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Shoot: Mature Female Poses

I know that I talk fast and I'm probably gonna talk faster. (audience laughter) I'll try to be not so bad. Um, the reason I'm saying that is that in this section, we're going to cover four really important subject areas. Honestly, now is when I pick things up. 'Cause I had to get, kind of, the essentials, now everything is going to go a little bit faster and I'm just gonna get right to it. So, these segments are going to be about 15 to 20 minutes in length. Really quick refreshes on how to photograph these different subjects. So, what we are going to start with is going to be photographing a mature woman. Meaning, maybe just not someone who's a high school senior, for example. We have a beautiful model, I mean, she's gorgeous. So, they, Creative Live was nice to me. They started off with some nice looking subjects for me. Um, but let me just start with the absolute essentials for photographing a mature woman. First of all, see, women's posing. We already talked about this. Go watch all...

of that, but these are the other considerations you have. Number two is good posture with a quiet confidence. That's like, that's what you're aiming for. Generally, mature women, you're not aiming for it being all about the curves. You're not aiming for it to be dramatic posing. Just flattering, soft. And that kind of melds into another one we have here. So, good posture. Number three - this is a caution. If you're photographing an older woman, and I'm even aware of this, you more quickly show age in your hands. Okay. So, a lot of women, especially if maybe they look great, but they have more wrinkles or veins in their hands. So, when you're posing hands, be aware of how you're posing them, and how prominent they are in the photograph. So I wouldn't, for example, likely, for a much older woman, pose with her hand here. Because it is going to draw attention to all of that. But I would, however, if I wanted to involve hands, tuck it behind her hair. So I can still see her arm, I can still involve hands in the pose, but it is not drawing attention. The next thing that I would say is you do want curves. This is still photographing a woman, but just not exaggerated, like we are going to do in an upcoming segment. Subtle curves mean you still want shape, you still want negative space, everything we talked about in posing women, just keep it subtle. It doesn't need to be over the top. And then this last one. Each subject that you have, you need to analyze differently. And you need to photograph differently. So, it all depends on age, it all depends on the size of the person. Like, I'm giving you all these tools so you can analyze your subjects and try to flatter them. So, number five, it depends on the subject, but more so than usual, you would have your subject lean their head out towards the camera. Often as someone ages, the skin underneath their chin, underneath their jaw, gets looser. And so you don't want to see that, you want to elongate it and make it tighter. So just keep that in mind with a mature subject. You're going to want to make them look younger, not to draw attention to age, you don't want hands to be dominant in the frame, and you want a little more of a lean with that chin, to tighten everything up. So those would be my two big considerations, but then, that being said, pretty much everything else is going to be the same. So, let me grab my belt and my camera, and I'm going to bring out our lovely subject. And can I have a chair, please? Thank you. Hi. Hello. Nice to see you again. Nice to see you. I love her look, beautiful, oh my gosh. So, um, actually, can I have a chair-chair? The black one? I'm going to have her take a seat there. Perfect. Okay. Perfect. Alright, could you take a seat for me? And I'm gonna have you bring the light over. Great, okay, so when photographing your subject first thing is not leaning back. When you're leaning back, you're working against yourself. So, will you just lean out towards me really far? Perfect, just like that. Great. And depending on how wide of a crop you have, make sure that, in this instance, the hands aren't held tight to the sides, the arms aren't, because then it's mergers. Just depends on what you're shooting. But I'm gonna show you, for example, if I do photograph her hands, I'm going to tuck it behind her neck. So, actually use your right hand for me. Tuck it behind your neck, and by default, just drag your elbow down, real loose, just real loose in front of you. Great, perfect, alright. And I'm gonna have you lean towards me even more, and you can use that other hand, I'm just photographing your face, so you can use it to prop up that arm if you need to. Whatever you need. Alright, let's give this a test. I'm actually gonna move this in just a tiny bit. Perfect. (camera shutter) Alright, and let me get one of, yeah, genuine smile instead, perfect. (camera shutter) Great. (camera shutter) Perfect. And rotate just a little bit further from the camera. Great, and lean towards me just a little more. And pull that elbow in front a little, yeah, great. And a little less tilt, yeah. So, again, meant for like, the high school senior. But just, not as severe with a mature woman, 'cause it doesn't need to be cutesy, but still, like, a subtle, like a subtle tilt. Just, everything's a little less severe as you get older. So, perfect. (camera shutter) Great (camera shutter). Alright, and I'm gonna turn you towards me just a tiny bit. You can move your hips, too. Good, great (camera shutter). Okay, so, next thing, I'm gonna have you stand up, and let's say, I wanna talk about body language with arms real quick. I'm gonna have you cross your arms for me. Let's say that we are photographing, she's good, um, photographing, uh, maybe it is a business woman. She's wearing a suit and this is going to be her business profile. How you cross your arms is a lot of body language communicating to somebody. So, if you show no hands, like this, this means closed off. Like, that's, that's what it communicates is don't approach me, it says I'm not approachable. If you have fists visible, that means you're kind of business. Still want it to be soft. In general, for a woman, you want kind of soft hands when your arms are crossed. So I'm still gonna have you cross 'em, you're great, and I'm gonna actually have you overlap a little bit more. Just like, yeah, and instead of across, up. Yep, perfect, just like that. Great, see? So, I was looking for, and this is what I do, just so you all know, I do exactly this. So instead of hands across, this is that same thing where I said up and down is static. Straight across is static, so I was trying to get her to tilt her hands up just a bit. And this is inviting. This is saying I mean business, but I'm not tough. I want to communicate. That's basically what it means. So I'm gonna have you, you're already, you know, put weight on one hip, whatever one you're more comfortable with, and turn a little bit towards the light. And I'm gonna have you step just a little bit closer towards the camera, and then lean towards me. Good (camera shutter). Perfect (camera shutter). So, that would be for me, business woman profile photograph, something like that. Great, okay, you can relax. Um, I would not pose a mature woman on the floor. It doesn't make sense to me. Um, sitting, if I were doing a sitting shot, I would absolutely pose on a chaise or a couch, where I could have her set her arms and lean. But, I'm assuming that everybody has a chaise or a couch. So, I would do that on a chair. Can I have that chair again? Just that one more time. So, I'm gonna have you sit and just lean on that. It is not the best chair for this. Um, and I'm gonna bring it out this way just a little bit. Thank you. So, I'm gonna just have you sit and lean, okay? And notice, if she sits right up against it, she's gonna be like this, so you'll probably have to put your bum out here. Okay. Perfect, and cross your arms over just a little bit more, something like that. Great, now just one thing, she looks nice and comfortable, that's fine, but she's leaning back a little bit, just lean your chest forward. Great. (camera shutter) And relax your shoulders. Good (camera shutter). Perfect. Um, and are you feeling comfortable, what do you need to, do you need to scoot your butt up, maybe, a little? That okay? Good, so, because I see just a little bit of tension. Great (camera shutter). Good (camera shutter). Perfect. I'm gonna do one more close up shot (camera shutter). Perfect. Okay, so now, could I have my fake wall, please? So I'm gonna finish up real quick. I want to do my five shots. I definitely, I'm gonna have you stand up, I definitely would pose my subject on a wall. So, we're gonna fake a wall because I've made it complicated over here. I'm gonna pass this to you for a sec. Alright, so we are going to fake a wall. In other words, don't really lean on it, just kinda lean on it, okay? And scoot it back towards the background. Excellent, okay. So, what you're looking for if your subject is leaning on a wall, is you do not want everything flat up against the wall. So, what I'm actually gonna have you do, and this is something that I originally saw from Sue Brice, so you can check out one of her classes for this, is I'm actually gonna have you rest the back of your wrist on your butt, okay? And maybe, like, right there, towards me, yeah. Now, pop out your elbow. Like, let me see it more this way. Good, good. And I'm just gonna have you lean the elbow on the wall. Just a little bit, good. And then I'm gonna have you put your hand maybe in your hair. Something like this, perfect. Alright, so, what I'm gonna do, she can't really lean, because it's not really a wall. Alright, so right now what I'm seeing is okay, her hand is posed towards me. Soften it. So, will you stroke down your neck just a little bit. Just real soft, okay, good? So, see how much nicer that is than she was before? Just real soft. Relax your shoulders. Okay, now, I'm gonna have you kind of lean on that wall. Just a bit with your elbow; good? And the last part is, she is kind of leaning back. So, I'm gonna have her tilt, tilt, tilt, and what you can do is actually kick your weight on your back hip. Kay? Good. And so you can tilt, tilt, tilt, and instead of elbow all the way out, you can lean. I'm just gonna pull it this way just a little bit, so you can lean back a little. I just, I don't want her to fall. Okay, perfect. Sort of elbow out, bring elbow down, good. Right there, so lean towards me, lean, lean, lean, lean, lean. (camera shutter) And relax your shoulders (camera shutter). Good (camera shutter). And can you put your hand on your hip? Good, and pop it up this way. Good, and relax your shoulders. (subject laughing) Good (camera shutter.) Perfect. And relax just a little more. Good! Perfect, right there. And tilt your head this way (camera shutter). Great, okay, perfect. Oh, one blank. Hold on. Let me unblank you (camera shutter). Perfect (camera shutter). Okay, so I would do poses up against the wall, so that I have negative space but not this. It would be more like this. Or like this. Or like this. Or like this. Or like this. Something with a little bit of negative space. Not too straightforward towards to camera, and if I do too straightforwards towards the camera, give myself a little bit of curve. So, that's what I'm gonna end on. Just a little bit of curve. So, what you're gonna do, is you're gonna put this hand on your hip, and put that on the wall. And I'm gonna have you cross your right knee over. Cross over just like that. Perfect. Let me take a look. Great, put that elbow on the wall. Great, and then just go like this with your other hand. Perfect. And lean way towards me. Great. So, this would be much more kind of fashiony. And instead of such grip, just kind of drape across your chest. Good, and a little bit more relaxed. Right there, good, perfect. (camera shutter) Great (camera shutter). And this would be as far as I would go with curve and pose. This would be the furthest I would go, personally. Because now it's like I'm trying to get fashiony and too much shape. So, everything else I would do subtle, subtle arms, subtle hands, this would be as far as I would go. That's it, okay, so let's move on to next session. Thank you. Thank you.