This comprehensive guide to location portraits teaches the basics of good head-to-toe posing, indoors and out, and shows the classical approaches used throughout photographic history to create a pleasing rendition of the human form. Additional introductory chapters detail the four main posing styles and reveal how to determine which will work best with a subject, their clothing, the location, and the purpose of the portrait. Chapters for advanced photographers highlight the creation of a wide variety of individual and group posesÑincluding ground, seated, head-and-shoulders, and standingÑto be utilized in tandem with stairs, rocks, and other architectural and natural elements. A chapter devoted to the essential business skills needed to professionally schedule appointments, work through consultations, manage sessions, and present and deliver final prints is also included.

Aiming to help portrait photographers yield pleasing results with a variety of body types, this tutorial evaluates the subject’s appearance and suggests refining poses, providing tips to make sure each subject ends up with a result they like. Using before-and-after photos—and working through every region of the body from the head to the feet—acclaimed professional instructor Jeff Smith demonstrates simple posing adjustments and explains how various poses can conceal problem areas and maximize positive assets. Also covered are common mistakes that photographers make when posing their subjects and how to best match that pose with the setting, coordinating an overall feeling and style that makes every client look outstanding.

With techniques for achieving a flawless portrait, this manual shows how to create stunning, professional images in any setting. Tips on how to delicately discuss and evaluate a subject’s appearance and his or her specific concerns combine with examples on how subtle changes in lighting and posing can flatter subjects—by slimming the waist and hips, enhancing the bust, narrowing the nose, reducing a double chin, and concealing baldness—helping portrait photographers sensitively downplay perceived flaws. Also illustrating how the latest in digital imaging technology can fix problems, this up-to-date resource shows how to digitally eliminate acne, whiten teeth, remove braces, and fix unnoticed clothing problems. Techniques for processing RAW files and for optimizing JPEG files for quick, but consistent, shooting are also included. With hundreds of new images, before-and-after sequences, and informative text, this is the ultimate reference for creating beautiful, flattering portraits.

With detailed, informative instructions for capturing personable and memorable yearbook photos, this reference presents step-by-step demonstrations on advertising, talking to clients, producing outstanding images, and finalizing a sale. Noting the delicate balance of pleasing parents and teens alike, this resource illustrates how to marry the latest fashion-oriented photography trends with the needs of the family member who is paying for the session. A wealth of lighting and posing techniques combine with tips for analyzing the subject, choosing which features to accent and which to downplay, and creating alluring, fashionable looks that the whole family can appreciate. Emphasizing the value in allowing seniors to personalize their photos by bringing the shoot to their home or a more meaningful location, the guide also includes suggestions for incorporating additional visual elements such as pets, musical instruments, team uniforms, best friends, or significant others.

With detailed, informative instructions for capturing personable and memorable yearbook photos, actor and model portfolios, and business, bridal, and children’s portraits, this exhaustive reference covers what photographers need to know to be successful. Emphasizing that the client is always the center of the photograph, this resource illustrates how to evaluate the customer to determine which features to downplay and which to accent. Tips for creating the perfect image through posing and lighting, handling the post-shot conference, and previewing and retouching the images are supplied, as well as guidance for the technical and emotional challenges of shooting a portrait. Packed with step-by-step images, no-nonsense techniques, and practical advice, this is a must-have book for professional and advanced amateur photographers.

Photographers must have a clear understanding of how the human body, from head to toe, should be posed and adjusted in order to look good—and natural—to the camera. Learning effective strategies to flatter the face, arms and legs, torso, and hands and feet will allow us not only to flatter our subjects but also effectively tell the subject’s story. Regardless of your photographic style, the tips and techniques outlined in this book will allow you to better control what the camera sees and the mood or message you want to convey. Whether you are a portrait or lifestyle photographer, photojournalist, fashion or commercial photographer, this book is designed to help you learn skills that you can apply to your specific style and method of shooting. Stephenson maintains that you should first identify the intent of your portrait before you begin to analyze the way in which you will pose your subject or subjects. How will the client use the image? Does he or she need a business portrait, which will require an air of authority and confidence, with a traditional vibe? Is the couple who booked the session deeply in love, and would a pose that speaks to their emotional closeness be appropriate? The author then moves into a discussion on body language. The way that an individual holds himself says much about his mind-set, mood, and motivations. Image viewers subconsciously read the cues that the subject’s body conveys. It is important to ensure that the body language that is summoned through posing suits the mood/theme /intent of the portrait. There are traditions of posing that have been in play in the visual arts for eons. Many photographers fall into using the same pose for every subject. When this happens, all of the images that leave the studio begin to look the same. This can have dire consequences when it comes to the public perception of the photographer’s work—and can squelch the joy photographers feel when creating. Stephenson offers simple approaches to flattering every body part when photographing individual clients and also teaches readers how to create artful images of couples and groups, as in multi-subject portraits, each individual must look great and relate logically and aesthetically to other subjects in the frame. With tips for posing the young and old, males and females, singles, couples, and groups in both indoor and locations—and in reclining, seated, and standing poses, from full-length to close-up, this book will walk you through all aspects of posing and balance with examples and easy to follow instructions. It’s time to stop guessing and learn the art and science of posing.

Shattering the notion that location lighting has to be difficult, inconvenient, or compromised in its quality, this resource provides guidance on how to create unique and personalized images shot in parks, on city streets, at sports arenas, in workplaces, or in a client’s home. With an overview of equipment and a discussion on the essential tools for a shoot, this guide walks photographers through the creation of dozens of location images—from casual headshots to full-length, formally posed portraits. With strategies for meeting lighting challenges found outside of the studio—from evaluating existing light to modifying or supplementing light as needed—this book will help photographers shoot confidently by developing a plan for creating professional-quality location portraits.