Monday, June 16 :: Click Link for assignment >

May 22 : Posing/Troubleshooting!

LAST DAY TO TURN IN ANY LATE WORK:

MAY 30!

NO CELL PHONE DAY!

(That means put them away!)

Expectations:

C: Voice Level 2 (only the people next to you can hear you and no shouting across the room)

H: Ask your team, elbow partner or raise hand

A: Work on the assignment

M: Stay in your assigned seat

P: Work till assignment is completed

S: Finishing your work

SCHOOL Portraits

YES! We are learning how to do this!

WHAT ARE WE LEARNING: SCHOOL PORTRAITS

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT: School photographs help to build a sense of community and belonging among students, parents, and teachers. They create a shared history that can be celebrated and remembered by everyone involved in the educational journey.

HOW WILL MY TEACHER KNOW WHAT I LEARNED: You will follow along with instruction and use what we have learned to take awesome school portraits!

The Process...

How to Guide Your Subjects on Posing...

Posing is a very important part of any type of photography – and school portraits are no exception. How you pose and your expression will determine what message you send with your portrait. This is why it is important for you as a professional photographer to be able to guide and advise anything sitting in front of your camera.

Effective posing is important when it comes to creating a professional and flattering school portrait. Start by guiding your subjects to relax their shoulders, which often helps eliminate tension while creating a more relaxed and natural look.

Position your subject at a slight angle to the camera with their body turned slightly away while their face remains directed towards the lens. This is a very common pose for school portraits, as it adds dimension and avoids a flat, head-on appearance.

ABOVE: This demonstrates the before and after of telling them to bring their ears forward. It's that easy to get a perfect pose for portraits.

Same before and after from the side. This is sometimes called "turtling," because they feel like a turtle coming out of their shell. It is a bit uncomfortable or unnatural, but the results are always worth it.

Simply asking the subject to pull their ears forward will produce a more refined jawline.

Also, have them lower their chin slightly. Although small, this adjustment helps prevent the “chin-up” effect and creates a more balanced and engaged shot.

When someone stands in their normal relaxed posture or even stands up straight to have a better posture, there is a little bit of flab right underneath their chin. No matter how skinny they are, you will see this. If you tell people to bring their chin forward, which sounds like the sensible thing to do, they will point their chin at you, which brings their face up and ends with you shooting up their nostrils (not attractive). Instead, tell your subject to bring "their ears forward."

Facial Expressions...

A warm and approachable expression can make all the difference in a school portrait. Therefore, you should encourage your subject to relax and smile naturally while avoiding forced or stiff expressions.

To achieve this, avoid having them smile constantly throughout the shoot. Instead, try to engage them in light conversation or share a joke to help them feel at ease. Remind them that a genuine smile or a subtle, confident look can convey friendliness, which is great attributes for a school portrait. Remember that the more comfortable and confident your subject feels, the more authentic and compelling the final image will turn out.