Taking Great Portraits
with props and poses
by Mickey Maguire
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Everybody wants a great portrait to share with friends and family. A lot of photographers spend a ton of money on studio lights, backdrops, and all necessary stands, they make the space needed to set it all up and get ready for business, then when a client comes along, they fumble around blindly trying to figure out how to pose and direct them at their "sitting." Before you invest in a studio, it might be a good idea to go out with a few friends and family and take pictures in natural settings. Just play around a bit and get used to the idea of posing your friends, or your kids, and learn what angles and focus points you like. Candid shots are sometimes fantastic, but, most of the really great shots you see in books and magazines are staged. Typically, it is the photographer directing the show, even with top models and celebrities. When you are planning a shoot, in addition to setting up your backdrop, lighting, and camera, you might want to plan for any props that will help engage the model or subject. Here, it helps to know their personality or as much about them as possible. Any props you choose should be something familiar to them. For example, working with musical performers, I like to provide microphones, instruments, and other similar props. A stage-set would enable the model to feel at home under the lights. I like to use fewer lamps than a lot of studio photographers. I also change light positions to increase or decrease the depth of shadows. I switch from side to side a lot and reflect lighting to get softer highlights. I also use floods rather than strobes to prevent blinking and keep all of my reflections in check. In the shots below, we used a ukulele as a prop. My model, Sarah, is a musician. When I handed her the uke, she just started playing it and I started taking pictures. Sarah plays several different instruments, so, having musical instruments of my own, I am not short of props for her sessions.
Part of a model shoot often includes changes of clothes. In this case, Sarah also changed makeup. She went from the sweet school-girl look to the sexier, sultry look in a change of makeup and outfit. We wanted to use a teddy bear prop and took several shots of Sarah hugging and kissing the little pot-bellied-bear. We took shots with variations in lighting and angles using a posing stool. My lens of choice was a Tamron SP 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di lens. I like that focal length for studio work since I can get close and also shoot from a little farther out without a lot of distortion. The lens is fast enough that shooting in dimmer lighting is no problem and it didn't break the bank when I made my investment in it. Sarah holds a pose extremely well and follows instructions better than most models with whom I have worked. She also comes up with excellent ideas, like blowing a kiss. I had her change head tilts, and bring up her left hand to add the jewelry to the shot. I also folded back her cuff to reveal the bracelet on her right hand. The shadows accentuate her beautiful cheekbones.
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I like to familiarize myself with any model I plan to photograph. If you can get to know their personality first, it makes things a lot easier. If they are a performer of some sort, learn about their work. If they are a business person in town, learn about what they do and any hobbies they might have. For example, I knew a guy who owned a company that made industrial abrasives. In his off-time, he loves to fly and owns a small airplane. For him, any prop that is related to aviation would be an asset during a shoot.
A lot of executives love to play golf, clubs would be a great prop for them. Many business people are flyfishing enthusiasts and others are wine connoisseurs. Some people are interested in sailing and nautical decorations. Other subjects of interest might me nice leather-bound books, sports collectibles, or old quill pens. Learn whatever you can about your clientele and, if possible, find suitable props for their shoot.
You want to make your subject comfortable and give them something to do with their hands. Believe it or not, that is one of the toughest things to do. Some people are very self-conscious about their hands. Having the right props can make a big difference. If you must, though, hide their hands in their hair, behind their back, behind a desk or similar piece of furniture. It is best, though, to give their hands something to do.
Be sure to focus on the model's eyes. You want to catch that little highlight whenever possible. If they wear glasses, position them to prevent reflections from studio lighting. And if they insist on using their own walls as a backdrop, be sure that nothing will reflect the lights, like mirrors, china cabinets, televisions, windows, and other, not so obvious things like door-knobs, brass lamps, even highly polished furniture.
Avoid harsh lighting. I like to use 40 inch umbrellas and softlight boxes. I also like reflecting light when needed. I never use a flash or strobe because unexpected glare can ruin a once-in-a-session moment. I also like to shoot unplanned moments and poses. I try to stay alert and attentive to those things. Sarah is wonderful that way. When she does something cute or funny, I can say "do that again" or "hold that pose" and she will freeze until I click the shutter. Not many models can do that, so, keep your eyes open and work as efficiently as possible.
When you are finished, you can look at everything you shot and pick the cream of the crop. That's the advantage of digital. Shoot as much as possible with the time given you and when you are done, you can pick the best, dump the rest, and with careful planning, you won't have to reshoot.
For Great Performance and VALUE, we recommend 
XR Di Series lenses.
© 2006 Tricorn Publications
