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Category Archives: Opinion

Preparing the Perfect Poses: 5 Quick Tips

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You could be a master of your gear and a wizard with light but in portrait photography if you’re missing the basics of posing, you could be sunk. Here are  5 Quick Tips on how to prepare to pose people in your shots.

1)  Do your research! Study magazines, buy books and look around the interweb or worldwide net to find the poses that appeal to you and begin to incorporate them into your sittings. Don’t feel embarrassed or awkward by emulating something you’ve seen. Throughout the hundreds of years of artists painting and photographing people, NO POSE IS ORIGINAL, it’s all been done before. If you borrow from another image’s approach, it’s not stealing – it’s finding inspiration in the art of another. Personally, i find it flattering when somebody adopts a style similar to mine. And I have to admit, my style is inspired by what I like from others! So always be looking. Surround yourself with imagery.

2) Use technology as an assistant. In my experience, it is impossible for me to remember all the ideas I came up with before the shoot, while I’m shooting. I become distracted by the lighting, by my gear, by the weather and by all the other elements of shooting on location. Enter technology . . . I use an iPad and an iPhone to help keep me focused. Before that I used a simple notepad in which I jotted notes about my ideas. With this new technology, however, it’s easier to convey my ideas to the talent (model). I keep on my phone example photos of some of my favorite poses, so if I’m having difficulty explaining how I would like her to hold her arm, I just whip out the phone and show her a picture. I can see where Pinterest could become a useful tool to keep your influences together and pull up while on location. Just recently, I stumbled upon a few pretty cool basic posing Apps that offer drawings and tips on how to pose. One of which is simply named “Posing App.”

 

Posing App (the one I use) for IOS and Android

 

3) Keep it Simple, keep it moving. Avoid beginning a shoot with a complicated pose. Start out really simply and allow a little time for your talent to get comfortable with you, but always keep them moving. From one pose to another, go go go . . . shooting all the time. Sure a handful of those shots will go right to the trash, but it builds the confidence of your model when they hear the shutter continuing to click away. They’ll get into it, trust me! I’ve seen beautiful, talented models stiffen up quickly in front of photographers constantly chimping between every shot. When you look like you’re getting what you want (when you exude confidence in your ability) they’ll get comfortable and put on a show!

Recently we had the pleasure of co-sponsoring a workshop with Clay Blackmore as part of the Canon Explorer’s of Light series here in town. Clay is an absolute whiz at keeping it moving and getting the shot. I was simply in awe watching him move and interact so effortlessly with his talent in the studio. Here is a quick video of his brilliance:

4) Keep talking ‘em up. The relationship between photographer and model relies on communication. For a model to find the zone and for you to find the shot, there needs to be constant dialogue. I’ve found that many models respond better to explanations of the mood I’m looking for instead of barking straight directions. Sure you’ll hear me say, “Okay, that’s great, but let’s try moving your chin just a little more down and to your right” but right before that you may hear this, “Tell me again about your first puppy?” Whamo, there is a sincere, innocent, authentic smile. Remember, they’re acting for you, help them find the character. This is a process, it requires both of you to be on the same page.

5) Keep it Fun. Laugh a little, smile a lot. If everybody is having a good time, everybody wins! Just like “the journey IS the destination”, I believe “the process IS as much of the ART as the final print” :)

June 12th is the Better Portraits Class in Cedar Rapids, for more details click here!

For books and video tutorials from our shop, click here!

cheers,

Paul

 

Analog Inspiration at a Local Arts Festival

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So yeah, I got the opportunity to kick it at the Iowa City Arts Festival this weekend.  It was the motivational kick in the rump I’ve been desperately needing.  There were tons of beautiful bits of photographic excellence I had to pry my eyeballs away from.  But I have to be honest, as far as the photographic art was concerned, I was completely drawn to all things analog!

Certainly we stumbled across beautiful, vibrant, yet somehow obviously digital images that blew me away.  And as I study them I can sort of see and sense the “fakestagram” type app or filter or plugin or whatever that was used to “create” the feel of an old skewl print.  Admittedly, I’m drawn to the imagery as I should be; the style, the form and the look is familiar and inviting.  And of course I’m not about to say there is anything at all wrong with this approach.  The expression of the artist comes across easily.  And even us mere mortals clicking away with our cool phones and compact digital cameras can mimic this look.  The classic style is, well . . . classic, and needless to say, it’s intriguing.

But then we stumbled upon a special booth. It was populated with all highly detailed scenic landscape and cityscape imagery.  We found intimate spaces around urban corners where light was caught flirting with texture.  Content that could be captured with film or digital.  BUT all of this brought to us in beautiful ANALOG.  That’s right folks, silver based black and white hand printed on fiber paper.  Then in another booth we found similar compositions, but even larger and selenium and brown toned to boot.

Understanding the darkroom printing process; the devotion, the attention, the patience, the love that went into those pieces takes me back.  Long nights, red lights, fixer on your fingers, an idea in your mind and that music in your ear that brings it all together.  Please understand there is value in this artistic approach.  A purity that is hard to quantify.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against the Photoshop and the reality of digital.  Digital is practical.  Digital is fast.  Digital is easy.  Digital allows us to bring our very own art into our individual worlds, and it has never been more simple!  Every single day technology brings us closer to emulating the old masters that pioneered this ability to stop time and capture light; to hold it in our hands and share with those who care to see it.

I ask you simply to recognize this fact:

FILM IS NOT DEAD!  Nor do I believe film is irrelevant.  Sure film is on life support as the manufacturers discontinue emulsions, but it hasn’t flatlined yet.  Film is a process that mates conception with image acquisition and delivers a moment in time frozen and presented in a way that can never truly be duplicated.  There is beauty in that.  Yeah, we can generate a copy, but the original hand print speaks to me . . .

Instagram is a fun phone application that renders images similar to the camera that is tucked away in your parents closet.  It’s a cool look, it’s fun, it’s easy,and you should take advantage of this awesome technology.  But don’t forget, THERE IS A COOL RETRO CAMERA IN YOUR PARENT’S CLOSET that can be even more fun when you’re ready!  Porter’s staff is ready, willing and able to show you the way.

Here is a sample of the cool old cameras I have found and attempted to return to service . . . I know, I know, I probably have a camera hoarding problem!

So, for those of you out there who took the time to read this far, what have we learned?

  1. Find inspiration in your community by attending and supporting local arts events.
  2. Acknowledge and appreciate traditional print process and accept their unique value.
  3. Have fun with nostalgia, and give film a chance (it makes you slow down)!

To find Porter’s offerings in the film world like Holgas and such, click here!

To download our film processing form, click here!

To get this super handy film storage box for a$1.99 click here!

Cheers,

Paul