First portrait shoot

[sarahgeddes]

My friend and her family went out so her sister could shoot portraits. I went and shot from the side and of my friend when she wasn't needed. This is probably my favorite from the day.



My question is mostly about posing. What can I have her do so that she looks thinner in pictures? That's her biggest concern. I don't really want to crop in to the head and chest because then imo, you lose a great part of the shot.

Are there angles that can be better to pose her?

Thanks guys. I'm just starting to get into photography and this was my first real shoot of anything.

[Karenas]

Yeah, as a big girl myself, if this was a shot of me all I would see are the heavy arms and lumpy tummy. So, a sideways shot is definitley NOT flattering.
Go with a front-on so we can see and focus on her pretty hair and face. As for her pose, have her stand with one foot forward of the other and her weight on the back foot. She could also angle her hips towards the back foot while keeping her upper torso towards you.
Give her something to do with her hands so she's not fidgeting with the hem of her shirt from nervousness Also try playing some of her favorite music during the shoot for her nerves.
And, pull up the shirt a bit so that the elastic is closer to her waist than her hips; that will make the shirt blouse out and hide the waistband lines.
I'd LOVE to see the results if you re-do the shoot!

[ShamJolimie]

I agree with Karenas, nervousness can be a drawback. you could also try a higher angle. shoot her from above so that her soulders appear a bit wider and lower body smaller.
also clothes can make a big difference. avoid clothes that have horizontal lines, this pink top has a stich detail near the hip. opt for clothes that have a line at the waist, right under the chest. the waist is usually the smallest part of a woman's torso, so play it up.
other than that she has gorgeous skin. enhance her skin tone with a gold reflector if you can get hold of one.

[BigFuzzy]

I agree with the above, and also would suggest sitting her down on the ground, and shooting her from above. Tilting a bigger person's head upwards gets rid of the extra chins and allows for a more obvious chin line which helps.

That that the subjects needed it, but try something similar to these shots as I think they'd help:

Sample
Sample 2
Sample 3
Even a full-body shot would work if you're able to get above her.. makes the body look smaller since the head/face is closer to the frame.
And yeah, a profile of the subject who's "roundish" is probably not a good idea.

*edit* the colors, sharpness and exposure work quite well, so you nailed that!

[JanetJean]

I too am a big girl and I have found a few things that REALLY help.

Have her chin tilted down just a bit.

Don't shoot straight from the side but if that's what look you're going for ... have her stand tall. When I was in choir our director always told us to pretend there was a string running up the back of our spine and out the top of our head ... takes lots of lumps out.

Angled works much better ... one foot in front of the other angled toward you works wonders. Don't shoot too face-on because it can end up looking like a chunky mug shot!

[AHernandez]

I don't know if it's been mentioned yet, but just want to throw out the obvious. A nice *genuine* smile, whether she's looking at the camera or not naturally pulls your focus to the face and away from the rest of the body. Nevermind the fact that you and she will naturally start smiling more, leading to a more satisfied subject. I noticed in your photo, she kinda had a half-hearted smile, while her fingers were fidgeting with her shirt.

Just my 2 cents

[aRad82]

I, too, am always paranoid when people take pictures of me...and I've learned that not standing straight on at the camera, tilting head down to decrease chins (both previously mentioned) as well as standing with arms not squished at my sides helps to narrow the waist and not fatten the arms any more than they are!

I agree with Big Fuzzy in saying that your colors, sharpness and exposure are great though!

[williamsphotography]

I personally think it's a good picture with out the lumpy stomach and such. I would have turned her towards the camera and did a 2/3 shot. Focus in on her face and such. Have her pose a bit sexier if that makes sense.