Scarves and Poses at the Bank
Scarves and Poses at the Bank
This week, I was running a few errands around town, which included going to our safe deposit box at our credit union. I was lead back to the vault by a lovely woman, who kindly complimented me on my scarf. We started chatting about scarves and how to tie them, plus the fact that she had a huge collection of them which she never wore. Our conversation wandered from fashion to photography, and she mentioned that she despised having her photo taken because, “I’m not photogenic at all. I hate all photos that have been taken of me!” This seems to be a regular thought of so many women I’ve worked with. I proceeded to give her a quick lesson on how to pose to look better in photographs. What did I tell her?
- Comfortably stand with one foot in front of the other. Standing straight on to the camera is rarely flattering.
Put your weight on the back foot, and drop your front knee towards your center to give you a “mermaid” shape.
Straighten your back and drop your shoulder for better posture
Do the “turtle” by pushing your chin forward towards the camera, then down a bit, which gives your neck a graceful look (and minimizes a double chin or extra skin on the throat)
Remember that whatever is closest to the camera will look larger, and what is is further away, looks smaller.
She and I chatted more about photography, and we exchanged numbers to schedule a shoot for her. It was exciting to have just a few minutes to help change a person’s mind from “I’m not photogenic” to “I’d love to try a session with you!” We are not taught nor born knowing how to pose for a photograph. That’s something I’ve learned, and teach my clients when the are in front of my lens. I’m sure that whomever was in charge of watching the security tapes were probably puzzled by the mini-fashion show and posing session happening in the vault that day!