Let's free ideas that sometimes freeze when posing starts!
Has it ever happened to you? That moment when your mind stopped and you asked yourself 'Now what? Where should I begin?'
Posing begins with the body...
so let's forget all else and focus our attention on the body in a new light... a shadow!
A shadow devoid of detail...
no buttons...
no bows...
no pockets....
Simply begin to think of the body in terms of its silhouette.
THIS SILHOUETTE
is an actual black-and-white photograph. All graduated tones have been eliminated, leaving only the true outline of the model.
The figure has been sliced to two dimensions height and width
IT'S TRUE
That in silhouette you can't see the model's features, what she is holding in her hand, or the expression on her face...
But...
Notice how the stark simplicity of the silhouette carries your mind's eye directly to the position of her
... body
... legs
... arms
... and head!
Strip the body of distracting trivia and you discover the foundation of all posing -the form in silhouette.
As you focus your attention on a silhouette, you begin to notice things you never saw before. For even in outline the body has character and feeling.
Notice the position of this model. Her stance makes her appear broad, heavy and masculine.
Yet here - when she shifts her weight to one foot - her pose immediately becomes more relaxed, lighter and more feminine.
Slight change ... big difference! Do you suppose that other apparently minor changes make comparable differences in the impression communicated by a photograph?
OF COURSE THEY DO!
The slightest twist or turn of the subject, easily detected in outline, alters both the silhouette and its meaning.
When you can translate the rounded human figure into a flat silhouette, and associate its lines with a familiar symbol, you have the key to duplicating or creating any pose.
All silhouettes can be translated into simple lines. Some have long lines; others tend to zigzag.
Long-line silhouettes . . .
are usually those in a standing or reclining position, or any other stance where the body is, or almost is, at its fullest length.
Zigzag silhouettes . . .
are usually created by sitting or kneeling poses that shorten the body into positions of angularity.
These, you will agree, are two very general classifications. However, each can be diagrammed for careful analysis and specific identification.
A LONG-LINE SILHOUETTE
is simple to diagram. Find a full-length picture of a person. Think of it in terms of its silhouette. With a heavy black pencil or crayon, get ready to draw the lines that will permit you to classify it.
Draw a dotted line...
from one shoulder joint to the other. (This we will call the shoulder-track.)
Draw another dotted line..
from one hip joint to the other. (This we will call the hip-track.)
Now draw a heavy solid line...
from the center top of the head to the middle of the shoulder-track. Continue this line down to the middle of the hip-track and on to the tip of the foot that is not supporting the weight of the body. (If the weight is equally distributed, the line is drawn to a point half-way between the feet.)
The solid line you have just drawn is the long-line of the silhouette.
If you will diagram at least five more standing figures, you will discover an interesting fact
:
HEAD-LINE + BODY-LINE + LEG-LINE = LONG-LINE
ALL LONG-LINE SILHOUETTES FORM LETTERS
that are easy to remember. Separate the pictures you have diagrammed and you will find that each solid line simulates one of three letters of the alphabet - an T, a 'C or an 'S'!
A long-line silhouette does not always appear in a vertical position. Sometimes you'll find an T, *C or 'S' slanted on the diagonal.
Sometimes the silhouette will be presented in a horizontal arrangement.
VERTICAL SILHOUETTES
are formed by the model who stands on her feet, using the ground as her primary means of support. In this vertical position her body is capable of forming an ‘I’, 'C or 'S' line, regardless of which view is presented to the camera.
Vertical 'C silhouettes are simple to execute with effective results. They form the basic poses that the beginner can use without encountering complications and are the basis of creative posing for the more advanced. 'C silhouettes tend to lighten the body and manifest a feeling of femininity, grace and ease.
Vertical ‘I’ silhouettes have an exacting quality overlooked by the casual eye. They are the most inflexible of all poses and require experience and skill. Contrary to common belief, an interesting straight vertical silhouette is difficult to execute without giving the body a stolid appearance. However, when expertly used to express strength, masculinity, elegance, regality, it is a very effective long-line silhouette.
Vertical 'S' silhouettes are interesting to work with and, although they require more practice, they are worth the extra effort. The slight shift of the head-line or the leg-line to the opposite side that changes a 'C silhouette to an 'S' makes a rewarding difference. The graceful line created by the 'S' silhouette appeals to the artistic eye. It flows with femininity, flexibility and symmetry.
HORIZONTAL SILHOUETTES
HORIZ
ONTAL I’
are created by the body in a reclining position. In this horizontal arrangement, the body's silhouette can still be classified by its ‘I’, 'C or 'S' lines. As the body rotates to present a different view to the camera, the individual characteristics of each letter formed can be noted.
In horizontal posing, the weight of the body is supported by various parts of the body other than the feet. Because of this, opportunity presents itself for certain poses which the standing figure could achieve only with considerable strain.
Horizontal silhouettes can be arranged leisurely. Many poses are deliberately taken in this position - inverted or tilted later. For instance, a picture may be set up, with the model in a horizontal position, for the express purpose of inverting the picture later to simulate a standing pose. When this is the intent, extra attention should be given certain details. Hair and clothing should be arranged in the position in which they would fall naturally. All props and accessories must appear to conform to the law of gravity if the finished picture is to be believable and realistic.
The reclining figure is best supported by hard parts of the body such as the foot, wrist, hand, elbow or fingers. These are not distorted by weight or pressure. Soft parts of the body such as
the hips, arms, thighs, calves, etc., bulge when they are pressed against a hard surface to support weight.
When soft flesh must contact a hard surface with pressure, shift the major weight to the opposite side so that the flesh facing the camera touches the surface lightly, maintaining its most effective line.
DIACONAL SILHOUETTES
may slant at any angle between vertical and horizontal. Still figures, classified as diagonals, usually require specific support other than the feet, while diagonals taken in action do not need additional support. The diagonal silhouette, supported by an object at any height, can present any view to the camera and still form ‘I’, C or S' lines that permit classification.
Diagonal C is the most commonly used diagonal body silhouette. The average girl supported by an object, curves her body naturally in a C. Although this silhouette is the easiest of the diagonal lines to achieve, it expresses grace nevertheless, and gives the effect of being softly feminine and generally pleasing. Many outstanding photographers favor this 'C curved silhouette and beginners would do well to remember it.
Diagonal I is the most difficult of all ‘I’ silhouettes to sustain in a true line. It is stark and exact - demanding rigid control on the part of the experienced model. It maintains the feeling of directness and strength which is characteristic of all straight-line silhouettes and can be prosaic unless done with deliberate intent.
Diagonal 'S' silhouettes have that extra something that adds flair to a picture. This flowing reverse of curves is reminiscent of Hogarth's classic line of beauty. With a bit more expert handling than is needed for the 'C silhouette, the 'S' long-line is both highly artistic and adaptable to distinctive work.
THE ZIGZAG SILHOUETTE
should be examined only after you have familiarized yourself thoroughly with the long-line silhouette.
As you know, the zigzag silhouette is formed primarily by sitting and kneeling figures. A simple line diagram of the body in these positions will do just what the name implies.
It will zig and then zag. Most of the time it will zig, zag, and then zig again to form a figure 'Z’.
These are tricky silhouettes and can, if not carefully handled, look like one big lump! Good zigzag poses are best directed by the photographer from the camera position.
When hips and shoulders face the camera, in a zigzag position, the immediate impact of the pose is often lost. Therefore, those unsure of which sitting or kneeling position to use, will find that side or | views present a silhouette that defines the body's outline.
For the clean body-line popular today, use the arms in a lace-work around the torso. An open silhouette gives the feeling of freedom, space and lightness. Arms that appear glued to the sides, thicken the silhouette and can give the impression of an undesirable bulge or a heavy waistline.
Sitting and kneeling figures cannot be diagrammed like the long-line silhouettes. They are so angular that even their classification is different.
Ah! There's our key ... angular! Let's study them by the angles they form.
Information taken from https://papersediting.com/