Posing Tips - Waistlines, Thighs and Bustlines
Learn a few tips from red carpet celebrities on how to get your subjects looking their best when photographing them.
Waistlines
Here’s a quick posing tip if your subject is a little conscious of their waistline and want it to appear a little narrower than it really is (I’d put that at about 90% of us).
Get them to rotate their upper body slightly at the waist and you’ll find that it gives the impression of a thinner tummy area. It’s amazing what a simple twist can do! This is a popular technique with many red carpet celebs.
Thighs
Another popular red carpet pose involves celebrities crossing one leg over in front of the other one. This has the effect of narrowing the thigh region a little (and/or making the celebrity look like they need a bathroom break).
Bustlines
Lastly, if you want to emphasize the bustline of your subject, get them to arch their shoulders back a little. This action naturally pushes the chest out a touch.
Of course combining these three techniques in the one shot can also leave your subject looking quite silly and needing a trip to the chiropractor! Use them with moderation or you’ll end up with a very unnatural looking pose.
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May 4th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
This is a good tip for posture!But you have to give more photo-examples, please!
One more question about the framing of the whole model`s body? Is it better when you have the whole body with legs and especially feet, or it is good to cut the feet!
I was always wondering why some photographers are cutting the feet of their models???
Thank you,
Biliana
May 22nd, 2007 at 9:26 pm
Thank you so much.
Every new photographers need like this web site.
June 15th, 2007 at 7:26 pm
One more common technique. You can shoot from below to make your model’s legs look longer.
February 10th, 2008 at 8:59 am
I like the twisting of the waist idea. It works!
April 9th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
how would one take a photo to flatter someone who may be overweight?
April 30th, 2008 at 6:45 am
First of all, shoulders back, and tummy sucked in. If they are broad looking at the lower half, keep the chest relatively straight-on, have them tuck their butt under and rotate their lower half to where you are looking at a side (more or less) of their front leg, with the other leg only slightly showing. This is very slimming, provided that their derriere isn’t round like a basketball. It also isn’t a pose for those with back problems. As they say in the modeling profession, “Twist up like a pretzel, now stay that way and look like you are having fun.” (Yeah, right!) Anyway if they can do this right, the result is amazing.
Also, never let the models try to minimize thigh bulk by placing a hand over the bulge. One Hand should always be relaxed and hang out a little, showing some space between it and the body. The other hand can be placed judiciously on a body part, such as the waste.