TRIX Posing Guide

Are you a beginning photographer?  Are you a mom that wants to take more professional photos of your children?   Have you ever wondered how to get certain shots when working with photography clients?  Have you ever wished you had a cheat sheet when you get stuck and can't think of ideas?   

Welcome to TRIX!  

Trix includes 3 posing guides for babies, children and families, and bridal clients.   The ideas are simple, natural and easy to master.  They focus on capturing relationship between clients while making sure you get the right lighting and camera settings for the effect you desire.  

The sets include at least 25 TRIX poses each with instructions and an example photo (I will be adding more  all the time!!).  Each set is $10 each for the digital file and $25 for all three!  If you would like the TRIX cheat cards, it is $20 each or $50 for the entire set + shipping.  I've included the most basic of poses below as a preview for you below.

Newborn 101

 Have Dad hold their newborn baby with their hands on the baby's head.  Have him hold the baby straight out towards the camera and take the photo on an almost 180 degree angle straight on.  Light source can be from behind photographer, left or right of subjects for asymmetrical lighting, but not backlighting subjects or you will lose the hand/head detail.

Child Portrait 101

Arrange yourself above child before getting their attention.  Make sure the lighting will illuminate the child's face when he looks up.  This bright shade worked well on a porch in this face.  Focus on the top of their head so that your camera doesn't have far to go when the child looks up.  You will only have a split second to focus on their face, so focusing before getting their attention gives you that extra extra split second.  Take a sample shot at the top of their head to make sure your exposure and shutter speed are set.  When you have focus, shutter, exposure and light set, anchor yourself by leaning on something solid, call the child's name, or make a funny animal sound to get their attention.  As soon as they turn, focus and snap!

Multiple Children Portraits 101

For older children that can stay in one place for a few seconds, arrange one in front of the other in a shady, but bright location.  The sun is shining on this subjects hair and slightly on her face, but for the most part, both girls are in the shade and have clear, crisp lighting on their faces.  For a modern look, open your aperture wide to 2 or lower.  Focus on eye of the subject closest to you and snap!  (For more traditional portraits, make sure your aperture is 4, 5 or higher to get both subjects in focus.)

Child with Parents 101

This is the easiest portrait in the book!  it works because the child thinks he is having fun with mom and dad, but he is fully contained by their grip on his hands.  Focus on the child's eyes and have the parents walk towards you.  If the child isn't having fun, have his parents throw him up in the air and get his expression on the way down.  Another easy way to get them smiling is to play red light, green light.  This works because they are having fun, playing a game and smiling, but there is a stopping point for you to grab a quick photo.  Easy breezy pudding and pie.

Silhouettes 101

Find somewhere darkish.  Look towards the bright light.  Place subjects between you and the light without allowing the light to shine on them.  Snap.

Couples 101

Sometimes (almost always!) grooms are not into photos.  Luckily, they are (almost always!) into their wives-to-be.  If the groom is getting sick of posing for photos, get them into a well lit area such as the dappled shade here.  Place the bride where she is comfortable, yet close to her groom.  Then tell the groom to talk to his girl, kiss his girl, look at his girl.  He'll be more comfortable and you will get a more authentic portrait or the relationship between the two.

Bridal Portrait 101

Go near a window where there is bright light without letting the light shine directly on your subject. Arrange yourself perpendicular to the bride looking from slightly behind her shoulder while she is having her dress tied or zipped.  Women naturally do this cute chin tilt when they are half watching their dress being closed.  I love the natural beauty of this non-posed pose.

Sunflare 101

Have subjects sit with the sun behind them.  Have them talk to each other while you get the sun in the exact place you want it.  Let them talk long enough that they get into natural poses.  For this couple,  the that meant the girl pulled her legs up and the man put his arm on the small of her back.  Can't you just imagine they sit like this all the time?  For this photo, I put the sun in the very top far left corner of my frame to get the flare.  Snap when  the flare and their expressions are perfectly as you want them. 

What other poses would you be interested in? For every idea you give that I use, take $1 off the price for yourself.  In theory, you could get this product free!