Positioning basics Flashcards
How are shoulders positioned?
The first rule of good portraiture is that the subject’s shoulders should be turned at an angle to the camera and One shoulder should be noticeably higher than the other—which is to say that the line of the shoulders should not be parallel to the ground
What angle should the head be positioned with respect to the shoulders?
Not only should the shoulders be at an angle, so should each subject’s head. These two imaginary lines running through shoulders (shoulder axis) and down the ridge of the nose (head axis) should each exhibit a different plane and angle. The head axis should never be perpendicular to the shoulder axis, and neither the head nor the shoulder axis should be perpendicular to the line of the lens axis (again, this rule is often broken in fashion portraiture). Essentially, rather than perpendicular lines, we are looking to create more interesting and appealing diagonal lines throughout the composition
How should the head tilt for men?
With men, the head is frequently tilted toward the lower shoulder and the head and body are turned in the same direction—often toward the light source, with the body at a 45-degree angle to the camera. In a seated masculine portrait, men are often pictured leaning in toward the camera, which is considered an assertive pose.
How should the head tilt for women?
With women, the head is usually turned and tilted toward the high shoulder. The body is tipped forward at the waist and leaned slightly in the opposite direction from the way the face is turned. For example, if the subject is looking to her left shoulder, the body leans to the right. In the feminine pose, the body often faces away from the light source, but the face is turned toward the light.
How should the feet be positioned?
To accomplish the correct positioning of the shoulders in a portrait where the subject is standing, you start with the feet. Begin by having the subject stand with their feet at an angle to the camera. In addition to preventing the stumpy look feet get when feet are pointed at the camera, placing the feet at an angle will automatically turn the body so that it is at an angle to the camera.
Next, have the subject bring one foot forward and place their weight on their back leg. This causes the forward knee to bend and the rear shoulder to dip lower than the forward one.
Use the phrase, “weight on you back food”
What is the full facial view?
A full-face view is created by having the subject point their face directly into the camera. In this view, both sides of the face are seen equally. This look is quite common in fashion photography; it is less frequently used in portrait photography. A full-face pose looks very assertive and direct. With the right subject, this can produce an attractive, intense portrait.
What is the Seven-Eighths View?
The seven-eighths view is achieved when the subject’s face is turned just slightly away from the camera. You will see a little more of one side of the face than the other when looking through the viewfinder. This facial view has much of the directness of the full-face view, but the overall look is slightly softened.
What is The Three-Quarter View?
In the three-quarter view, the far ear is hidden from the camera, and considerably more of one side of the face is visible to the camera. With this type of pose, the far eye will appear smaller because it is farther away from the camera. When posing the sitter in a three-quarter facial view, it is important to position him or her so that the small eye (people always have one eye that is slightly smaller than the other) is closer to the camera. This strategy takes advantage of perspective to make both eyes appear to be the same size in the final photograph.
What is The Two-Thirds View?
The two-thirds view is probably the most frequently used facial position and the most versatile angle at which to photograph the human face. In this view, as in the three-quarter view, you see two full planes of the facial mask, providing the most opportunity to show roundness, dimension, and expression. The view is obtained by turning the subject’s head farther than the seven-eighths view, but just short of the profile view. Whether you call it a two-thirds or three- quarter viewpoint (many photographers do not make a distinction between the two), it is important that the eye on the far side of the face appears to be contained within the face by including a small strip of visible skin along the far temple.
What is The Profile View?
In the profile view, the head is turned almost 90 de- grees to the camera, so only one eye is visible. When posing your subject in a profile position, have him or her turn their head gradually away from the camera position, just until the far eye and eyelashes disappear from view. In some cases, especially with women, you will still be able to see the eyelashes of the far eye when the subject is in profile. Instead of turning the head farther to eliminate the eyelashes, retouch them out later.
What are Three-Quarter-Length Portraits?
A three-quarter- length portrait shows the subject from the head down to a region below the waist—usually mid-calf or mid-thigh. Never compose a portrait with a “break” (the edge of the frame) at a joint (an elbow, a knee, or an ankle, for instance) as this has an unnerving psychological impact on the viewer.
How should the arms be positioned?
Away from the Body. Your subject’s arms should generally not be allowed to fall to their sides or dangle loosely. Creating some space between the torso and the arms provides a slimmer view of the waist (if the arms are right next to the torso, they add to the visual width of the subject). Separating the arms from the body also protects subjects from appearing to have flattened, flabby upper arms.
A Triangular Base. Additionally, posing the arms away from the body creates a triangular base for the composition, drawing the viewer’s eye up toward the sub- subject’s face. A triangular base is commonly achieved by asking the subject to bend their elbows, separating their arms from their torso. In a standing portrait, you can have men place their hands in their pants pockets to produce the triangular base; women can rest one or both hands close to their hips or on their upper thighs
How should the hands be positioned?
One basic rule is never to photograph a subject’s hands pointing straight into the camera lens; this distorts the size and shape of the hands. Hands should be posed at an angle to the lens. Another basic is to photograph the outer edge of the hand whenever possible. This gives a natural, flowing line to the hand and eliminates the distortion that occurs when the hand is pho- tographed from the top or head-on.
You should always try to bend the wrist slightly so there is a smooth, curv- ing line where the forearm and hand join. Also, you should always try to pho- tograph the fingers with a slight separation in between them.
How do you keep the subject’s eyes active and alive?
The best way to keep the subject’s eyes looking active and alive is to engage the person in conversation.
What should be the Direction of the Gaze?
The direction of the subject’s gaze should follow the line of the nose.
