Model posing resources

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Calzor Suzay

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Steve
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Are there any resources, web sites, books or guides on how to pose a woman, to make them slimmer, more flattering to the figure etc?

I've never come across somewhere with lots of info only picked up tit bits here and there from reading about short lighting, butterfly etc for studio lights etc, putting the weight on the back leg and using the front to 'pose' with and the body normally turned about 45° to slim it, hands turned so you see the side rather than club hand etc.

There's millions of resources on the technicalities of taking a photo, lighting but not so on how to make someone pose to look good.
 
Hey Steve,

I'll stick my nose out by stating categorically, that I HATE formal portrait posing. Looks static, looks fake, shows no personality at all, and that's what portraits are. Steer clear of portrait or model posing books, they're awful.

Find shots you like, and save them purely as a reference, keep them stored in your head on or a "mood/story board" if you're doing a model shoot. Model implies that your subject should know what they're doing, depending on their experience of course. Once you work up your own skills with posing and communicating with models, even new face models are easy to work with.
 
Thanks Danny, Maybe I should of said the model is more than likely my wife, I don't mean full on studio stuff I'd just like to take better pictures of her out and about, she's not a model and I'm not a pro tog just after a better understanding of what to do.

Over time I've observed magazines etc, quite often I'll see a photo somewhere I think I really like that shot, the people look good in it then analyzed it for what they are doing and how they are posed.
 
Just a pointer, high fashion poses outside of perfect compositions and lighting just look ridiculous.

There are plenty of books around but largely they're just collections of photos that the photographers couldn't otherwise sell. Take cutouts from magazines, if you're shooting inside your house keep them lying around or up on the wall; having something to mimic helps a new model to direct their body more than panicking if they don't understand direction.
 
Lighting and location aside, don't over think it....just relax and she's more likely to relax. Talk lots, ask her to do stuff and when you think it looks good, press the button. Analyze the shots afterwards to see what worked and what didn't....then do it again. Practise, lots....it'll get easier!
 
Might have some ebooks for Portraiture posing somewhere which (as previously stated) do mostly contain a lot of photos with a few words. They're not really that useful but will give you a few ideas. Happy to let you have them as I no longer have any interest in them. PM your email address and I'll send them to you.
 
Thats a great link. Cheers.

One or two look a bit sexual but they could be photoshoped out. :)
 
I read "Posing techniques for photographing model portfolios" by Billy Pegram over Christmas. The title is self explanatory so it is mainly pictures of beautiful women in a state of undress, but lots of useful advice on the little things like placing hands, turning feet etc.
 
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