How to Flatter Your Subjects So They Come Back for More – Tuts+ Premium

We have another Photo Premium tutorial exclusively available to Premium members today. In this tutorial, we’ll take a look at how to make your models happy with how they look. Learn more after the jump!

Have you ever taken an amazing shot that you absolutely loved? The lighting was perfect, the composition was amazing and your subject’s expression was just right, but when you showed that perfect photo to your subject, they HATED it?

They only noticed their double chin or fat thigh and could have cared less about your perfect golden light or placement of their double chin in the lower third?

This happens when you get so focused on making a beautiful shot that you forget that though your client might like a beautifully composed photo, they want to look beautiful too. If you are a wedding or portrait photographer understanding this and understanding how to make your clients look as good as possible is your key to happy clients.

Too often we think that we can fix things after the shot is taken by using Photoshop. However, doing everything in post-production is time consuming and not always enough. It is faster and easier to make some quick changes while you are shooting.

You can alter how your subject is posed or how you set your camera before taking the shot and your subject will look thinner and younger instantly. With these simple changes you’ll notice amazing results.

Here are six tips to remember when shooting to flatter your subjects.

Body Position

Ever heard the phrase the camera adds 10 pounds?  Have you every looked at a picture of a perfectly skinny person and noticed that they look bigger than usual? What’s going on?

99% of the problem is that the person is standing or sitting in the wrong way and the photo is taken at just that wrong moment.

This can be avoided by giving your subject some direction. For example, if you are shooting a bride try telling her this:

1. “Turn your feet so they are at a 45 degree angle to me (the photographer)”. Her feet will be slightly to the side instead of facing straight at the camera. You can stand next to her and show her how to do this.

2. “Now swivel at the waist so your shoulders turn toward the camera”. This makes her waist look smaller than if she were facing straight on to the camera.

3. “Shift your weight to your back foot by slightly moving your hips back from the camera.” This often causes her to have to bend her front leg slightly. If she seems confused again model this movement for her.

4. “Finally, keep your arms slightly away from your body. You can place your hand on your upper thigh or waist.” This space between her arm and her body gives the impression that her arms are thinner and her waist is smaller. This is essential, even very thin women can look chunky if their arm is squeezed and flattened against her body.

Notice the difference between these two pictures:

In the first picture, the subjects and standing flat on to the camera.

The subtle shift in body position in the second picture makes the woman’s waist slimmer, her legs even longer and thinner.

Ten extra pounds GONE!

Tune In for More

Didn’t hear about Photo Premium? You can find out more here. It’s an additional, in-depth article, published each week just for our Premium subscribers (on top of all our regular free content!)

Join Today!

Join Premium and Expand Your Photography Knowledge!

This is a really interesting technique to perfect, and you’ll be really pleased with the result! This Premium tutorial will help you get started with ease.

For those unfamiliar, the family of Tuts+ sites runs a premium membership service. For $19 per month, you gain access to exclusive premium tutorials, screencasts, and freebies from Phototuts+, Nettuts+, Psdtuts+, Cgtuts+,Activetuts+, Aetuts+, Audiotuts+, and Vectortuts+! For the price of a pizza, you’ll learn from some of the best minds in the business.

Become a Premium member and download this tutorial today!

What Do You Want to See on Premium?

Is there a specific technical aspect of photography that you really want to learn more about? How about a very advanced technique that you could never quite grasp fully?

We really want to make our Premium content as relevant and useful to you as possible, so do send through your comments and requests to photo@tutsplus.com. Let us know what you want to see, and we’ll commission top-notch photographers to teach you!