When it comes to portrait photographing, posing is always key. You need to make sure you choose poses that are fun, unique, and full of personality and all around flattering. Have you ever looked at a portrait and felt like something just looked wrong even though you could not put your finger on what it was?
Chances are, that wrong thing has something to do with the posing. It is very easy to make posing mistakes, and often, once you get your mind set around one type of posing, you may find it very hard to get out of the rut or even realize you are making a posing mistake. Here are five common mistakes that photographers make.
Cutting off Limbs
It is hard to know where the photograph should be cropped. If you cut limbs (arms, legs, feet and hands) at joints, then you will cause the subject to look very much like they are missing that limb. Instead, you should cut the picture off just above or below the joint.
Adding Weight
Ask any customer and they will tell you that they do not want pounds added to their figure. Certain posing methods will add weight though and they should be avoided. Do not allow the arms to stay straight by the body because this will appear to add bulk that is simply not there.
Photographing Below the Subject
Interesting angles can be fun, but this is one that you should avoid. When the subject is looking down at the camera, they will suddenly have a double chin no matter how slim they may be. No one wants a double chin. In addition, the subject looking down will make their eyes appear smaller and more closed, which is not flattering.
Photographing Straight On
Talk about boring and not flattering! If you have the subject stand straight on and look at the camera, you will end up with something that looks like a snapshot. Always have the subject turn, even if it is just slightly.
Distorted Hands and Feet
It is easy for the subject’s hands and feet to look distorted and this will make for a very unflattering image. This all has to do with perspective. The hands or feet should never be the closest element to the camera or they will look unusually large.
Are any of these posing methods things that you have been doing? You could be making mistakes without even realizing it. Be sure to avoid these common posing errors to take better pictures.
