Pose: A Question

I posted the collage below on my Google+ stream, and asked those in my circles the following questions with regards to the set of images shown:

Which of the following headshots (of Denden*) below appeals to you the most?

What part/s of the picture makes it appealing to you?

I was glad to have received a fair amount of replies to the questions posed, and I was able to acquire new and helpful insights in the process.

The Verdict

• 75% of those who responded picked out the first picture (from the left). No one picked the second image, so the remaining 25% of the vote went to the third picture.
• Those who chose the first picture cited a number of reasons that could be summed up by the following sentence: Denden looks relaxed and natural.
• Those who chose the third picture pointed out that the angle of the pose flattered the shape of the subject's face.

Allow me to share my answers and thoughts on the matter after the jump.

*I wrote about the portrait session I did with this notable young lady here.

__________ 

Soothe-sayer

Okay, off the bat, let me just say that the first image is a test shot. Denden is virtually self-effacing a bit shy and clearly wasn't too comfortable about all the fuss that was being made about her during the shoot. She was a little on edge when I signified that we were ready to start, so I calmed her back down with these magic words test shot, which yielded the picture you see below.

I will agree that she does look relaxed and 'less posed' in the image above. If you knew her in person, this is probably pretty close to your mental image of Denden: the kind (often tired) eyes, the closed-mouth smile that's almost a smirk, and the slight downward tilt of her head.

I've picked up a number of guidelines with regards to posing, mainly from books, and have tried to apply them as much as I can in every opportunity that I have someone in front of my lens. Although I'm all for creatively breaking the rules, there seems to be some consensus about posing your subject (especially a woman) square onto the camera. It does not only make the subject's body and face appear wider, but tends to make the facial features compressed and appear 'flat'.

After viewing this shot on the back of the camera, I knew I had a usable image, but I was not going to settle for usable just then. Thus, I gave Denden some direction in executing a few tried-and-tested poses and we were able to create the image you see below.

2D or Not 2D?

A picture is a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional object, but it doesn't have to be limited within that space. For me, a successfully created photograph must evoke either thought or emotion, or both. The picture I had in mind had to portray Denden as a confident and more-than-capable woman in the field of science. I went with what is often referred to as the classical feminine pose by having her do the following:

• turning her body away from the key light at about a 45° angle to the camera 
• having her face the key light by turning her head towards it
• have her look at the camera

The first part (as enumerated in the bullet points above) of the pose immediately makes the body look narrow, and makes the picture more dynamic due to the diagonal created by the line of her shoulders. The second part gives the face a slimmer profile and more depth; at this angle, her facial features (especially the nose, cheeks, and chin) appear less flat and more three-dimensional. The last part of the pose does not only ensure that the catchlights in her eyes are visible, but establishes a connection with the viewer as well.

The only adjustment that I asked her to make was to slightly tilt her chin up, which to me made her appear self-sure. This also causes her eyes to look back at a slightly downward angle, which makes the viewer perceive her as being taller.

Give or Take a Few Inches

I am not aiming to misrepresent Denden to the public (high heels beat me to that); I am simply presenting her in the best possible way as a distinguished graduate in her field. Some might still argue that this does not look like the young woman they know, so allow me to end with a quote from photographer Richard Avedon —

"My portraits are more about me than they are about the people I photograph."