Tuesday Tips #309 – Less Posing, More Directing

Us humans can be a finicky bunch to photograph but chances are if you’re making your way as a photographer, sooner or later you’ll come across shooting us as subjects even if we don’t happen to be your full time gig. Over the past decade, the industry has moved into a less stylized way of photographing people and instead has leaned toward capturing our subjects in a loser, more personalized manner. With this in consideration, this month we have compiled some of our tried and true tips in an effort to help you grab those natural positions from your subject, all the while keeping it relaxed and “of them”.

One of the simplest way to direct your subject and position them into an “un-pose” is to capture them in the middle of an action shot. This can be as easy as a shot mid-stride or the swing of the hair or the fluttering movement in a skirt. Especially for a subject who is not quite yet comfortable for close up shots, this can be a great warm up shot that has a healthy dose of personality.

“In silence and movement you can show the reflection of people.”
-Marcel Marceau