Exercise: Varying the Pose.

Exercise: Varying the Pose.

Part 1.

For the first part of this exercise I trawled the web for suitable pictures.

The first  is of that consummate actor Tony Blair.  In the first picture his pose is that of World Leader. 

The right arm thrust forward and supportive showing he is going to stand by his word, and the left hand across the chest and heart suggesting  honesty and integrity.  The angle of the head shows he is listening, with sincerity, to the questioner.  (Persecondnews)

The next is of Tony the Messiah.  Listen to me; follow me; I'll take you to the promised land.  This is the stance taken by many a preacher and gives the firm impression that this man knows the truth and is about to share it with you.  The raised hand, although palm out, are inclusive framing the face and it's message.  A very powerful shot.  (Observer)

This is a picture of Arthur Scargill in his glory days imploring the miners to fight for their jobs and future.  The position of the arms is very similar to that in the last picture but the message is very different.  By clenching the fists and turning them in gives a message of belligerence and confrontation.  Here is a man who will have no doubts and hear no argument.  (The Mail)

A picture of Margaret Thatcher comes next and shows her in triumphant mode, beaming at a Party Conference with her arms raised over her head.  Her face is a picture of control and power, her raised arms accepting her party's applause and adulation.  The word PARTY resting between

her hands is a nice touch.  (The Guardian)

The next is Tim Henman and his famous punch.  It is meant to show grit, courage, determination, and the English fighting spirit.  He just appears to be holding an invisible microphone.  It might have worked if he had won something.  Wrong man with the wrong gesture.  (London Evening Standard)

 Another Messianic picture but this time Ed Milliband.  He has clearly taken lessons from from Tony Blair.  Eyes and head towards the audience with the raised hand framing the face.  The red background highlights his socialist credentials.  (The Telegraph)

This a portrait of pure pent up power and fury.  Enter Tom Youngs, hooker for Leicester Tigers and England.   Barrel chested and powerfully built he is exuding casual violence.  His hands may be relaxed and down but the message is very clear.  I fear no man.  (The Sun)

The last is Dean Richards the head coach at Harlequins at the time of the "Bloodgate" scandal.

This was taken at a press conference at he time.  The cameraman has neatly included a overhead light to give this obviously guilty man a an angelic halo.  Neat.  (The Independent)

Part 2.

During this session I took in excess of 60 pictures of my neighbour Gloria.  The poses included sitting, laying down, and standing.  The light was a soft winter sun.

I talked to Gloria throughout the shoot and suggested the type of pose I would like.    

The picture of Gloria laughing is a naturalistic shot but the position of her hand over the lower part of her face spoil it.  It hints a warm friendly person.

As can be seen from the warm coat and boots this was not a warm day.  This was the cheeky shot.  Having the boots towards the camera magnifies their size and they too prominent.  The yellow tags on the boots tend to pull the eye to this part of the shot.  Would look OK with a male but the boots are too masculine for this portrait.  A nice idea that could have worked better.  The half turned head and supporting arm gave the look I was after.  

The "Titanic Moment" with Gloria Leaning on the top of my decking and me employing a low shooting angle.  It would have been better with a cleaner background but my stamp size garden limited my camera position.  I had Gloria look away over my head and she added the supporting arm.  A nice romantic feel to the shot.  Had Gloria's raised arm been lowered to match the other the balance of the shot would have been lost.

Very similar to the last but is a separate frame.  I was zoomed in closer to try and make it more intimate but I don't think it works as well.  The picture portrays her in a thoughtful and reflective mood and the additional space around her gives room for those thought and reflections.