Poses

Photo by Michael Barton Art

People always have questions about posing.... how should I do it?  What should I do? What in the world do I do with my HANDS?

It stands to reason that different types of modeling require different poses....though there is one consistent across all types " Suck it in, push it out"  Yup, just what it sounds like... suck in your tummy,push out your chest ( ladies, you may also arch your lower back a bit to accentuate your backside )  We won't get into facial expressions,that is a whole other post.

Because I like to do "arty" and think about lines and angles ( Fine Art Minor, you know), poses tend to be vaguely uncomfortable at the least, and sometimes actually hurt and can only be held for a few moments before a body part cramps up,or gives out.

You may think that is rather brutal...  I do it to myself, my goal is to have interesting, and on a good day , beautiful poses...though a photographer may urge me to push it, and strain more than I am all ready doing, I very, very rarely have one dictate a pose to me.  It helps that I do research for poses, depending on the type or theme of the shoot.  Anyone who says that modeling is just about standing there and looking pretty, isn't working hard enough.

Working out and being in shape and strong ( and yes,there are some bigger girls who are AMAZINGLY strong,so that is NOT a dig about size)   is crucial to the more strenuous poses, and being able to hold them...( and not let it show on your face)

Many poses, that look great as an image...don't even LOOK like they are that strenuous, until you try to do them yourself.....go ahead,put on a pair of heels and then try to copy some poses from magazines ( and not the just standing there ones that are showing off clothes and such) do the more art type ones...the ones where they are draped, folded, twisted or even bending.  See? Not as easy as you thought, huh?

On the subject of hands... to me they should match your body tension....if you are in a very graceful ,soft pose, your hands should match....if  there is tension in your body, your hands should be spread, or up on fingers or in some other way dynamic.Watch a dancer,of any kind, watch the kind of things they do with their hands.... work on emulating that.  

And on that note, I am going to work out .      

Commercial VS Art Modeling

Photo by: Cadence Gamache ( Now Mccarrell Photography) 

                           

Photo by: Michael Barton Art

 I ,personally want to experience and try my hand at as many different aspects of modeling as I can.  One difference that many new models don't seem to get is the difference between ART modeling and COMMERCIAL modeling.  These two pictures are a good example.

Now that is not to say that commercial modeling cannot be artistic, or art modeling can't be commercial- that couldn't be further from the truth . But on the whole there are things that go into different categories,  that are styled differently,and done differently. Be aware.
One key is  lighting, as you can see is very different, the finishing is very different.  The general purpose,of course is very different.

Obviously Art Modeling is all about the image, and can be moody, and heavy on shadow ( or not,it is of course ART after all)  It can be simple, or not, depending upon the artist. It can be heavily phtoshopped, or not at all,depending on the image, the model sometimes,unrecognizable as the model, or sometimes even as a human figure.

Commercial modeling is to showcase either clothing, or the model themselves.  The shadows tend not to be as deep, the skin is flawless, the background may or may not be more simple, however.  It is the kind of photography you typically see on billboards, in magazines, in model portfolios.  It is retouched,cleanly, and again the focus is on the model.

I enjoy doing both.( though to be honest, I probably enjoy art modeling a touch more.... but I think that is indeed the artist in me, and I know I enjoy making darker images more)   I enjoy looking at both...but KNOW what your photographer does best, and know what type of image you need for submissions or portfolio or whatever you are planning to use your image for.  Educate yourself about what you need.