Suggestion for photo

[keshini]

Wonder if any of you will be able to suggest some poses (or even point to some existing photos) for me to take a picture of a good friend highlighting her long (knee-length) black hair and of course her face. I am no photographer, but we thought we would contribute this to make a friends' album.

[Flaxen]

Bumping this for you. :smile:

[OleanderTime]

Yea, sorry more people haven't replied to this!

My father does portrait photography sometimes, and when he was just getting started we worked together to brainstorm poses and ideas. The best advice I can give you is to go searching for images that you like. Look online in photography/artsy galleries, hair websites, and other fashion/modeling sites. Start a desktop folder to collect your favorites. Check out magazines for images you like. If you want a more artistic look, try more alternative sites and magazines for your search.

Then identify what it is that you like about the image: the ambiance, the feel, the pose, the lighting, the colors, what?

Then think about how you think you could imitate the image.

It's hard to give ideas in words, so all I can say is go hunting for images! Good luck! :)

[heidi w.]

For most, generally the most flattering is to have a 3/4 view. Full front and full profile tend to be too flat, no dimension.

She can stand facing front and prop a leg over the other to demonstrate where the hemline falls. She can do a 3/4 view so the very littlest bit of face shows, showing off a nice line of face, natural curves such as cheek, chinline, a tip of nose.

If the hair is dark or light, consider posing in clothing and or background that is 'light' or 'dark' - opposite the hair color to achieve a more dramatic point of hair's length.

Consider seated poses and lying down poses. I found a nice tree branch once and laid down, and draped my full skirt one way to cover up most of my legs which were deafeningly (ETA HEY! is that a word? For real?!!) white, and allowed my hair to hang down in a fall, and nearly completely turned my head away from the camera. It came out nice. Another one was on a washed out bench, with my legs up, dress a bit draped and hair down the front a bit, and my head tilted to looking down at my feet or the diagonal opposite from where I sat. Behind was an interesting large bushy grass, with textured interest.

IF the fabric is overly fussy in print or stripes, this can compete with showing off a pretty person or the hair's length.

I like photos that tell a story somehow. I like photos that have compositional elements. Such as creating a circular effect, such as a branch over reaching in foreground, or blades or bits of natural bushes in front, or colors...... Or that the diagonal of the elements is emphasized, from one corner to the opposite side and up or down corner, so we're working diagonal. This can be achieved in posing the person in a space, in nature, or in architectural elements that offer foreground and background PLUS posing the person looking off to the middle distant, or up or down for a kind of dreamy effect--ETA: Not always directly into the camera. The most dreamy or inspiring shots are often created without the person looking into the camera.

Other possibilities include using props. An instrument the person plays, holding the skirt a certain way, using an umbrella with interesting texture on the underside or pretty colors that show through (say a Japanese parasol). Maybe somebody has a favorite pet. Or maybe she's a dancer and has some neat-o dance clothing...or you can find something of interest in a thrift shop. I've taken pix with my instruments, with my pet, with umbrellas, with natural elements.....in motion such as twirling so the hair fans out, or whipping my head a bit so the tips gets that whipped look. Maybe she knows some martial arts or dance poses which can offer interesting drama, such as a kick of some sort and the hair hanging down away from the body.

Tree elements can hang down, in front of the image off to a corner or side, or along a whole edge. Frame the person in a context, in a setting.

When looking through a camera look at the background in the view. Edge of a car, or a light pole, or line wires? Maybe not so pretty. Have a little stream running diagonally wending through the photo to give depth to the picture.

Take care to not take INTO sunlight. Sunlight should be behind the photographer, for the most part, for the average camera, UNLESS you want a silhouette.

Look for nice settings. Cemetaries that are older might have nice statuary or blocks to work with. Maybe a public garden offers many points for a 'setting' and story and context. Visit potential sites at different times of day. Really watch light/dark spots.

Work in black & white and color. Both have nice appeal.

Have the person breathe out when snapping the photo. To get that wonderful glint in the eye, have the person being photographed think sexy thoughts or inspired thoughts.

Avoid bottoms of feet, yet I'm a huge fan of barefoot.

Indoors, still watch the background. These days you can photoshop a lot.

Take photos back, front, sideways, from below to make the person look iconic (even you, the photographer, on your belly), or from above (say if they're lying down, and have the hair fanned out or alongside the body...you can also move the hair in an s shape, for example, if leaning in a lying pose on the ground).

If taking from behind, watch underwear and bra lines, or where shirts and blouses fall. These detract from the beauty of the tone of a photo.

You will need to take a lot of photos to get a few that come out acceptably. And most of us don't initially like a given photo, yet it grows on us in time. I recommend at least 2 photo shoot sessions allowing to look at the first set to determine improvements.

Every person has the potential to have a lovely photo taken. It's all about light. Light is what creates the effect of 3 dimensions, or not in a photo. But all light can be washed out. Remember, a photo is taking a 3 dimensional object or situation and placing it on a flat surface. This is why weight appears to be gained. IF heavy, avoid white. Some cameras have white filters.

heidi w.

[heidi w.]

What the eye sees is not what the camera sees.

The eye sees a much wider view all around a focal area. Further, the brain 'interprets' data in a way that a camera doesn't.

The camera sees a specific zonage and offers little interpretation. So the picture has to offer the interpretation in mood, in setting, in color schemes, the story as it were.

Indoors you can pose a chair at a certain angle, with interesting arms and feet, or structure, or a vase can offer an edge and height.

One more point, don't take all pictures the way the camera is typically held. Turn it on the side, or even at a diagonal and take the shot.

heidi w.

[heidi w.]

Indoors on a couch you can have pillows strategically located to provide color and accent.

Be willing to experiment, even if it doesn't turn out.

heidi w.

[keshini]

Thanks much, Heidi and Oleandertime!

Let me see what I can create...

[JamieLeigh]

Heidi always has such good suggestions for stuff like this. :crush: One of my favorite poses I'm keeping in mind for when I hit kneelength, is finding a nice (clean!!!) staircase, and sitting sideways, so that my hair drapes down the stairs. :D I can't wait for that.