This family traveled three hours round-trip to have me photograph them. This is the heartbeat of branding; what we do is so specific that people will travel to purchase our portraits. It is all about staying the course and having the consistency in our work being recognized.
Posing Groups
The key to posing groups in a relationship portrait is obtaining a casual look and having everybody in a flattering arrangement. We are in the flattery business; we have to find ways to angle bodies and stand or lean people to make them look comfortable.
I like having everybody at different heights with space between my subjects. Integrating a little space allows me to get more of their body language. In the facing-page image, note the bare feet and Mom’s foot on the arm of the chair. This is a wonderful look because it is so casual and it gives her leverage to lean forward. Their daughter is sitting in the chair, leaning towards the center. In fact, everyone has a little lean to them except Dad, whose shoulders are square to give me a nice pyramid composition.
Clothing and Props
We create these portraits in a casual motif and have women wear slacks so that we can comfortably have them crisscross their legs or put their feet up on a chair.
The squared-off chairs seen in these images are perfect for what I do because they help give me leverage with the subjects’ arms and legs. In the facing-page image, look at all the ways this one chair functions. I have the young lady sitting and leaning in it, her brother is using the back of the chair as a table-top, and Mom using it as a foot rest. A prop like this helps to build a pose.
Additional images from the same session.
I never fit the subject to a prop or a background; I make the prop or background fit my subject. It is important to use a prop that is generic and timeless, so it will never go out of style. Likewise, I want my subjects to wear clothing that never goes out of style so that my portraits are always investment-worthy.