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Tuesday Tidbit: Posing Large Groups (Part Six: You’re In Charge)

vantagep — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:35:18 +0000

Part Six in our “Posing Large Groups” series–the last post of the series! We’ve talked about triangles, building from the center, color balance, posture and blinkers. Whew! For the sixth in the series, it’s last but DEFINITELY not least. In fact, this is probably the most important thing to remember in posing groups: you’re in charge. That does NOT mean you get to carry around a whip and bark orders in German (although, to be honest, sometimes you’ll feel like doing that). It means that you have to remember that everyone….seriously, everyone…is looking to YOU for direction. Here are the things I do to make sure I not only remain in control but that people have a good time too (er, they don’t have a BAD time):

1. Speak loudly enough that everyone can hear you.

2. Smile. Genuinely.

3. Introduce yourself at the very beginning (if you don’t know everyone there) and tell everyone that you’ll be asking them to stand in certain positions. I always ask people to “help me out” by paying attention if/when they hear my voice so that everyone can get to the dance floor/bar/wherever sooner.

4. Have your cameras settings figured out BEFORE placing people so you don’t have a group of 20 people staring at you uncomfortably while you play with your gear.

5. As you ask people to stand in certain areas, either point very clearly or place yourself in the spot to show them where to go. Regardless, the directions you give should be clear and concise. Mimic the pose if you have to.

6. If you must futz with people once you’ve gotten everyone in place, tell them what you’re doing. Even something like “Everyone can relax while I check the settings on my camera” will help people feel more at ease. Then when you’re ready to shoot, tell them you’re ready, have everyone stand up straight….and shoot.

7. Tell folks you’ll be taking a few shots to make sure there aren’t any blinkers. This will prevent the “smile, see the flash go off, relax completely” syndrome that seems to happen when group photos are taken.

8. Smile. Genuinely. Again.

9. When you’re finished, thank people for their time and tell them they’re free to go. If you need to keep some people for additional pictures, make sure to tell those people to stay BEFORE you tell everyone they can go.

So that’s it! Hopefully you’re feeling a little more confident about doing your next group shot. Practice practice practice. And don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Have fu!

Happy shooting from Vantage!

2009: Favorites

vantagep — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:04:05 +0000

It’s that time of year again, when everyone compiles their list of favorites from the past year…favorite bands, favorite movies, favorite flavors of Doritos, you name it. So I’m jumpin’ on the bandwagon and adding my own list….of the visual kind. Without further ado, my favorite pictures taken in 2009. (Taken by me, that is. If I made a list of my favorite images by other people, well, I’d never get any real work done…the list would just be way too long. So you’re stuck with just lil’ ol’ me.)

Katy and David: Married! (The Castaway – Burbank, CA)

vantagep — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 23:10:03 +0000

I really enjoyed shooting Katy and David’s wedding at The Castaway–although it was definitely challenging from a technical standpoint (outdoor ceremony well after the sun had set), their families and guests were welcoming, the ceremony was gorgeous and Katy and David were so easy-going. This wedding was also a first for me in the sense that Katy’s wedding day was also her BIRTHday! Happy birthday Katy!

I have to give a gigantic shout-out to Craig Cardella and his wife of Ixora Floral Studio–their flowers were AH-MAZE-ING. And Katy and David’s DJ, Eugene of Zuno Productions, was the ultimate DJ. Top notch vendors, both of them. And a big thank you to Jamie Lawler, my second shooter for the evening…this girl’s got real talent…and I’m blessed to call her my good friend, too.

Enjoy your sneak peak, Katy and David! I wish nothing but the best for both of you in this new year!

Tuesday Tidbit: Posing Large Groups (Part 5: The blinking trick)

vantagep — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 03:02:58 +0000

We’ve come to Part Five in our “Posing Large Groups” series….so far we’ve talked about triangles, building from the center, color balance and posture. This Tuesday’s tidbit is short and sweet: it’s a little trick I picked up through the years for the blinkers out there–you know ‘em…every time that flash goes off, they’re blinking. And when you’ve got a large group, well, the chances of having a blinker in the crowd goes up. So what’s a girl to do?? (Btw, this really only applies if you’re using flash)

The anti-blink trick

First thing you have to do is tell everyone you’re going to ask them to do something that feels sort of silly but is going to help make sure to minimize the “blinkers” in the group. Second, ask everyone to close their eyes (you should have everything set to go at this point, don’t make them stand there with their eyes closed while you fiddle with your gear). Then tell them that you’re going to count down from three and say “open”. When they hear open, they should open their eyes and smile. About a split second after you say open, press the shutter and you’ve got a 99% chance that you haven’t got a blinker in the bunch. Take a second shot just to be sure.

That’s it. And it works. So say goodbye to those blinkers!

Happy shooting from Vantage!

Tuesday Tidbit: Posing Large Groups (Part Four: Posture)

vantagep — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:24:12 +0000

It’s Tuesday Tidbit day! And yes, I know I’ve skipped a Tuesday or two lately….but I’m back. Yay! Ok, Part Four in our “Posing Large Groups” series. We’ve talked about triangles, building from the center, and color balance. This Tuesday we’re talking about posture. You’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a gazillion times: good posture makes all the difference and this is true for large and small groupings.

Start with a good base and then focus on the details

Both men and women should angle their bodies towards the center of the grouping (aka their shoulders should not square up with the camera frame) and place one foot slightly in front of the other foot with their weight on their back foot. Ask everyone to stand up straight….and then relax their shoulders. People tend to bring their shoulders up towards their ears when given this “stand up straight” command so reminding them to relax their shoulders will give them a more natural look while maintaining good posture.

Once you have this base, you can look for more detailed posture issues, such as having a dad place his hand on his young son’s shoulder to include the child in the grouping more clearly or having asking individuals to turn slightly more inward or outward. A “detail” tip is to have everyone ever-so-slightly tilt their head towards the center of the group; that slight tilt gives a greater sense of connection and love throughout the group to the viewer.

What should I do with my hands?

It’s a common question you’ll hear from your subject as you’re getting them into position. Generally, I tell people they can keep their hands at their sides or put their hands in their pockets (having a thumb sticking out is generally understood to be an important rule but I don’t necessarily buy it…and therefore don’t always ask for people to do it). If keeping their hands at their side, remind people to keep a small bit of space between their arms and their body otherwise their arms will flatten out against their body and look bigger than they really are. If they are standing next to each other, you can also have individuals with special relationships (a parent and grown child, for example) consciously connect by having the person to the rear place their outer hand on the other person’s forearm lightly, or on their bicep if it makes more sense. As a rule, I make sure men aren’t standing with their hands clasped in front of their groin; the guys might feel more comfortable that way (it’s a very natural stance for men) but it generally isn’t very attractive as a posed portrait: it closes the men off from the viewer, when the real goal is to create connection and warmth between subject and viewer.

What if people are sitting?

Again, start with a good base. Ask people to perch slightly on the edge of their chair (automatically gives them better posture) and sit up straight (again, asking them to relax their shoulders). For women, ask them to tuck one foot behind the ankle of the other foot (pretty much every woman I’ve ever told to do this knows what I’m talking about) and for men, ask them to put both feet flat on the floor, with the outer foot slightly further forward than the other. For both, they can place their hands in their laps (although men like to put their hands on their thighs, which is also fine).

And remind everyone….again…to stand up straight and relax their shoulders. Because I guarantee that most of them have started slouching already.

Happy shooting from Vantage!

Eric and Mariana: Engaged!

vantagep — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:00:19 +0000

When I was in Chicago for Kelly and Paul’s wedding, I was lucky enough to be able to set aside some quality time to spend with one of my best friends, Eric, and his soon-to-be wife (wife!) Mariana, before I boarded the plane for San Diego. And I was thrilled to have been able to celebrate their relationship by doing an engagement session with them in their new city and home, Chicago. It makes me so happy to see Eric so happy–clearly, Mariana, you’ve captured his heart.

Enjoy your sneak peek and slideshow you two. And CONGRATULATIONS! See you in August!

Tuesday Tidbit: Posing Large Groups (Part Three: Color Balance)

vantagep — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:47:17 +0000

It’s Tuesday again, meaning it’s time for another tidbit! This week’s tidbit is the third post in a series about posing large groups.

As in all things, balance is key

Color balance, that is. Unless I’m posing a giant group (15 plus) at a wedding where trying to balance color would be a nightmare (and it really isn’t worth it to create a nightmare for everyone), I always try to pose people based not only on their height and their relationship to each other, but by the color of their clothing. When posing groups at a wedding, for example, you can pretty sure (since gay marriage isn’t legal in most states….yet…) that you’ll have at the center of your group a man in a dark suit/tux and a woman in a light dress. Balancing for color, you’d want to place someone in darker clothing next to the white dress…and someone in a lighter outfit next to the dark tux…and so on. Since our eye is naturally drawn to the lightest part of a photo, weaving light and dark colors throughout your group helps to control where the eye lands first, goes to next, etc. It also just helps to lend a sense of overall balance to the image, without one side feeling “heavier” than the other.

Of course, you always need to balance the quest for color balance with the quest for triangles and keeping groups within the group together (immediate families within the extended family, for example). Balance, in everything, is key. And as is usually the case with weddings, you only have so much time to do all of this, so go easy on yourself with following every rule: 30 minutes to pose 20 different groups of five or more people…ready set go!

Happy shooting from Vantage!

Kelly + Paul: Chicago, Illinois

vantagep — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:01:35 +0000

I was so excited to join Kelly and Paul for their downtown Chicago wedding–Kelly and Paul are just so laid back and easy to be around. And I was psyched at Kelly’s ideas for their B&G (bride and groom) session: they wanted images that showed them as an urban couple IN Chicago, not just in front of Chicago (aka skyline). Now those are my kind of images.

We had a great time traipsing around the city before the ceremony (both the ceremony and reception were held at the super chic Allerton Hotel on Michigan Avenue) to get those urban shots in spite of the unusually cold Fall day. I remember remarking to Paul how much fun they seemed to be having and the wedding hadn’t even started. His response? “Of course! How could you NOT have fun on your wedding day??” Here’s the thing: not only were Kelly and Paul joyful and fun….they were also majorly in love and excited to be starting their new life together. Here’s to many happy years together, you two. Enjoy your sneak peek and slideshow!

Image of the day

vantagep — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:14:08 +0000

You know those images that you just love, that stick with you, that you don’t care if anyone else loves it, you’re gonna love it no matter what anyone else thinks?

I’m putting the final touches on Alia and Justin’s proofs today and I keep coming back to this image. I love it. Dearly. I don’t know why. I just do. The texture, the light, the ring at the corner that says “bride” ever so subtly. It makes me happy to look at it.

Tuesday Tidbit: Posing Large Groups (Part 2: Build from the center and work your way out)

vantagep — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:01:28 +0000

It’s Tuesday again, meaning it’s time for another tidbit! This week’s tidbit is the second post in a series about posing large groups. You can read the first post here.

Build from the center

It really is a simple and perhaps obvious concept, to build your groups from the center, but if you don’t do it, you can have some nightmares on your hands. Sooo, pick the person who you want to be your center (or two people, as is the case in weddings…) and simply add individuals around the center. This is important for a few reasons:

1) It allows you to be particular about placing every individual so as to create those loverly triangles we discussed in Part One;

2) It’s easier for your subjects to know where to place themselves when you’re able to give them a starting point (“I need you to stand slightly behind and to the left of Sarah”);

3) It’s easier to ask one person to move over several steps than to instruct an entire group of people to take two steps to the right, believe me;

4) For weddings, it just makes sense. Almost every photo is going to have the newly married couple in it, front and center. Might as well keep them front and center and build around them.

In the Tuesday Tidbit fashion, a quick and simple bit of info. Happy shooting from Vantage!