Tips & Tricks
Watch: Foundation Posing Framework: Easy Posing Ideas For Couples | Ask SLR Lounge
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Join PremiumOur next question comes from Dmitri and he wants to know:
Do You have a plan for posing; a way to optimize how to pose the subjects?
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In our studio, we have a team of about 40 shooters and so we have to have a system or framework to teach them how to pose our clients. Posing is an area that is one of the most challenging for photographers to master. There are times when you’re at a shoot and you feel like you’ve run out of posing ideas and struggling to get a certain look or feel, and this is why we’ve developed an entire framework for posing that we call the Foundation Posing Framework, which teaches you what you need to know.
We talk about the entire Foundation Posing Framework in the CreativeLive Incredible Engagement Photography workshop, as well as in our Natural Light Couples Photography course. In the video above, I wanted to give you a snippet of that as well as some tips with the basic framework for you to use.
The Foundation Posing Framework: Position of the Feet
Most poses are based on about five different positions of the feet.
V-Up: The subjects’ shoulders are hinged on the back and their bodies form the shape of a V; facing toward each other. You can simply cue your couple by telling them to pretend that the area where their shoulders are touching is like the hinge on a door. Then when you give your subjects directions like, “open up” or “close the door,” they can easily understand and follow what you want them to do.
Closed: Couple is facing in; feet are pointed in at each other
Open: The couple is open to the camera.
Stacked: One person is standing in front of the other; he is behind her, while her feet are stacked against his.
Reversed: One person is facing one direction away from the camera, while the other person is facing into the camera
The basic positioning of the feet are all we use to get people into different poses. Then from there we simply make small adjustments to different touchpoints on their body.
Their Body Language: Touchpoints
If you want a more romantic image, the more touchpoints you have along the body or along the limbs will create a feeling of romance. The less touchpoints you have, the feeling of the image will be more whimsical, candid and playful. Of course, you will also give them guidance on other areas, such as the eyes, where they are facing and what they are doing with their hands, etc.
Just understanding the five different feet positions, the effect of contact points in the couple’s bodies, and then making those small, simple adjustments can yield countless poses.
See more examples of the poses in the video above from minute 3:40 on., and refer to the following courses for even more ideas and guidance on angling the head, specific guidance for him and for her, body language and intimacy, the 3-point-check, and a lot more.
- CreativeLive Incredible Engagement Photography Workshop
- Natural Light Couples Photography (You can also stream the full Natural Light course as a Premium Member).
Remember to submit your questions at www.slrlounge.com/ask-slrlounge in the comment section of the post.
Join Premium
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In our studio, we have a team of about 40 shooters and so we have to have a system or framework to teach them how to pose our clients. Posing is an area that is one of the most challenging for photographers to master. There are times when you’re at a shoot and you feel like you’ve run out of posing ideas and struggling to get a certain look or feel, and this is why we’ve developed an entire framework for posing that we call the Foundation Posing Framework, which teaches you what you need to know.
We talk about the entire Foundation Posing Framework in the CreativeLive Incredible Engagement Photography workshop, as well as in our Natural Light Couples Photography course. In the video above, I wanted to give you a snippet of that as well as some tips with the basic framework for you to use.
The Foundation Posing Framework: Position of the Feet
Most poses are based on about five different positions of the feet.
V-Up: The subjects’ shoulders are hinged on the back and their bodies form the shape of a V; facing toward each other. You can simply cue your couple by telling them to pretend that the area where their shoulders are touching is like the hinge on a door. Then when you give your subjects directions like, “open up” or “close the door,” they can easily understand and follow what you want them to do.
Closed: Couple is facing in; feet are pointed in at each other
Open: The couple is open to the camera.
Stacked: One person is standing in front of the other; he is behind her, while her feet are stacked against his.
Reversed: One person is facing one direction away from the camera, while the other person is facing into the camera
The basic positioning of the feet are all we use to get people into different poses. Then from there we simply make small adjustments to different touchpoints on their body.
Their Body Language: Touchpoints
If you want a more romantic image, the more touchpoints you have along the body or along the limbs will create a feeling of romance. The less touchpoints you have, the feeling of the image will be more whimsical, candid and playful. Of course, you will also give them guidance on other areas, such as the eyes, where they are facing and what they are doing with their hands, etc.
Just understanding the five different feet positions, the effect of contact points in the couple’s bodies, and then making those small, simple adjustments can yield countless poses.
See more examples of the poses in the video above from minute 3:40 on., and refer to the following courses for even more ideas and guidance on angling the head, specific guidance for him and for her, body language and intimacy, the 3-point-check, and a lot more.
- CreativeLive Incredible Engagement Photography Workshop
- Natural Light Couples Photography (You can also stream the full Natural Light course as a Premium Member).
Remember to submit your questions at www.slrlounge.com/ask-slrlounge in the comment section of the post.
Join Premium
Fantastic ideas, Pye Paah ji!!
Great ideas Jirsa. These help me to take better photo.
What an AWESOME video !! Thank You Pye !!
Pye you are incredible. I used the concept of the door hinge with my latest couple, so much easier to communicate what I wanted and create great looking images. Thank you.
OMGOMGOMGOMG! My name was mentioned on that video!This was exactly what i meant when i posed the question! Really good advice for us starter photographers!
Thanks!
nice ideas, thank you
Hi pye so wich course am I better geting for more info on poseing for models couples and groups . Thanks
Hi Arthur,
Many of our courses cover this topic as it is prevalent for both weddings & portrait sessions. The Natural Light Couples Photography Workshop covers our foundation posing framework in detail:
https://www.slrlounge.com/store-product/natural-light-couples-photography-workshop-dvd/
Fantastic, thank you so much for sharing the images and tips. Last few weddings realised I’ve been using the same poses for the couple portraits, so in need of some new ideas.