Tips from Photographers

If you've ever been in a situation where you've had your photo taken, and you've not wanted to because you know that the result won't be flattering, then this post is specifically for you. I know a lot of people aren't particularly comfortable with the idea of having their photo taken, partly because they dread seeing the result.

So I recently asked some amazing professional photographers to help me with this post, and asked them to contribute a few words to help you when you're faced with a lens pointing at you. Here's their top tips for looking your best in photographs....

Don't wear fake tan. It may look fairly natural to the naked eye but it almost always looks orange on a digital photo! Also, if the ladies wear fake tan and the men don't the difference is obvious on the group shots.
- Paula Anne Brown
www.ollievision.co.uk

A smile is in the eyes as much as the mouth - the better you get to know your photographer before the event the more relaxed you will be when smiling and that will shine through in your photos
- Helen Rushton
www.helenrushtonphotography.co.uk

A photograph taken from above is always best to avoid double chins and also makes your waist look smaller too!! Just make sure your top isn't too low cut or you might get to see more than you bargained for!!
- Kerry Diamond
www.kerrydiamondphotography.com 

I tell my clients, "Think like a swan, swans never have double chins"
- Mandy Charlton
http://mandycharlton.com/

keep your arm away from your body, put it on your hip and point your elbow out. stops flattened arms looking big against bodies 
- Kathy Dunn
http://www.katherineashdown.co.uk/ 

Shimmy and relax your shoulders avoids that hunched-like-a-vulture look. And look up into the camera or at your partner.
- Rosie Woodhouse
http://www.littlepeopleportraitsskye.co.uk

When your arms hang at your sides it makes you look wider so always bend them at the elbow and create that little triangle of light between your body and arm. This is a great slimming trick.
- Robin Owen
http://robinowenphotography.com/ 

I tell clients not to smile because they're having their picture taken but because it's a beautiful day, because they're in love, because they've just married the love of their life. I also tell clients to whisper a compliment in one another's ears or to remind each other of something they noticed about one another on the first day they met, or something they love about one another. When they do this, it always brings natural, genuine smiles to their faces.
- Erika Szostak
www.photomadly.com

Get to know your photographer before the big day, via an engagement or portrait shoot - you will be much more relaxed in front of the camera come the big day and your photographer will have learnt a lot about you and the style you like! (And no red or patterns on clothing at the enagement shoot!) 
- Sally Beard
www.thephotographyboutique.com 

I always get clients to raise the chin slightly. That always seems to sort out the "double chin".
- Addey Kehinde
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Imagery-by-Addey-Kehinde/139728756082158

Kiss the back of your hand to plump up your lips again after you've been smiling for ages and your lips feel all thinned out.
- Hannah Webster
http://www.lifelinephotography.co.uk/

On my shoots I often say "chin up" as it avoids unsightly shadows under eyes (in natural light) and makes people look more attractive. If you are being photographed try to be mindful of your body and posture, (e.g. what you do with your hands, if in doubt hand on a hip always looks good) but don't concentrate on it too much, as long as you look natural and you're having fun the pictures will look good as well.
- Olivia Vitazkova 
www.reverinephotography.com

Always stand with your weight on your back foot and bend your front leg. stand at a slight angle about 45 degrees to camera not flat on unless instructed to do so.
-Emily Walker
http://www.emilyhancock.co.uk

Be honest with your photographer about any concerns you have BEFORE the photo shoot. Do you have a skin condition that you don't want to show on the photos? What about a mole or birthmark that you dislike? It's vital to discuss this prior to the shoot so that the photographer can take action to minimise the appearance of a condition if necessary.
- Paula Anne Brown
www.Ollievision.co.uk
 
Always make sure you get an engagement shoot before your big day. You'd be surprised at the difference it will make to your wedding pics and how comfortable you feel if you and the photographer have built up a relationship and you have experienced the way he/she shoots. It also gives the photographer chance to get to know how you photograph. Try to be yourself and not to do to much 'posing'. The idea is to capture YOU Don't be afraid to chat, laugh and play around with one another as if the photographer isn't there- these make great shots!
- Emma Thwaites
https://www.facebook.com/emmylouphotography?sk=wall 

When you're being photographed try to think of your photographer as a funny friend, not a random stranger. The way you look at a funny friend is very different from a stranger. So your photographer is your best buddy. ;)
- Cathie Heart
http://www.cathieheartphotography.com/blog/

make sure the person with the camera is shooting slightly downwards so that your eyes look bigger, close your eyes for a moment before the click so they are fresh, make sure the light is even on your face and you're not squinting and relax!
- Jo Blackwell
www.joblackwell.co.uk
 
and finally, two tips from me...
If you're short (like me!) ask your partner to put their arm around your waist, rather than placing their hand over your shoulder. If it's on the shoulder, it can end up looking like you're being pushed down further, whereas round the waist makes you look closer to their height.

Ladies, try to avoid holding bouquets/handbags too high. Holding a bouquet under the bustline hides the outline of the waist and can make even a slimline lady look wider than she is. By keeping arms long and relaxed, you elongate your figure. 

I hope you've found these tips helpful... feel free to add any you've picked up or know to the comments box below, and I may do a follow up on this post!  

Portrait of a lady

18th Century lady, originally uploaded by Kristin Mitchell photography.

So the past few weeks, I've been kept exceptionally busy.  As you might know, I already have a collection of qualifications in photography from college, but I recently signed up to a night class for a one-off course. 

When I left college last year, there was a photograph I'd created which to be honest, was what I'd call a bit of a slow burner. It took me a while to fall in love with it, but lots of other people seemed to like it a lot.  

It's this photograph, of a kite. 

The kite photograph was originally for an advertising concept, for wind energy. The outdoor image was shot first, then projected onto muslin cloth in a studio, and a kite was placed in front of the muslin.

After leaving college, I wished I'd experimented more with projections. So, when the chance came to do another class, and a self-initiated project, I decided to use projections again.

The inspiration for my project was old paintings and portraits, how aristocrats were portrayed in front of gorgeous vistas. So I started doing some digging around and more research. I decided to create modern portraits using projections to create the idea of someone sitting in front of a gorgeous vista.

It was a surprisingly big project. Although I created three portraits, the starting point was the background. I decided to take lots of pictures of backgrounds, so that I could bring out the richness in the shadow and detail in the lighter areas, much like traditional portrait painters would have done. If you look at almost any traditional painting, even in the darkest corner, it's not actually black paint; there's tiny details, in deep, dark rich colours, so subtle but still there. I wanted to make sure this wasn't lost with a camera, and took several photos, layering them in such a way to bring out the details and make it a rich palette of colour.

Next, was the portrait. The background was projected, but there had to be separate exposures - one for the background and another for the sitter; the background needed a longer exposure time than the sitter under the studio lights.

For two of the portraits, I hired dresses from Scottish Opera.

The portrait above, drew on inspiration from the 18th Century. I also created a portrait of a one of my regular models, Vivien Taylor, using a gorgeous early 19th Century Jane Austen period costume. The inspiration behind this picture can be found on Pinterest.

Finally, I took a leap into the 20th Century. I was very much curious about this image of Elizabeth II on her coronation by Cecil Beaton. What was curious to me, initially, was the angles of the background in relation to the chair and seating position of the Queen. In closer cropped images, the background is looking up, at an angle, into the roof, while the Queen sits straight on, towards the camera. This wider angle version hints that perhaps what we see behind the Queen isn't all it seems, but maybe a backdrop.

With this in mind, the lovely Wendy from Flossy and Dossy agreed to pose for me as my regal model. Here she's wearing a dress she made, with the tiara kindly borrowed from Gioia Mia. The interior of this shot was taken inside St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, and actually I think the flags and banners add an authenticity to the final image. Oh, and if you're wondering, yes, the clothes pegs were entirely intentional in the image - I wanted to show it wasn't simply a photoshop job, as people's awareness of image creation tends to become more cynical of how an image has been created.


The whole project kept me busy for the best part of seven weeks, including writing the proposal, sourcing background locations, photographing and editing the backgrounds, undertaking the research and constructing a research workbook, finding suitable dresses and props, as well as photographing and editing the images, printing them, and finally writing a evaluation. Both the proposal and evaluation had to be the length of an essay each.

So what do I get at the end of it? Well, enough credits, in conjunction with my previous college qualifications to undertake a single year's honours degree course, if I wish to do so. The alternative would have been to have spent a year full-time doing a degree course.

At this point in time, I have no intention on going back to college. While I enjoyed my time there, I don't feel that it's the right choice for me at this time. However, I always like to leave doors wide open when it comes to opportunities for the future, especially as this was very much a one-off night class. What I really got from it was the chance to explore projected backgrounds again in a large studio, and almost exclusive use of the studio for several weeks. It was also nice to do a more academic project again, and throw myself back into writing proposals and evaluations, and knowing that my work will be heavily critiqued and thoroughly evaluated by tutors.

For now though, its life back to normal and back to 21st century portraits!

Seeing Past the Photograph

Today I thought I’d write about looking at photography.

Whenever we log on to the internet and look at people’s websites and galleries, its easy to be blown away by a slick photography website, and overlook what we’re actually considering. If you went into a car showroom, and saw a lovely, shiny new car, complete with the new car smell, lovely wet look black tyres, the reflection of lights dazzling on the bonnet, its easy to get the wow factor just looking at it. It might be a car you actually don’t like very much, that doesn’t meet your needs, you might not even like the colour – but the showroom surroundings make it look great.

Looking at an online gallery is a bit like a showroom. The hardest bit is actually looking properly at the images and deciding whether it meets our needs, whether we think it’s a good photograph. Is that a photograph you’d want in your home, or are you being dazzled by the showroom effect?

Photography is an individual taste thing. I can’t tell you what to look for. I don’t even advise looking at whether it “fulfils the rules of composition”, because some photos don’t adhere to the so-called rules and look great; and anyway, rules are made to be broken.

What you need to look for is whether you can you see yourself in that photo; do you want to be that person in the photo; is that a photograph you would want to have on your wall or in your wedding album for the rest of your life?

To help though, I’ve written a few things I tend to consider when I’m looking through other people’s work.

1. What's going on in the portfolio?
Most photographers have their work broken down into different categories, different galleries. I look at each category gallery as a portfolio. Look through each portfolio carefully, and see what they’re including in it. Also consider what they’ve not included though – have they included images of details, the flowers, table decorations, cake, rings? They may have chosen not to include it in their portfolio, but by considering what’s included – and what’s not included – can help inform you, and you can always ask about this if you choose to contact them.

2. Size and variety of portfolio?
I've learned to try and edit my portfolio down to the very best images I have, the ones I feel proudest of. I might have four or five similar photographs but editing is important, so I'll find the strongest image of those four or five and will only use that image in my portfolio. A portfolio with lots of similar images for example, a bride from a slightly different angle, but in the same location, same pose... to me, its a bit like watching the same advert three times in a commercial break. It can work as a diptych or triptych as a sequence to tell a little story (where two or three images are placed together on one page). One thing that's always been ingrained to me is that its better to have a small portfolio of 10 fantastic images, than 20 images where 10 aren't so great. I've always been reminded I'm only as strong as my weakest photograph. In terms of variety, that's a personal choice. I actually have different portfolios for each category of work I like doing. So my wedding portfolio consists purely of wedding work; there's no portraits or non-wedding related photographs in the selection. I like seeing portfolios that stick to one category of photography. I'm less keen on portfolios with two garden flower photos; three bridal images; a slick city building; two of cars; four of children in a studio... I like photographs to stay relevant to the subject of the portfolio. It doesn't matter if the portfolio is small, as long as it’s the best work the photographer has to offer. I think of it like a chef showcasing their food - they don’t serve a starter, main course and dessert all on the same plate at the same time.

3. What do these people look like?
Nobody is perfect, everyone has their flaws. A good photographer though should make the viewer completely overlook the flaws. It shouldn't be the first, second or third thing you see. The mood of the photograph should be the thing that catches your eye first – are these people wearing fixed grins, or are they genuinely having fun? We've all seen photos of ourselves that we hate, ones that show off a double chin, look right up the nostrils, make our bodies look larger than we need reminded of. A good photographer should be able to avoid this. Sometimes photographers will ask someone to drape their body over something – a car, a tree, a bench. Think about how these people look – whether their pose looks stiff and uncomfortable, or whether it looks relaxed and natural.

4. What am I looking at here?
This is a bit like no. 3 – look at what the photographer has seen; or maybe look at what the photographer hasn’t seen. Taking a good photograph involves more than pressing a button – the photographer should be looking around before they take the photograph. It’s about the attention to detail in the image. So look around the picture. When we pose for photos with our friends, we might find the tidiest location to take the photo, or we select a nice view in the background. Has the photographer thought about this?

Some details can be edited out, but it should be noted that Photoshop and other photo editing software isn’t a failsafe, fix-all. There are things I will edit out of the image, which are easy to take out, and might be unavoidable, for example a bright green exit sign in the far background of a photograph; dead leaves lying on a lawn, even fence poles between my subject and a great view.

Ideally a photographer should get everything right in camera, rather than rely on Photoshop to fix it. Some things simply can’t be fixed in Photoshop, and a good photographer should manoeuvre to try and get it as right as possible.  Look around the image and see if the photographer has achieved that.

5. What effects have they used?
There are so many effects now, but you still need to look beyond the effect to see the actual image. The effects a photographer might employ include: sepia or cyanotype toning; spot-saturation (one item is colour, the rest is black and white), soft, hazy effects, turning the camera at a 45 degree angle.

Personally, of all those listed above I dislike the black and white with spot saturation effect most of all, as I find it distracting and overused. I also think its an effect that is already starting to go out of fashion, and it’s going to date the image quickly, although its something I think most people will experiment with at some point.

Sepia and cyanotype (blue toning) can be quite nice, as an alternative to black and white, but it depends on the situation. Certainly, their roots are in traditional darkroom techniques.  The 45 degree angle will give an effect of being candid, suggesting that it’s been “shot from the hip” and unposed – but you’ll have to look carefully to decide whether its actually posed or not. 

The most important thing to decide is whether these effects are appropriate for the actual content of the image. A vintage wedding car might look good with a sepia tone; a modern wedding car however might not.  Equally a black and white image of a bride with spot saturated blue eyes or red lips may end up looking a bit too supernatural or ghoulish.

I remember years ago at a portfolio review in London, a photographer asked me why I’d put an image into black and white when the rest of the set were in colour. I replied, “I thought it looked good when I tried it out”. The photographer advised me that I ought to think about what I was going to do with the image before I took the photograph rather than as an afterthought. Ever since then, effects have been a pre-thought rather than slapping it on an image afterwards to see what happens.  I’ll take the image with an idea in mind about how I want to present it. If an effect looks a bit odd, then I tend to assume the photographer hasn’t planned or considered the image first. I love photograph where the effect complements the subject matter perfectly.

These aren’t hard and fast rules for analysing photography, but its important to remember this is something you need to love once it’s come out of the showroom. There’s nothing worse than a photograph depreciating in its value to you when you take it home.  

Strike a pose....

So today I thought I'd write a post offering six tips about being in front of the camera.

Everyone reacts differently when there's a camera in front of them, regardless of whether its a friend or a professional they have hired. A lot of people don't like having their photo taken, and will wince at the sight of themselves not looking quite as Angelina Jolie as they would like.

However, there are things you can do, to make what you have look great. I suggest you actually try doing them as you're reading them.

Make the most of who you are, play up to the camera with your own special virtues, and you'll end up with a photo that Angelina Jolie might wish for.


1. Hold your head
A lot of the time, when someone takes a photo, the person in the photo will often pull their head back. It's an instant reflex, where we somehow manage to think the room is only 1 metre wide, and we need to pull our face back as far as possible so we fit in through the lens. To paraphrase Jamelia: Stop!

If the photographer is too close, then either step back, or get them to step back. But don't push your head back. I call this the turtle look, where we look like turtles retreating into our shells, and our chin remarkably evolves into folds of neck. The other danger is tilting your head up, so everyone gets a lovely shot of nostrils. Great, if that's the look you're going for, but normally people aren't aiming for that appearance.

So here's the tip: stand tall - you know all those tips about posture and invisible lines pulling you up? This will lengthen the neckline. Now, you don't want to do the whole ladies finishing school thing of pretending to balance books on your head, because usually that means your chin is tilted upward.  Gently tilt your head forward, and downward at the chin. Keep your neck lengthened, and your chin tilted down slightly, as if you're resting it on the edge of a table. Voila - goodbye multi-chins and volcanic looking nostrils, hello graceful, defined jawline!


2. Stand at an angle
A camera effectively flattens a three dimensional scene into two dimensions when it takes a photograph. It makes everything into height and width, and it can miss the more subtle nuances of a person. I rarely stand straight on in a photo, because I end up looking like a podgy cut out. This is because the camera creates the image from what is in front of it, which if I'm straight on, is from left to right, my widest part across my hips and tum. 

 The two dimensions however can be used to your advantage. By standing at an angle to the camera, anyone can look instantly slimmer in a photograph. You will need to practice this in the mirror first of all though, but it's fairly easy to do when you've worked it out. Protractor is optional.

First of all, imagine the camera is right in front of you. From where you're standing now, turn your body 45 degrees from the camera. Don't go the full 90 - you will end up looking like a police mug shot.
 
Rest your body weight more towards the leg farthest from the camera. Point your closest leg (and foot) towards the camera, about 10 degrees.

Now twist your head and shoulders back round towards the camera, without moving your hips or feet. Don't turn your head straight on to the camera though - keep it at a slight angle (10 degrees or so). It's the left-right thing again - keep it at a slight angle if you want to slim the shape of your face a bit or show off your cheekbones.

This is the lovely Alison from Plans and Presents, posing for me.  She gets the pose spot on. Flick through any magazine or newspaper and look at the stars on the red carpet. 80% of them will be striking exactly the same pose (the other 20% tend to turn round and show off their backs, but that's another story).

3. Smile!
Sounds daft, but it's something people seem to forget to do! Don't go for the full-on cheesy grin though, but a relaxed, and content smile. I've seen people pouting quite a lot in photos. Pouting can be hit or miss really - you only really know when you finally see the photo and either feel content with it, or it makes you cringe. Safest bet is to smile. And smile with your eyes too! Take a deep breath, and exhale slowly and calmly, and let a smile creep gently on your face. I find this usually makes people's eyes smile a little bit more.

4. What to do with the hands?
If you're following my advice so far, then you might be wondering what to do with your hands. Well, in the photo above, Alison has elongated her figure by placing her hand on her thigh. As I said before, the camera turns everything into two dimensions, seeing everything as left to right. If you've achieved the 45 degree turn, then you're showing your figure at its slimmest angle. Let your arm relax (without slouching the shoulder), and it'll accentuate length of the body.

Place your hand over your hip, or thigh, and your hand will automatically look bigger than your body (without being a giant, out of proportion hand).

Try to avoid folding your arms - unless you're doing a slightly comical angry pose. Folding the arms tends to cut the body in two and can be a little less flattering.

5. Turn to the light.
Maybe, like me, you're a bit of a fan of America's Next Top Model, in which case you'll have heard Tyra instructing models to "find the light", shortly before they get ousted. Unless you're going for a particularly artistic photograph and your photographer is going for slightly dramatic, then my suggestion is to face the light source. The reason for this, is that you'll reduce any harsh shadows across your face. I don't mind my nose, but if the light is at the wrong angle, it does turn my face into a sundial. Light can catch anything - including wrinkles, and cast shadows. Turn your face towards the light and you reduce those shadows, and keep your skin looking much smoother.



6. Avoid the light!
Yeah, I'm going to contradict myself here. But this isn't about any light. This is the sun! If you've ever had someone take a photo of you outside only to look at it and hate it because your face is scrunched up, then here's my top tip - turn away from the sun. Ask your photographer to turn on their flash, and take the photo. You'll be able to relax your face a little more, and your photographer will get a much better photo.


Hopefully these tips will help you get the most out of being in front of the camera, and you'll end up with more beautiful photographs than before.

If you've got any questions or want any advice and you'd like me to write about in my blog regarding photography, feel free to email me!