CHAPTER THREE

Portrait Lengths

Full Length

Full-length portraits make up a small portion of the various poses most photographers rely on in a client’s session. Of course, some scenarios call for full-length shots. Brides, for instance, will want a photographic record of their gown and the way they looked on their special day. Models, too, are often prime candidates for full-length posing when showing off a designer outfit—or their physique. For the average client, three-quarter or head-and-shoulders poses are more commonly used.

Posing full-length portraits is more challenging than posing the client in other views. It is important to realize that the more of the body that appears in the image, the more areas of the body there will be to finesse and flatter. Of course, when more of the body shows in the image, the likelihood that a client will take issue with some aspect of their appearance increases as well.

The subject shown in the image on the facing page placed her weight on her back (right) foot; this caused her right shoulder to drop. Her body was turned slightly away from the light, and her face was turned toward the light, with her head tilted slightly toward her higher shoulder. The eye moves from her face and across the triangle formed by her arms. The flowers are held low and cover some of the expanse of the gown, visually slimming the bride’s midsection. With her left hand posed delicately and gracefully, we have a lovely line that extends down the arm and to the tip of the finger, then continues to the bottom of the gown, allowing us to take in the detail in the fabric.

Three-Quarter Length

In the three-quarter length view, the subject’s head and torso are fully visible. The bottom of the frame usually hits the subject below the waist-often at mid-thigh or mid-calf.

When posing your subject and framing the portrait, you should be sure that the frame of the image will not intersect the person at the elbow(s) or knee(s). When an image is composed this way, there seems to be an implication that the limbs are missing, and this can cause the viewer to feel uncomfortable.

Facing page—Full-length portraits are ideal for showing the details of a bride’s gown. In general portraiture, this portrait length is less popular than three-quarter-length or head-and-shoulders poses.

This casual pose perfectly suits the relaxed mood of the image.

The above image shows the subject in a relaxed, casual pose that suits the location and the subject’s attire. His body is turned slightly away from the camera, with his head turned back toward the camera. We can see both hands, and there is nice separation between the fingers. The camera angle allowed the subject’s head to be positioned in the upper third of the frame, which was an appropriate perspective for this pose. We’ll touch more on the subject of camera angle in chapter 13.

Head and Shoulders

In a head and shoulders pose, the subject is shown from an area above the head to some point below the waist. This portrait length is often used for business portraits and school photographs, as the face tends to be the most prominent area of the portrait. Many such images are created in the vertical image format (with the narrower aspect of the frame horizontal to the ground); however, such images created in the landscape format (with the longest aspect of the image horizontal to the ground) can be effective—particularly when the background adds something to the image.

In the image below, the subject’s body is presented in a more masculine pose, with the head and body facing in the same direction, and the head tilted slightly toward the camera. The fingers are tightly closed around the hand weight, but the pose serves a purpose. Note that there’s an imaginary diagonal line that runs between her face and the weight in her raised hand. This keeps our focus on the subject’s face.

This head-and-shoulders pose is full of energy and attitude—perfect for this subject and the background.