Page 35 - Amateur Photographer - August 5, 2017

Wedding photographers have to
compete with guests wielding camera
phones, so their pictures must be much
better. Using longer lenses with shallow
depth of field, and mastering lighting,
are two ways to achieve this © JASON LANIER © JASON LANIER

Give models something to do with their hands
Jason’s

posing tips

There are two parts to posing: the
1 physical aspect of posing the person, and
the communication part: connecting with
them. That’s one of the biggest aspects of
being a successful photographer. If they feel
like they’re in it with you, it’s a team effort,
they’ll go so much further for you.
If you’re working with a new model, ask
2 them to send you a current selfi e from
their phone. Even if you’ve seen their
Facebook photos, you want to see what they
look like today. I also make them send me
pictures of them wearing their outfi ts, rather
than a photo of the outfi t lying on a bed.

The feet are the foundation to the pose.
3 Ask the model to spread their feet to the
width of their shoulders. Don’t have them do
‘duck feet’ – bring their toes in a little bit.

Ask them to rotate their hips, and shift
4 their weight from one leg to the other.
‘They’re great, but anyone who has ever can just immediately shoot with it, bare You also need to give the hands something
used them outdoors will tell you that bulb, either with the continuous LEDs or to do. They need a purpose. Try asking them
they’re hard to hold still. When the wind in strobe mode. It has no recycle time, and to put a thumb in the belt loop, and another
picks up, the refl ector moves and the light doesn’t blind the model like refl ectors, or thumb in a pocket. Then ask them to go on
on the model becomes inconsistent. suffer from their inconsistency issues. You tiptoes, if they aren’t wearing heels.
Traditionally, photographers would choose can hold it with one hand and shoot with If they are wearing a coat, get them to
refl ectors over strobes because strobes had the other too, which is diffi cult with most 5 take it off and hang it off one shoulder.
a recycle time. You couldn’t just fi re away. refl ectors. Except for midday in bright sun,
But with the AEOS that isn’t an issue. which is still monolight territory, about Take the time to explain poses – it
‘The other thing about refl ectors in bright 70% of what I shoot now is with the AEOS.’ 6 makes things 10 times easier. Don’t
light is that you can only use them for Ultimately, Jason stresses, the type of touch the model, unless moving them for
about fi ve minutes at a stretch because lighting you choose is less important than positioning (and you’ve asked fi rst) and just
they’re really wearing on the models’ eyes. the fact that you use it. But you also need use your fi ngertips to move them into pose.
If you have the money for lights I would to know how to use it.
almost always recommend those instead.’ ‘Your creativity won’t come unless you Use all the posing options: get the model
are technically sound. I can’t emphasise 7 to look right, look left and look centre.
Lighting options that enough. When you’re not second- Also, use the three Hs: half, huge and
Until recently Jason primarily used guessing, and you have the ability to headshots (half length, wide shots, and
monolights such as the Profoto, an problem solve quickly, your creativity close-ups). Taking the time to get a variety of
industry-leading fl ash that offers bags of fl ows. And the secret to becoming shots makes your clients happy.
power, short recycle times and the ability accomplished at anything is practice, Don’t crop beneath the joints. Cut above
to easily attach modifying accessories. practice, practice. 8 the knee, tummy and above the bust. If
‘You can get some beautiful light out of ‘Use the TF market (“Time For”: where you crop below the joints, it looks awkward.
monolights and strobes, but you have to model and photographers give their time Be careful of where hands are positioned,
diffuse them,’ says Jason. ‘You have to for free in exchange for pictures). Do as but if you’re cutting above the elbow, you
modify them, attach Octoboxes, beauty many TF shoots as you can to hone your don’t need to worry about the hands.
dishes and baffl es and so forth. But the craft. To this day, if I want to try
AEOS changes the game because it gives something new I don’t do it on the Don’t ask them to smile – just crack a
off a softer light than monolights so you client’s time, I do a TF shoot.’ 9 joke for a natural smile.

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