Posing help...

[roostabunny]

This is one of a series of shots taken of fellow class members in a Sunday School class. There are both solo and couple shots. I have issues with both the posing and the lighting, but I feel I have more control over the posing when I try this again (there's more folks to shoot), so that's what I'm asking about today.

Still, I'll say that it's an interior room lit with fluorescent tube lights, and I placed my subjects in a corner, with one of the light panels about a foot toward their front and about two feet to their right. Kinda flat, but the walls were a light enough beige I thought I might get a key light and some fill reflected off the wall to their left. I'm certainly interested in ways to improve that without adding equipment.

But what I'm really interested in is help with the posing. I noticed that some of the couples naturally turned in, placing their bodies at an angle (which is good), but for my single shots I just let them stand in the frame. Since I was trying to get head & shoulders shots, I did have some of the guys in couples lean one cheek on a folding table against the wall to their left, and I actually think that helped the couples shots a lot. Chalk it up to my own nerves. I just let some of the folks line up like a mug shot.

So, I figure I should have angled everyone a little, but should I have had the one-person subjects sit or lean on a stool? (there was one in the room) Should I have them do something with their hands, even though for the one-person shots the hands aren't even in the shot? They didn't have warning about having their picture taken that day, any tips for helping folks loosen up on short notice? I have one friend who's on the larger side, and he posed good natured-ly enough, but resigned, as if for a firing squad. You can almost see him thinking, "I'm going to look big". So, even though he's a charming and dynamic guy, he mainly looks big.

I hope I've asked specific enough questions. Portraits are my thing, I feel like I'm lacking this key skill, and my daughters (who are my most frequent subjects so far) don't challenge me in this area because they're super comfortable in front of the camera.

Oh, I almost forgot...
1/500, f/2.0, 50mm, ISO 800
And I've cropped it and adjusted the color-temp slightly, otherwise it's as-is.

Thanks!

[roostabunny]

Any thoughts? Thanks!

[zona5101]

You make reference to a number of images but there is just one attachment. Generally it is a p.i.t.a. to have to click to open attachments...add 2 paragraphs or more of chatter and the number of respondents will typically fall off even further. FWIW, Try and embed your images and I think you'll get better /quicker responses.
As to the pic that is attached...the color balance is off and it looks a bit soft. She's slightly right of center in the frame but you not giving her any other space so it looks more "accidentally" un-centered than trying to get her off the x.

[roostabunny]

Originally Posted by zona5101

You make reference to a number of images but there is just one attachment. Generally it is a p.i.t.a. to have to click to open attachments...add 2 paragraphs or more of chatter and the number of respondents will typically fall off even further. FWIW, Try and embed your images and I think you'll get better /quicker responses.
As to the pic that is attached...the color balance is off and it looks a bit soft. She's slightly right of center in the frame but you not giving her any other space so it looks more "accidentally" un-centered than trying to get her off the x.

Ha! I should have labeled it "Posting help..." Really appreciate the feedback.

I've had a hard time embedding, and can work on sorting that. Excess chatter is harder. Gotta slow down. My posts get shorter the longer I work on them.

Color balance, I can see that now. Too warm? And I was trying to "get her off the x" (I like that term), but what would it mean to give her other space?

Thanks again!

[zona5101]

Originally Posted by roostabunny

Color balance, I can see that now. Too warm? And I was trying to "get her off the x" (I like that term), but what would it mean to give her other space?

Thanks again!

Yes too warm. You cropped or framed to get her out of dead center but there isn't really enough space to call it "space". It looks more unintentional. You don't always have to give a subject space but what is does tend to do it give it a more open feel and less feel of a typical head and shoulders shot.
Take a look at this guys work: roy cox...his headshots - besides great lighting look at how he frames...some are straight up center, typical portrait headshots, but the ones with space definitely have a different feel. he even has some framing that looks unintentional except you know he did it because he can.
Roy Cox Photography click on "headshots"

[roostabunny]

Originally Posted by zona5101

Yes too warm. You cropped or framed to get her out of dead center but there isn't really enough space to call it "space". It looks more unintentional. You don't always have to give a subject space but what is does tend to do it give it a more open feel and less feel of a typical head and shoulders shot.
Take a look at this guys work: roy cox...his headshots - besides great lighting look at how he frames...some are straight up center, typical portrait headshots, but the ones with space definitely have a different feel. he even has some framing that looks unintentional except you know he did it because he can.
Roy Cox Photography click on "headshots"

Cool, great thoughts and a great link, thanks! I just read a great book on lighting (Light - Science and Magic) and looking at Cox's work definitely had me thinking about reflectors and scrims and other ways I'd like to practice manipulating the light. But you're right about the variety of framing. Sometimes the shots with extra space seem to impart a sense of motion, other times it seems to balance and anchor the image. I'll say one thing, clearly a lot more to composition than the rule of thirds.

[zona5101]

Originally Posted by roostabunny

I'll say one thing, clearly a lot more to composition than the rule of thirds.

tru dat.
light: Science and Magic - great book, I am on my 3rd time reading it. With the foundations of that book, it is a fun exercise to break down lighting in a shot and understand how and why someone lit it the way they did.