Modeling Wiki : A Comprehensive Guide To Posing Mastery v1.0

The Fundamentals Of Modeling

You may consider these to be as crucial as the laws of physics

1 ) When you articulate your joints, you should never bend ( extend or flex ) your joints to its maximum angle, this will make you look stiff on camera

2 ) When you pose, you should always support yourself with your muscles only. Example if you do a pose of which you are leaning on something or of which you are lying down, you are not actually leaning on something or actually lying down, the pose must be maintained with your muscles. The rationale behind this is that you will risk looking lazy on camera otherwise

 

 
Examples

Notice that Rabbit supports herself mainly with her back and leg muscles, she is not actually sitting

Observe the minimal amount of pressure Rabbit exerts on the pillow as well as the minimal pressure of her chin against the back of her hand

Observe the minimal pressure of her elbow on her knee, her palm on her head, all muscle supported

Observe the minimal pressure of her elbow on her knee, all muscle supported

 

 

As mentioned briefly on the starter guide before this

Posing has to do with the control of your body and facial muscles. Just like music or doing mathematics, the more you practice the more familiar you will become with the process and hence the more efficient and better you will become.

Below are the breakdown of the technical components of posing to aid you in your understanding.

 

 

The Anatomy Of A Pose

A) Body – The body is the base of any pose, it provides the foundation for the pose.

B) Facial expression – The face gives emotion to the pose, it provides the soul for the pose

C) Body Language – Hands are an essential part of body language, hand posing provides sophistication and flair to the pose

 
A) The Body

For body posing, there are two distinctive choices in style

A ) Masculine – Straight Shoulders, Legs Relatively Wider Apart, Lower Proportion Of Articulated Joints ( Less Joints Bent ), Greater Emphasis On Symmetry

B ) Feminine – Asymmetric Shoulders, Legs Relatively Closer Together, Higher Proportion Of Articulated Joints ( More Joints Bent ), Greater Emphasis On Asymmetry

 

 

B) Facial Expression

Our faces plays a major role in expressing our emotions.

For modeling purposes, not only must you be able to express the emotion on camera, you have to look good wearing that emotion as well. For best results, it is encouraged that you practice and master the expression of as many emotions as you can.

According psychologists, emotions can be divided into 6 primary groups as Illustrated in Parrott’s Table below

 

Examples ( Expressions Of Emotion )

 

C) Body Language ( Hand Posing )

 

Whatever the pose, the hands adds the finishing touch, the final polish to it.

If there is no adequate hand posing in a pose, you can think of that pose to be the same as a New Year celebration without fireworks.

Besides being part of emotional and artistic expression, hands also lead and direct the audience’s eye to look at a specific point of your choosing.

 

Examples ( Hand Posing As A Means Of Complimentary Expression )

 

Influential Factors

Visualization – You will not be able to pose well if you have no mental image of how your pose will look like. It is recommended that you look at fashion magazines or works of your favorite photographers or models then practice the same poses in front of the mirror so you can know how the pose would look like on you. The point is that you will have familiarize yourself on how you look when you do the pose in order to “see it” in your mind.

Experience – Knowing which pose to use in which situation takes experience, the more shoots you do the more you will better in this department.

 

 

Camera Charm ( Factor X )

Above we have gone through all the technical aspects of posing. Now here comes the difficult part, the more abstract and illusive side of modeling.

Camera Charm is the single element which distinguishes each and every portrait model to be unique not only by looks, it is the factor which reaches out to the audience of the photograph and grabs them by the collar and make them pay attention.

If we subtract Camera Charm completely, a model will only be a lifeless mannequin.

Now, I am no qualified psychologist so it is beyond me to fully describe Camera Charm with words. However, through observation and experience, I am able to define two key levers which affect the quantity and quality of Camera Charm in any model.

 

1 ) Mood ( Minor )

The model’s mood during the time of the shoot. This can be influenced by music.

 

2 ) Self Identity & Self Acceptance ( Major )

In general, the higher level of understanding and acceptance the model has on his/herself as well as in relation to modeling, there will be a more defined texture of assertiveness in the photos.

Now this is where the complexity lays.

If you were to ask, are you saying that the model’s personal discovery and acceptance of his/herself really affects his/her work ?

My answer is yes, but the model’s identification and understanding on his/her relationship with the world of modeling is equally as important.

For example, one of the many manifestations of self-identity and self-acceptance is confidence. And the key to self-confidence is always knowing yourself and accepting yourself for who you are ;-)

 

In my effort to better understand the human condition, I have spent the past 12 months gathering raw data in a standardized manner.

The creation of this guide is one of the practical applications based on the analytical results from the data that I have collected.

 

Thank you for reading, if you find this guide to be useful, remember to share it out ! =)

 

Credits

 
Models
 

Rabbitluv You

 

Calista Leah Liew

 

Jo Yee Cheong

 

Lynn Shuw Lin

 

 

 
Examples

Notice that Rabbit supports herself mainly with her back and leg muscles, she is not actually sitting

Observe the minimal amount of pressure Rabbit exerts on the pillow as well as the minimal pressure of her chin against the back of her hand

Observe the minimal pressure of her elbow on her knee, her palm on her head, all muscle supported

Observe the minimal pressure of her elbow on her knee, all muscle supported

 

 

—
Blessings,

Dr. Eugene L.