As you get more involved in photography, you will find
that posing men is quite different from women. With women, your goal is to make
them look feminine and soft. With men, the goal is directly the opposite. They
want to look strong and masculine. Instead of breaking the posing up based on
body parts as you would do with women, with men, you want to think of the
overall pose. Essentially, there are specific poses that always look good for
men. You don’t have to change things that much from one subject to the next.
This
well-posed senior portrait includes the Titanium Cloth backdrop, item number TC125.
The Waist Up Image
To start with, consider the waist up image. This is one
of the most common poses you will use when photographing men, so you will want
a strong grasp on what to do.
· Have
the subject cross their arms. This will give their shoulders and upper arms a
wider, stronger look.
· Keep
the shoulders square with the camera. If you do photograph at an angle, then
have the closest shoulder to the camera higher than the other.
· Have
the subject put their weight on one leg. Even in close up images, this will set
their pose more naturally.
With waist up images, you want to capture a natural,
masculine feel for the pictures. Don’t be afraid to play with lighting for more
drama as well.
The Full Length Shot
Full length shots for men should be relaxed, confident,
and comfortable. Sometimes, it is hard to get a guy to relax when photographing
them, so consider telling a joke or playing music to make the environment more
relaxed overall. A few tips on the full
length shot include the following:
· Have
the subject cross one leg over the other while standing. This will ensure they
shift their weight to one leg and this will create a more flattering pose.
· Try
having the subject place their hands in their pockets. Always ensure their
thumbs are showing so that a viewer will still be able to recognize the hands.
Again, make sure the weight is shifted to one leg.
· For
a sitting portrait, have the subject cross one leg over the other with the
ankle resting on the knee.
· For
sitting on the ground poses, have the subject shift their weight to one hip and
place one hand on the ground. The other arms should be resting slightly on an
upraised knee.
The main goal with men is to keep things simple. They
will likely be uncomfortable with having their picture made, and you don’t want
to ask them to tackle difficult poses. If you follow these tips for some basic
waist up and full length images, you will be able to
start off on the right foot with photographing men. These pose options look
good with any type of photography, from family portraits to senior pictures.
Whenever you photograph men, remember that your goal is to make them look
masculine and strong. You can find the backdrops you need for photographing men
at www.BackdropOutlet.com.
Labels: backdrop, backdrop outlet, backdrops, improve my photography, photo shoot, photography
