Lighting and Posing Techniques

Basic Posing Techniques for Individuals

• For individual photos, always ask the subject to position his head the opposite direction of the body. This creates a versatile angle and offers several framing options. For a stronger and more masculine pose, position the subject's head away from the shoulder near the camera, while a more delicate and feminine pose should do the opposite. To break the monotony of straight lines, ask the subject to assume an "S" or "C" body position. This adds a sense of movement to the photograph, making it more appealing to the eye.

Posing Techniques With Groups

• Individual posing techniques can be applied to groups, but the photographer should consider other aspects to make the picture more appealing. Having a theme for the group's clothing can make the picture more organized. If a person has clothes brighter than or different from the rest, place that person in the middle of the group to balance colors. Start in the middle when positioning people, and always pose them one person at a time. Each person's arm or body part should overlap or touch the next person.

Corrective Lighting Techniques

• Two of the basic corrective lighting techniques are short-loop lighting and broad-loop lighting. Short-loop lighting uses a single powerful light focused on the side of the person's face that's away from the camera. This technique emphasizes the details of the face and often has a masculine effect. On the other hand, broad-loop lighting is exactly the opposite -- the light is positioned on the side of the person's face nearer the camera, and it blurs facial details to create a more wholesome and feminine facial effect.

Glamour and Dramatic Lighting Techniques

• Butterfly lighting, often used with female subjects, has a tilted main light directly in front of the subject. The light can be placed above the subject's face or below it, depending on the photographer's goal. Butterfly lighting creates a glamour effect and emphasizes the details of the face coupled with shadows.

  The Rembrandt lighting uses several lights: one main light and one or two support lights. The main light is elevated and positioned on the side of the subject's face away from the camera, while a support light is placed on the other side. This creates a triangular lighting effect concentrated on the cheeks of the subject, with subtle shadows and bright areas complimenting each other.

  Split lighting uses one main light positioned almost at the back of the subject. This technique emphasizes only one side of the face and creates a shadowy image on the other side. Split lighting is often used to create a subtler dramatic effect.