Painfully Phony- Posed Photography

I recently had an experience at my work with a professional photographer. Now, normally I'm behind the camera. Or if I'm say, in a wedding party, they usually don't need a ton of photos of me and there isn't a whole lot of posing that I had to do. Suffice it to say, I'm not used to being in a posed group of people. Let's just say that it was a very eye opening experience for me. Now, perhaps was just an off day for the photographer and I really don't want to put him down too much, but it sure felt like he hadn't a clue what he was doing.

Perhaps you saw these pictures in a little article in the Reporter Herold in the At Home section a bit ago. If you didn't, try not to be too disappointed, as I have included a snapshot of the snapshot for your viewing pleasure. And, many that I have shown this picture to say that is wasn't as awkward as we in the office felt, so please take what I say with a grain of salt and let me vent.

First of all he posed us outside, in the cold, while it started snowing, and then took quite some time telling us, the girls mainly, how to stand. I repeat, in the snow.... in heels....in light, white shirts. Then his feet positions that he told us girls to stand in was off. He had us point our right foot- or left foot as the case maybe- toward the photographer- with your other foot at a 90* (or perhaps 110* angle) behind it while touching heels. This was to bring the shoulders up and out so you don't collapse in. It was partially correct, you do point your foot and you do have your other foot behind you- but in a 75* angle and about 2/3 of your foot size away from your heel, not touching them. This gives you a nice line and in most cases will make you look slimmer. However, if you touch heels and have a bigger degree of an angle you look like a penguin and it makes your shoulders look very broad (not something we women usually want). Also, it makes you look highly unstable because most people- or maybe its just me. Yeah, I think it's just me- are not ballerinas with the best balance.

Secondly, he told us to have our arms "just by our sides." You know all that hard work we just did to bring our shoulders out and get a good posture?? Yeah, it just got wiped away with what I like to call orangutan arms. Letting your arms "just be by your side" without specific placement tends to make them look long and dangly. Also, people feel pretty awkward this way and you will end up with some hooking their hands in pockets (the cowboy look), others who have a weird leg grip going on (the half squatting look), while others look like they are dangling their fingers in the ocean trying to catch a shark (the fishing look). And since this was to be a professional picture, a good place would be comfortably clasped in front or behind our backs. I prefer the front as sometimes when you put them in the back it can make you look like you haven't any arms at all. This also brings your shoulders out and gives you a nice upright position.

Thirdly, he told us not to smile, but to look content. It's very rare for a person to not smile and still look content. If you can successfully accomplish this, you tend to look as though you just peed your pants. Not really  a pleasant look at all. Most of us that try to look content and not smile end up looking like serial killers. I did watch this video recently that discouraged against using the hard "e" words that we usually do when taking pictures. I.E. Don't use "cheese". It makes your smile more forced and in some cases very wide and -HA- cheesy. This, I would agree with. Kids do tend to need words to say to focus them, but you should use more "ah" words such as "mocha" or "yoga". The best way of course to get that natural smile is to make them laugh.

Also, we were not given a count or any indication that he was now taking real pictures, and not just testing his lighting. I will admit, as a more photojournalistic photographer I tend to have a hard time remembering to tell people when I'm actually taking the picture. But for a professional picture such as this, some indication would have been much appreciated.

I'm all for friendly photographers. You want people to be very comfortable and themselves with you. But, especially in a business setting when everyone is just thinking of the next thing they need to do, I don't think getting their life story is needed. Especially when you are standing in the snow....in heels..... like a duck..... in a white shirt...... on the edge of a curb.......at 8:00 in the morning...... in the wet snow.......or maybe I've mentioned that already??? ;)

Next he did very, very posed pictures of us "working." Now I know this one is simply more my style than something that is fundamentally wrong in photography. But honestly, I don't think it makes someone look very friendly when they are awkwardly standing over a co-worker with orangutan arms trying to look natural and failing miserably. (That one probably had more to do with his model than his posing abilities.)

Which brings me to the point of this blog (which, surprisingly isn't just me rambling on and pretending to know something, like usual. HA). It's not easy for me to take criticism. At all. Even more so in photographing because I'm so insecure about my photography. But if I ever want to grow in photography, I have to learn and be willing to take advice or criticism from others. So those of you that have had your pictures taken from me, did you go home and complain to your family about how awkward that was? When you got the pictures did you bemoan the fact that none of them looked natural or like you at all? Did you and your friends use or want to use the pictures as a dart board?
What about you that are just looking at my photos? Do they look cheesy? Do they look like unbalanced ballerina ducks?

Always learning,
Ti-Ti