Posing tips for models and photographers in Commercial Photography situations

One of the things you need to watch out for when you posing or shooting, is foreshortened appendages. 

That means that if a model sticks their arms, legs, feet of fingers directly at or away from the camera, it doesn’t look so good.  As a matter of fact, it looks really weird.  Sometimes you can get away with it, but most of the time you can’t.  Much depends on how much “information” there is close to the area.  When I say “information”, I’m talking about whether or not you can see enough area around the limb to give the viewer enough of a clue as to what is going on in the picture.  Most of the time you’ll end up with a hand coming out of nowhere or and arm that’s to short.  Just try not to point the model’s are, finger, or other body parts right ant the camera, and you’ll be alright.  Photographs are a two-dimensional form and sometimes that third dimension would be able to come in really handy.

Another thing you need to keep an eye on is when a model hides an arm or leg behind her body.  The model can end up looking like he has some kind of amputation going on.  So if you’re a model, putting you arm behind you is probably not a good idea.  Even when you are standing in a profile position to the camera, try to keep that far arm either slightly in front or slightly behind you so that you look as though you actually have two arms.  There are times when having only one showing will work, but to be safe, it’s usually a good idea to try to get both arms in the picture…

With some pictures, it's just too easy to pick out the mistakes...  It's funny how a photographer can screw posing even the most beautiful models.  Some things will just happen, even if the photographer and model aren’t planning on it.  It's the photographer's job to keep an eye out fro these kind of things and it’s the models responsibility to keep from doing it in the first place.  But nobody's perfect.  Just keep on trying and learning from your mistakes.  I do.