Photographing People Together

Photographing people together, or in groups, presents a different set of considerations.

    First, what is the purpose? Let's start with two young people.

    Now, are they in love, or brother and sister, or two siblings of the same sex, such as sisters, or what.

    Keep in mind the other things I have told you....straight line poses for boys, "S" curves for girls. Men/boys usually look best when leaning slightly forward. Take, for instance, athletes are almost always leaning forward....for sure, the military.

    Girls kiss leaning back, and are the one who usually lean back when dancing, etc. Ginger Rogers, dancing with Fred Astaire, said she had to match his every step, mostly going  backward, and in high heels.

    So, it makes sense for the male to lean toward a female, with his head forward and hers back. see below:

Photographing People Together

    Photographing people together, or in groups, presents a different set of considerations.

    First, what is the purpose? Let's start with two young people.

    Now, are they in love, or brother and sister, or two siblings of the same sex, such as sisters, or what.

    Keep in mind the other things I have told you....straight line poses for boys, "S" curves for girls. Men/boys usually look best when leaning slightly forward. Take, for instance, athletes are almost always leaning forward....for sure, the military.

    Girls kiss leaning back, and are the one who usually lean back when dancing, etc. Ginger Rogers, dancing with Fred Astaire, said she had to match his every step, mostly going  backward, and in high heels.

    So, it makes sense for the male to lean toward a female, with his head forward and hers back. see below:

 Now, here is a derivation of that pose with the added sensuality of head and eye angles changed toward each other. This was their portrait just before they were married. People aleays look sensual when they look at the other's lips. (Just threw that in....no extra charge). Be careful, though, in using it, as it is powerful.



Creating a Mood for your Photo.

     Now, I'd like to get into "mood" photography....How to create a viewer reaction. (first of a couple of emails).

    The first thing you must do is become proficient with your camera. Keep experimenting and making several images of each subject, changing poses and light angles to see what works best as a way of life for you.

    Photoshop has opened a door I only dreamed of 50 years ago.

    I, once, (50 years ago) photographed a group of three children, who were the great, great, grandchildren of Greenwood Leflore, the Choctaw Indian Chief for whom the city of Greenwood and Leflore County, MS, are named.

    Their Grandmother wanted them sitting on the porch of Malmaison, Greenwood Leflore's beautiful, big, home. It had burned years before, but she had a nice photo of it.

    I copied the photo, then photographed the children on a standard porch steps.

    I'll keep this short....I exposed a 20X16 of the house, dodging a space where the children would be sitting. Then, in the darkroom, double exposed them into it.

    I oil painted the whole photo, filling in around the children with paint.

    It turned out very nicely, but oh, how much easier that is now with Photoshop.

    That has little to do with "mood" photos, but it just came to mind and I wanted to tell you about it for a reason.

    Sometimes the environment creates a built-in mood.

    A brightly lit scene usually denotes some version of happiness or activity. Darker scenes bring out feelings of anxiety or even fear. Dracula and Frankenstien usually were involved in darker scenes.

    Portraits with dark backgrounds usually bring about "Character" moods. Children are rarely photographed with dark backgrounds, as they are thought of as light-hearted and gay. Gay is a beautiful little English word, meaning happy and light-hearted....not what others would use it to mean. 

    Here, again, Photoshop to the rescue, making it fairly simple to have a suitable background when none is available at the time you took the photo.

    If you are just learning and not proficient in Photoshop, then your choice of a background becomes all important in mood creation.

    Use flowers or greenery for "happy" looks. Mountains, a lake, or trees for tranquil effects. Use landmarks such as a football stadium for excitement.

    Indoors, use a type room which matches the message. Kitchens for cooking, etc. Maybe a den in which to make an athlete's portrait.

    There is a good-sized tree right out side my apartment which has big white blossoms on it. By putting it out-of-focus, it looks somewhat like an Old Masters out of focus floral background and colors can be added if need be, Usually, backgrounds are more high quality looking in a mood photo if they are neutral, and dull, colored. 

    Below is my close friend, Marianne, with that tree as an out-of-focus background.

Using what we've learned so far.

We have discussed the main ideas of utilizing the sun from the rear, when practical....For two main reasons: 1st - the light from the rear lights the hair nicely and even gives the aura of glamour to ANY portrait. It is best used on subjects that you feel could use glamour in a useful way. Babies and young children and more sedate groups or individuals are usually best portrayed in the shade, where the light is gentler (more even) and less contrasty, due to the light bouncing all over the scene. That softens its effect.

Groups are best posed with all persons, in some manner, facing (bodies turned) either toward the center or all looking in the same direction.
2nd reason for sun at their back - Squints are eliminated. When the subjects face the sun, you can count on bad squints and the photo is ruined.

Here is a group with the sun from the rear...

Guaranteeing the correct "look" of a portrait

Friends:

    Today, I want to show you how to guarantee that your portrits will have the "look" that you want, as far as making men look mannish and ladies/girls look feminine, children childlike, athletes look athletic, etc.

    Amazingly, it has more to do with "lines" than anything else.

    You should always photograph men with their body parts in straight lines.

    If you stop and think about it, that's how men do things. Their football fields are marked off in straight lines, Marines stand at attention, golfers "keep that left arm striaght", boxers stand with their arms at right angles, etc.

    Now ladies/girls need to be portrayed in "S" curves. Did you ever see a man desribe his girlfriend's figure by moving his hands up and down like a railroad track, or in a circular motion like a bowling ball? No!, of course NOT, is the answer. He makes a "S" with each hand, up and down, and says. "She's gorgeous".

    So men should be photographed with a hand firmly on a desk or chair, perhaps holding an object like a book or some related object....their upper and lower arms forming a straight lined angle.

    Ladies/girls, on the other hand, should be turned to the side so their curves form "S" curves, with their arms and hands at as many angles as they will bend in "S' curves.

    Athletes and strong men should be photographed from low angles, so they look more dominant. Ladies/girls from level to look their girlish best. Another trick with females is, "if you don't know what to do with something....Hide it behind something". Stand them in front of unwanted distracting objects.

    Ladies/girls feet should be in the shape of a T, with the toe nearest the camera pointed in roughly the camera's direction.

    Photograph men's legs straight or firmly bent, as with one foot on a step higher than the other.

    Last, for now, turn all their bodies to some degree away from the camera. They all look slimmer that way.

    More later.