The Rules Of Good Portraiture

[EricNYC]

Nicely done Benji. Many thanks for taking the time. I'll be reading this several times.

peace.

[alive1]

Benji you're the man! Just viewed your DVD and to put it bluntly, it's great! Your down to earth approach to lighting and posing is exactly what I've been looking for...
Thanks

[Mark1616]

This is fantastic info and I was referred to it by another photographer which I'm really pleased about.

One question I've been trying to find out what the 1-2-2 and 1-3-2 posing techniques actually relate to (number wise).

[Benji]

Mark,

See the image below for the 1-3-2 and the 1-2-2 poses.

The numbers correlate to the position of the body, the face, and the eyes in that order. The # 1 position is anything positioned so it is pointing at a 45 degree angle relative to the camera. So a 1-1-1 pose would be where the body, face and eyes all point at a 45 degree angle relative to the camera. This pose would be quite boring! The # 2 position is when anything is pointed toward the camera. A 2-2-2 pose would be where the subject's body, face and eyes are all pointed directly square to the camera. This pose would also be quite boring! A 1-3-3 pose would be where the body is posed at a 45 degree angle and the head and eyes are turned about 30 to 40 degrees back beyond the camera. This pose would look rather strange (although I have seen it before and I have even done it a few times.)

Ben

[Mark1616]

Ben thanks for that, it makes more sense now. Great info btw!!

[teri mcelroy]

Benji- your portrait looks like a Kmart photo- is this tongue-in-cheek?

[felix.reichardt]

Originally Posted by teri mcelroy

Benji- your portrait looks like a Kmart photo- is this tongue-in-cheek?

I wish I would understand that comment ... maybe it's because my english is so poor ...

[ari]

Hi Benji. This is a splendid job. Many thanks for taking the time.
Ari

[Benji]

Originally Posted by teri mcelroy

Benji- your portrait looks like a Kmart photo- is this tongue-in-cheek?

No my tongue was in my mouth

My son took this image. It needs updating!

Ben

[artur]

Originally Posted by Benji

No my tongue was in my mouth

My son took this image. It needs updating!

Ben

1-2-2.... snap!

[BClark]

These are great tips thank you for posting them, they will come in handy this weekend.

[arcmaster]

Originally Posted by felix.reichardt

I wish I would understand that comment ... maybe it's because my english is so poor ...

K-Mart is a large chain of stores in the US which offer very cheap photo services.

[TimC]

I DL'd the PDF but there is nothing on the pages. Any clue as to why this is so?

[jfrancho]

Originally Posted by TimC

I DL'd the PDF but there is nothing on the pages. Any clue as to why this is so?

No clue, works fine for me.

[EDURD]

HI, to all of you , this is my first time here and i have to say that i really like this forums and the people that share their knowledge with everyone so we can keep on learning new things, thank you.

[BearLeeAlive]

Great job Benji.

[C Webb]

Wow, you mention Don Peterson and his rules. I was one of Don's student photographers a few years ago. Worked with him and Kurt Jafay in the old D&F tower in Denver. What I learned from Don, I with a little modification still practice today. When reading your extension of his rule list I feel like I am again sitting in camera room 1 listening to him and watching him demonstrate why the rules are so important. Viewing a good deal of the work supposedly created by first class camera persons today, I find the rules I believed in and lived by are seldom used. Such a shame!

Well enough said I just wanted you to know that someone did follow Don's rules and was very successful with them.
I do miss Don, Alvin Duis, Kurt, Leon Kannamer and the many of
the old PPofA gang.

C Webb AKA Old Coyote

[Benji]

Well "Old Coyote" it is good to hear from you, and yes a lot of the old masters have gone on to their reward. I never personally met Don Peterson but after reading the book "The Master Book of Portraiture and Studio Management" that he authored I almost feel like I had. Speaking of masters of photography, Don Blair comes to mind. He was a gentleman plain and simple and he loved photography even after being a photographer for over 50 years. He got excited every time he tripped the shutter. Monte Zucker is another master that is no longer with us. I sat under Monte's teaching several times. He wasn't as friendly as Don Blair was though. A master that is still with us although I believe he is retired is Frank Cricchio. What an awesome photographer. I sat under his teaching in Chicago in 1982. What a master of lighting and posing. I fear for the new crop of photographers, although I suppose every old timer has said the same thing about each new crop of youngsters.

Ben

[jfrancho]

I fear for the new crop of photographers

But we have you to whip us into shape!

[C Webb]

Benji,
I was aquainted with each of the gentlemen you mention, but really never knew them other than when doing workshops at Winona etc. a number of years ago I believe Don Blair attended a PPofA sponsored workshop at Brigham Young University, as I remember he was from Utah. I also remember a Gary Blair who was closer to my age as I remember also being from Utah. D. Peterson as Don liked to be called did not appreciate any of us getting too close or hob nobbing With Frank C, Monte Z. or especially Peter Gowland and Leon Kannamer. Leon pioneered outdoor portrait making, and I believe one of the best at doing it. Larson even made up a set up of Black
reflectors for his light subtraction system. Also a matte box with a series of vignetters to fit the Hasselblad bellows type lens shade. As you say a bunch of good lensmen are no longer with us.

Thank you for triggering some fond memories,
Old Coyote