Montreal Studio Portraits: The Importance of Body Language
I recently had an amazing magazine style portrait session, and I'd love to share with you the importance of body language in photography. While many people believe the face is everything in an image, it's crucial – yes – but not the most important. Most people feel somewhat intimidated by studio photography; they perceive themselves as being 'naked' in front of the camera. The first question I often receive is, 'What should I do?'
Don't worry; I've got you covered.
In modern portrait photography, body language plays a crucial role in conveying the desired mood, emotion, and message of the image. I find that hand positioning is the most significant challenge for people. It's often what either makes or breaks the image. What I'm aiming for is a 'believable image.'
Now, let's talk about achieving a 'confident pose.' I typically start by instructing you to 'straighten your back and drop your shoulders.' – it’s exactly as starting cooking onions in the beginning of most of the recipes. Can we stop there – no, but can we start a pose w/o the base? I'll then look for asymmetry, adjusting your chin, tilt your head to convey the desired level of strength or approachability. The truth is, after spending just 15 minutes with me, you'll feel more relaxed and at ease with the process, which will inevitably reflect in the pictures.
From my experience, the images from the first outfit are typically the ones people are most critical of, whereas those from the last two outfits are often the ones they favor the most. So, yes, practice does make perfect.
I hope the image show how posing is essential for
