Perkins - 500 Poses for Photographing Full-Length Portraits

About the Author Photographer, writer, and designer Michelle Perkins has worked in the photography publishing industry for nearly twenty years. Her images and articles have appeared in Shutterbug, Rangefinder, AfterCapture, Metropolitan Bride, and Fearless Photographers. She is also the author of over a dozen instructional books for professional photographers, including the popular 500 Poses reference series, How to Photograph Weddings: Behind the Scenes with 25 Top Pros, and Professional Portrait Lighting: Techniques and Images from Professional Photographers. In addition, she has edited and designed photography books by industry leaders like Neal Urban, Neil van Niekerk, Mimika Cooney, Tim Kelly, Tamara Lackey, Michael Mowbray, and Lori Nordstrom. She has worked as a photography and design consultant on publications for Rizzoli and Oxford University Press. To learn more about her work, visit www.hellospeakeasy.com.

Copyright 2015 by Michelle Perkins. All rights reserved. Front cover photographs by Tim Schooler (large image) and Ethan Watts (small images). Back cover photographs by Beth Forester (top) and Pete Wright (bottom). Title page photograph by Brett Florens. Published by: Amherst Media, Inc., P.O.

Box 586, Buffalo, N.Y. 14226, Fax: 716-874-4508 www.AmherstMedia.com Publisher: Craig Alesse Senior Editor/Production Manager: Michelle Perkins Editors: Barbara A. Lynch-Johnt, Harvey Goldstein, Beth Alesse Associate Publisher: Kate Neaverth Editorial Assistance from: Carey A. Miller, Sally Jarzab, John S. Loder Business Manager: Adam Richards Warehouse and Fulfillment Manager: Roger Singo ISBN-13: 978-1-60895-910-5 Library of Congress Control Number: 2014955670 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without prior written consent from the publisher. Notice of Disclaimer: The information contained in this book is based on the authors experience and opinions.

The author and publisher will not be held liable for the use or misuse of the information in this book. www.facebook.com/AmherstMediaInc www.youtube.com/c/AmherstMedia www.twitter.com/AmherstMedia A s any experienced portrait photographer will tell you, making a subject look great from head to toe can be a challenge. With every part of the body showing, theres simply more to articulateand nowhere to hide any aspect of the figure or pose that feels a bit off or unflattering. And if any one part of the pose goes wrong, the whole portrait may be unsalable. Of course, these realities only compound the already challenging practice of posing, which many photographers consider one of the most difficult aspects of photography to truly master. fashion, for instance)so successful posing is a constant process of critical observation and savvy adaptation. fashion, for instance)so successful posing is a constant process of critical observation and savvy adaptation.

It can be difficult to remain creative day after day, year after year, but sometimes all you need to break through the slump is a little spark. Filled with images by accomplished portrait, fashion, and editorial photographers, this book provides a resource for photographers seeking inspiration and guidance. Stuck on what to do with a particular subject? Flip through the sample portraits, pick something you like, then adapt it as needed to suit your tastes. Looking to spice up your work with some new poses? Find a sample that appeals to you and look for ways to implement it (or some element of it) with your subject. For ease of use, the portraits are loosely grouped according to the fundamental position of the pose (reclining, seated, standing, etc.) and, in some cases, by defining characteristics (use of props, leaning positions, shots with both arms up, etc.). Within these, an effort has been made to include both male and female examples.

However, the fact that female portraits constitute the bulk of most businessesand that portraits of women exhibit much greater overall posing variationswas clearly reflected in the images submitted by contributing photographers. If youre interested in a more detailed look at posing male subjects, check out the devoted volume in this series: 500 Poses for Photographing Men. (Likewise, additional volumes on posing children, couples, and groups are available in this series; those subjects are excluded from this volume.) It can be difficult to remain creative day after day, year after year, but sometimes all you need to break through a slump is a little spark. In this book, youll find a plethora of images designed to provide just that. Table of Contents

Contents PLATE 2. Photograph by Beth Forester. PLATE 4. Photograph by Beth Forester. PLATE 5. Photograph by Beth Forester. PLATE 6. Photograph by Beth Forester. PLATE 7. Photograph by Stephen Dantzig. PLATE 8. Photograph by Jeff Smith. PLATE 9. Photograph by Pete Wright. PLATE 10. Photograph by Pete Wright. PLATE 11. Photograph by Beth Forester. PLATE 12. Photograph by Pete Wright. PLATE 13. Photograph by Beth Forester. PLATE 14. Photograph by Jeff Smith.