Shooting to flatter - techniques?

[divamum]

Been thinking about this since the weekend. My lovely subjects (clients? Wow - feels weird to type that!) were very happy with the shoot overall - LOVED the ones of her husband (which I thought were weaker - go figure) and she liked several of the ones of herself, but this beautiful gal just hates her appearance at the moment and consequently that is ALL she can see in the images - as I mentioned, she's having some real body confidence issues in the light of a weight gain and is very down on herself.

I think I did a pretty good job overall and got some truly flattering shots of her, but I feel like I "should" have been able to do better so that her response was "wow - I look so much thinner than I expected!" and made her feel like a Pretty Pretty Princess.

I'm sure this is something most photographers encounter from time to time. We can't change how much weight a subject is carrying, but... what are the specific techniques that we can use to take pounds of a subject?

The ones I know (or have figured out)

- no full front square to camera poses unless there's a very good reason

- short lighting (main light on back side of face)

- raise chin slightly, ie shoot from slightly above

- break up body angles

- for ladies, keep upper arms covered and/or out of the frame

Any other specifics? I know - this is probably the million-dollar question (and will, of course, vary subject to subject) but I feel sure there are more tricks out there I simply haven't learned yet :D Bring 'em on!!

[VayCayMom]

I recently got a book about posing and the one BIG thing I learned was to always always keep the arms away from the body, hands on hips, hands anywhere to keep arms off the waist and upper torso. One thing I do in PP is to liquify the neck to pull it in a tiny bit, a slender face/head/neck area goes a long way in giving a slimmer overall image. Ever notice how people with round faces or thick necks can never look really thin?

[dogwood]

I recently got a book about posing and the one BIG thing I learned was to always always keep the arms away from the body, hands on hips, hands anywhere to keep arms off the waist and upper torso.

Of course there are exceptions to all rules :D

http://www.pbase.com/dogwood_digital/image/112326819.jpg

[mpriest13]

I recently got a book about posing and the one BIG thing I learned was to always always keep the arms away from the body, hands on hips, hands anywhere to keep arms off the waist and upper torso. One thing I do in PP is to liquify the neck to pull it in a tiny bit, a slender face/head/neck area goes a long way in giving a slimmer overall image. Ever notice how people with round faces or thick necks can never look really thin?


Sorry if this is a stupid question but what do you mean by "liquify the neck"...and how do you do it?

[Richard]

Sorry if this is a stupid question but what do you mean by "liquify the neck"...and how do you do it?

Liquify is a tool in Photoshop CS2 and later. It lets you selectively distort shapes. Skilled users can make people look thinner, more muscular, whatever.

[VayCayMom]

Of course there are exceptions to all rules :D

http://www.pbase.com/dogwood_digital/image/112326819.jpg

if you were to take a close look at her arm. it might be hard, you would see even her right arm is held away from her torso and her hand is in a variation of the hand on hip position, making her waist look even better, the waist being the part between the legs and "chest" lo.....:ivar l