wall okay nick you're gonna come over by the wall right over here I want you to put your back up against the wall right here I want you to cross your feet I want you to put your hands in your pockets thumbs and nicer lacks good right in here so there's anything change for the guy do we like the same way for a guy with id into his face nick turn your head good now lean keep your backside on the wall but I want you to lean the top of your body wean off wean off clean off good now there's not much I could do about the shadow because I got the stage light but here's to kay turn your head a little bit look at the light do we have a two thirds lighting pattern so how many shots come we create off nick you're standing there here's the thing with guys one of the biggest mistakes that people make by far is that they have the guy start to look feminine watch how nikki looks strong look over he looks big strong and powerful does any how come we were winning nick smile at the camera he looks like a tool he just he doesn't look good because he's like guys don't like that so watch what we do camera hate here nick look it may not bring it above eye level do I love the shadow obviously not but watch again remember we talked about creating multiple poses look right here so nick's looking at may he's serious just like that and spot metering on his face let me get my lock good right there eyes appear nick looking straight up there's image one look at our music okay now nick doesn't move now I turn his head against likely to the right I'm gonna go horizontal take a look pretty good image of a guy yes and now looking at me nick we're going to come right here lock in on the face good stay right there and now well I'm going to do is crop in a little bit tighter isa punic now we got image to now nick look down good take a look right there so again short light closer to the camera but watch what ideo I'm gonna go there and now what I'm setting up is almost a profile light of nick depending on where I am turn you head slightly to the right so look att my relation to him so we're right there nick looking down perfect stay there just like that and there's awful length good whips hold on one second then we're gonna go horizontal turn your head to your right take a look not bad is it good color don't move now take a look what we're going to do here I'm going to change a nick is gonna look storied out of you turn your head to your left nick good just like that serious now I'm not done yet look at how many images have created with from nick without really moving him nick turn your head to may a little bit more tilt your head here not so much not so much turn your head to your right green forward neck chin down don't look mad he never moved he never ever moved okay whips hold on must have the wrong spot turned to me a little bit nick good just like that shin down a tad look at the difference so now all of these here looked the difference in exposure to using the wall is a foreground looking out why is this important this empty negative space it's going to get into later days but what makes it important makes it important because you could make an album you start to build your story pages how many times did the light move during that sequence and never did how many times did nick move he never did how many times did I move and how many images did you create a guy is about looking strong I just shot more pictures of him on the war than most people ever do on an entire wedding can I borrow you for one second or her I know we're getting close on time hard I keep calling a zahara I don't know why good come right over here we put her on the wall good steak will turn into the wall for a second come right here turn your head here where's her face it's into the light isn't it so if I'm over here short sides closer can I have you for a second actually can you come in behind your beautiful wife relax your hand would or could come down to her level again and turn your head hook down key is light right kiis like look down beautiful neck chin up a little bit who do I meet her off here why because the location look at how I'm using the wall to lead into him pretty nice right turn your head neck all the way to the light head up chin up eyes right here look straight out to its my hand you're doing terrific look right here shin up nick a little bit perfect stare right there good you're smiling guys nice and happy look right here happy you're faking it neck I don't like it's my own teeth keep your eyes open beautiful okay just take a look at the light minor adjustment all simple like

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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