Portraits of Larger couples

[LENAAPPLE1974]

When I am taking portrait style pics of family while out and about, it flows, and I go from couple to couple with ease. Then, I get to one of the cousins, and both husband and wife are heavier set. Are there ways that anyone can recommend to pose them for a great portrait style pic? I do not want them to feel self concious about their weight, and at the same time I would like to have different style pictures, other than them facing each other. I try to have one of them lean on the other, capturing the upper body only, but two poses, and 15 years creates lots of the same thing... HELP!

[hibou]

Originally Posted by LENAAPPLE1974

When I am taking portrait style pics of family while out and about, it flows, and I go from couple to couple with ease. Then, I get to one of the cousins, and both husband and wife are heavier set. Are there ways that anyone can recommend to pose them for a great portrait style pic? I do not want them to feel self concious about their weight, and at the same time I would like to have different style pictures, other than them facing each other. I try to have one of them lean on the other, capturing the upper body only, but two poses, and 15 years creates lots of the same thing... HELP!

Are you sure that it is they who are conscious of their weight? I have seen a few times on the boards people wondering about posing for heavier people, and what they really mean is "how do I make them look thin?."

My thoughts on the matter are that heavy people are just like thin people - they want to look good. Photographers of the world: looking good does not mean looking thin. Don't assume that your clients are unhappy with their looks/weight.

That said, everyone benefits from standing straight, shoulders back, chin extended. Have fun with them.

[mike1187]

Originally Posted by hibou

Are you sure that it is they who are conscious of their weight? I have seen a few times on the boards people wondering about posing for heavier people, and what they really mean is "how do I make them look thin?."

My thoughts on the matter are that heavy people are just like thin people - they want to look good. Photographers of the world: looking good does not mean looking thin. Don't assume that your clients are unhappy with their looks/weight.

That said, everyone benefits from standing straight, shoulders back, chin extended. Have fun with them.

Very well said. You'll find some people who are unhappy wiith ANY photo, but overall, large or small, they just want to look good.

[TerryMC]

The opposite of using wide angle lens up close.

Shooting down and angle their bodies to your lens (make a body slimmer).

Place the females farther away from the camera than the males.