Posing Around a Problem
On the facing page, the young man is leaning on his right arm and has his left arm resting on the table. What we do not see is the cast on his left arm, which he broke a few days before the portrait session. Because of the family’s busy lives, there was no suitable date to reschedule, so we forged ahead—even with a broken arm.
Alone and with His Brother
This began as a relationship portrait session with his brother, but, at their ages, it was also appropriate to photograph each of them individually. It is important for Mom and Dad to have photos of each of them separately, showing off their personalities.
What Comes Naturally
What I love about the facing-page portrait is that this is him. He posed this way without any help from me; he was just sitting and waiting for me. As I’ve mentioned, people often look best when they think I am not ready. Perhaps I was changing a card or moving a light when I looked back and saw this unsolicited and very natural pose.
He was sitting in the chair waiting for me, so the trick was to keep him from moving. If you just tell someone not to move, the first thing they do is move. I tell the subject, “Don’t move!” many times with different inflections, in order to keep them where they are. The first thing is to see the pose; the second is not to lose it.
The Rule of Thirds
I placed his face in the upper quadrant and off-center, resulting in a stronger dynamic than if I had placed him in the center of the frame. His arms provide wonderful diagonals and his eyes are connected back to the camera, which holds the viewer’s attention.
Timeless Appeal
His simple clothing gives this image a timeless look and lets the body language, composition, lighting, and expression carry the portrait. This portrait will be every bit as powerful and beautiful in fifty years as it is today. The expression gives it depth and the composition gives it artistry and uniqueness.
Another image from the same session.
“This portrait will be every bit as powerful and beautiful in fifty years as it is today.”