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Photographing human hands and seated people creates unique challenges in commercial and portrait photography. See how to overcome the awkwardness, bring out the best in your subjects, and create engaging posed photos.
Being able to instruct your subjects in how to sit or move their hands can make it easier for you to get the photos you need. Set yourself up for success by coming prepared with pose ideas, so your models feel good and you can focus on getting more shots.
Create a plan by deciding how you want your photos to look. Once you have a goal, you can brainstorm what poses will achieve the look. Next, prep your models. No one wants to be photographed when they’re unprepared, and nothing ruins good hand photography faster than chipped nail polish.
Get started by recruiting your loved ones to practice posing for you. It’s a low-stakes atmosphere where you can learn a lot.
“Build a space where your subject feels safe to make choices,” photographer and videographer Kenton Waltz recommends. A great pose is not just about moving your model into different positions; it’s about building trust. Set your model at ease by connecting with them. Be sure to get out from behind the camera occasionally to make eye contact. Encourage them to breathe and relax. Get them laughing to ease the mood.
The right hand pose adds a human element to a commercial shot or that extra something special to a standard portrait. The placement of hands in engagement or family photos can highlight emotional connections.
Here are some tips for successful hand posing:
Don’t tell subjects exactly how to position themselves when they first sit down. You want them to sit how they’re most comfortable, and then you can adjust them.
A few other things to keep in mind:
“We all shoot digital now for the most part. So just keep shooting,” says Clemetson. You can tether your camera in Adobe Lightroom while you shoot to see the photos pop up on your laptop screen. This makes it easier to spot small things that need adjusting as you go.
There will always be surprises in posed photography. But if you set yourself up with a plan, bring your positive energy, and make your models comfortable, you can adapt to what comes your way and capture compelling poses.
Edit photos easily with Lightroom presets, Super Resolution, easily share photos from any device and access your projects anywhere with cloud photo storage management.
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Creative Cloud photography (20 GB)
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Creative Cloud photography (20 GB)
Get Lightroom for desktop and mobile, Lightroom Classic and Photoshop on desktop and iPad.
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Business
Get Lightroom and all the Creative Cloud apps plus exclusive business features.
S$77.73/mo (incl. GST)