| What I learned from a mentor that enabled me to | | | | portrait sessions, my pictures got better! |
| go from an amateur photographer to a professional | | | | I can't stress enough how basic, but important, it is |
| portrait photographer in very specific steps is | | | | to watch for these details. |
| something I like to pass on. Rather than spending | | | | I have people come to me who went to the |
| countless hours in classes learning every possible | | | | contract photographer for their High School Senior |
| detail, I learned just the necessary specifics and now | | | | yearbook portrait and disliked their picture. They |
| I work out of my home full time and have been in | | | | want me to take one that they can proudly give out |
| business for over 17 years, but I started out with | | | | to friends and family. Usually the problem with the |
| practically nothing; just an interest in photography and | | | | pictures I've seen is that the photography school |
| the need to earn more money. | | | | graduate "intern" who works for the contract |
| For one thing, my mentor taught me the Three | | | | photographer took the photo without paying |
| Classic Elements to produce "salable portraits." | | | | attention to some minor detail. I get it right and my |
| "Salable" is an industry term every photographer | | | | reputation grows from "fixing" the contract |
| quickly becomes familiar with to distinguish between | | | | photographer's mistake. |
| the everyday reality of making money versus | | | | The techniques for salable body positioning are what |
| creating those "artistic competition" or "award winning | | | | you look for in any pose you try whether close-up or |
| prints" which don't earn the money. | | | | full body. |
| I've been in the business for over 17 years now and | | | | When photographing people full body standing, |
| I'm still amazed that: | | | | seated or reclining on the ground, noticing body angle, |
| People don't buy the award winning prints that you | | | | hands and feet is the way to "fine tune" your |
| see wearing many of the ribbons at professional | | | | portrait and distinguish it from just a "snapshot". |
| photography conventions. | | | | Lastly, I must share my favorite body positioning tool |
| When my clients are faced with the choice of buying | | | | that makes it so easy to make a better portrait than |
| an artistic pose of their child being demure and not | | | | someone who doesn't really know what they're |
| looking directly into the camera or buying a pose | | | | doing: the head tilt. |
| smiling close-up straight into the camera, they buy | | | | A woman alone tilts her head just slightly in either |
| the smiling close-up every time. | | | | direction to make a more stunning portrait. A man's |
| Not very original, but I'm telling you now so take | | | | head can stay straight up or tilt slightly away in the |
| note: | | | | opposite direction from his most forward shoulder |
| Happy people whose faces you can readily see are | | | | but never back towards his most forward shoulder. |
| the most salable prints. | | | | Element number Three: Salable Composition |
| They'll never tell you this at a photography | | | | There are many compositional techniques in many |
| workshop, seminar, Annual Convention or at a | | | | books, but it doesn't take all that knowledge to |
| photography institute because their job is to create | | | | make portrait compositions that are what the typical |
| award winning photo artists rather than people whom | | | | consumer considers good enough to call professional. |
| simply make a living, but... if you haven't learned all | | | | Once you know what the consumer considers |
| the fancy lighting techniques, then you've saved time | | | | salable, you will be able to reproduce it again and |
| because the most important thing about light is | | | | again for other clients. You also will thank me for |
| having enough to keep the face out of the shadows. | | | | saving you from thinking that in order to be good |
| People prefer any kind of light, as long as there is | | | | enough to sell portrait photography you have to |
| enough of it to light the face and eyes so you can | | | | create grand artistic images. You just have to know |
| get a good look at the person! | | | | what works and be able to repeat it for the friends |
| The quality of light people prefer for portraits is soft | | | | of your clients whom will be getting your business |
| light, whether it be from an artificial source like a flash | | | | cards by way of referral. |
| umbrella or a natural source from the sky at sunset, | | | | When photographing one individual person, it's so |
| but other than a soft quality of light they want | | | | simple I don't think you need too much input for that. |
| enough of it to SEE the face of the person you're | | | | In fact, I believe you know the naive simplicity with |
| photographing, even if it is a flat almost straight on | | | | which you thought "hey, I can do this for a living" |
| technique. | | | | after taking some portraits of a friend or family |
| You may not win any competitions or awards this | | | | member. Yet it truly gets challenging when there is |
| way, but if you get plenty of light on the faces you'll | | | | more than one person involved. |
| create salable prints. | | | | I know of a local professional who has referred |
| This leads me to talk about fill flash. There are times | | | | family portrait clients to me as she specializes in |
| outdoors when you'll need a flash on your camera to | | | | children outdoors. Do you know what that really |
| fill in dark shadow areas mostly in the eye sockets. | | | | means? It means she's intimidated by having to do |
| Just use one f stop less flash than the existing | | | | groupings, but that's okay, most people are. |
| ambient light calls for. That's enough light to fill the | | | | So here's the rule of salable composition: |
| shadows and don't worry about not lugging around a | | | | Keep everybody's head at a different level. |
| portable umbrella to get the perfect modeling | | | | Like I told you, I didn't have a fancy College degree |
| technique. | | | | so my mentor had to keep it simple enough for me. |
| My mentor is right again: there is no change in the | | | | In some cases, you will recognize that it's not |
| sale. The customer pays for well lit faces, not | | | | possible, but if you do your best to stagger head |
| perfect modeling. I've tried it both ways and the | | | | height from individual to individual, you will be creating |
| customer buys the same amount of pictures in the | | | | professional looking images. |
| same sizes no matter what you do. | | | | You will stand some people, seat some in chairs, seat |
| Element number Two: Body Positioning. | | | | some on the arms of chairs, seat some on the floor, |
| This is a little more detailed area, but it is important, | | | | kneel some, crouch some, lay some down, but you |
| believe me. | | | | will achieve staggered head heights and salable |
| My basic education from my mentor began with the | | | | compositions. |
| same advice I'll pass on to you: | | | | Tip heads inward toward one another for unity when |
| You should rarely photograph anyone straight on. | | | | photographing a family group. |
| The exception to this rule will be for family and large | | | | Note that men are usually positioned higher than |
| groups, which for reasons of body placement will | | | | women. |
| often break this rule. But for individuals or smaller | | | | No, I'm not aware of being a chauvinist pig, but I am |
| groups of people this rule applies. | | | | aware that this is what usually sells. Not the images |
| Now, when you're not just photographing a head and | | | | where mom's higher than dad but where dad (even if |
| shoulders close-up you'll have to understand other | | | | he's actually shorter!) is positioned just a head or so |
| aspects of body positioning that makes people want | | | | above mom. |
| to buy their pictures. Hands. They should always be | | | | Once you understand the rules, you can bend them |
| turned slightly so they are seen from the edge with | | | | where you need to in order to make a portrait work; |
| fingers together, or hide the hands altogether behind | | | | but people will see that you know what you're doing |
| your subject or somebody else next to them. Never | | | | as you position them for a good composition and |
| position hands straight on with open fingers. | | | | especially when they see your finished work. |
| Simply put, anything that minimizes how much hand | | | | My mentor critiqued my work time and time again |
| you see works to make it a better portrait. This is | | | | over several years as I brought images and questions |
| always more flattering in a portrait and you'll see | | | | to him. It almost always boiled down to my |
| they are the ones people buy. | | | | understanding these most simple aspects that I've |
| Crossing legs at the ankles refines the pose and | | | | shared with you. |
| minimizes this area of the body making it more | | | | I know it's not customary to learn photography on |
| appealing. | | | | such simplistic terms, but trust me; I've had exposure |
| Look at it this way, what's less of a distraction: two | | | | over the years to many different photography |
| legs leading to two ankles leading to two feet -- or | | | | educational venues such as classes, workshops, |
| two legs blending into one ankle section with blended | | | | conventions, guest speakers, lectures, teaching |
| feet? Surely it's the latter. | | | | videos and books but never have any of the |
| When standing, one cannot simply cross their ankles | | | | teachers been willing to simply say "look, there are |
| unless they have something to lean against, so I will | | | | just a few rules to follow and people will be happy |
| have one foot in front of the other in such a way | | | | with their pictures". Never have I received more |
| that they taper into one general unit. Have them | | | | helpful advice than I received from my mentor. |
| place their weight on the back leg (remember, they | | | | I guess if I could sum up the philosophy he embodied |
| are at a slight 3/4 angle) and bring the front leg | | | | in word form I'd say it was rather like this: |
| forward and slightly tilt the foot to face out toward | | | | "Not everybody wants a masterpiece. Most people |
| the camera. | | | | just want to remember their loved ones as happy. |
| Whenever I'd show my mentor my portraits that I | | | | It's not hard to capture that with your camera, just |
| was just unsure of, it was these recurring themes | | | | don't stand them in hard sunlight, standing in a |
| that he patiently pointed out to me. | | | | straight line facing straight toward the camera. |
| As I began to look for these simple things during my | | | | |