avoiding the urge to photoshop: accentuate the positive...

In light of my adamant stance against giving people new skin and bodies in Photoshop, I've had a few photogs say, then how do you get a client who is self-conscious to LIKE their pictures? Well, that's a great question. Here are a few tried-and-true tricks (VERY dirty little secrets) for photographing people that allow you to take a 'real' picture of your subject without highlighting the things they may feel less than satisfied with and having to rely on Photoshop. Just like in real life, you can't eliminate certain things without cosmetic surgery or an eating disorder, there are ways of disguising or minimizing what your client perceives as their problem areas (99% of the time skin and body, though sometimes I get asked about whitening teeth...) with lighting, clothing, positioning, lenses, and angles. (The added bonus is you save time processing if you get a good shot SOOC...)

Large pores or poor complexion: OK - I admit, I zap zits with Photoshop. All the time. They are temporary annoyances that plague most of us, and there's no way of knowing if one of the little beasts will rear its ugly head the day before your session. Ditto for a small patch of dry skin. But what if the person has chronic acne, severe acne scarring, discoloration or bruising, or large pores? There are a few things you can do to help minimize this. DISGUISE: You can shoot from the side of the face that is least affected, you can partially obscure the person's face. For example, for a family session have the client hold their face close to their child's head in a hug or shoot them from behind looking over their shoulder so that only their profile is showing. If it's a glamour session, have them wear a hat, wrap themselves in filmy fabric, or hold a fan to frame or draw attention to their eyes. LIGHT: High-contrast pictures (the blacks are super black and the whites are super white) can minimize unwanted texture for example sitting your subject close to a window or bouncing your flash off the wall instead of the ceiling. Converting the images to a classic B&W will reduce the appearance of any redness. If you're feeling really creative, you can try using gels (or a piece of tissue paper over your flash) from the yellow-orange family, which will further reduce the appearance of redness if the image is being converted to B&W. Alternately, specifically in the case of large pores, a very well lit subject with light coming from multiple directions (both sides as well as from above) can minimize the appearance of texture as the pores are visible only because they create shadows. Please note that scarring on dark complexions often appears as dark brown or black spots, and your best best may be to go for a high contrast side-lit image. If you're feeling like having some fun, put a piece of gauzy fabric over your lens while shooting or use a texture layer in your post processing. For whatever it's worth, these tricks work to a lesser degree on deeper shadows like laugh lines and cellulite, too. None of these options requires you to perform a Photoshop skin graft on your client.

Rubenesque, stocky, or obese clients: yes, some of us are built like brick outhouses. Some of us aren't particularly fat but we're shorter and therefore look heavier. And yup - there are clients who are just plain clinically obese. In order to help people who are body-conscious to relax in front of the camera there are a number of things you can suggest and employ. DISGUISE: #1 is getting your client to dress in something flattering. A 3XXXL wearing a fluorescent orange and yellow sleeveless Hawaiian print golf muumuu and plaid spandex pants will not photograph well. Wearing a tent is no more flattering to a larger body than wearing clothes that are cutting your circulation off. The key to dressing for a larger body is simple: dark, monochromatic, not-too-tight but not-too-baggy clothing. A tailored suit, wide-leg slacks, an ankle-length pencil skirt, long sleeves, etc. in black, a dark grey, navy, or a warm brown are all flattering options. If someone wants to add a little pizazz, thin vertical (not horizontal) pinstripes create the illusion of height and have a slimming effect. POSITION: Shooting from above will have a slimming effect on a larger body. If used carefully, a wide-angle lens can also have a slimming effect, as long as you are cautious about creating the bobble-head effect. Have them stand with their hips at a 45 degree angle to the camera and one foot in front of the other, get them to lay down on their stomach, or give them something to hold - an umbrella, a newspaper, a bouquet... whatever. If they are seated, shoot them from the side and avoid embarrassing them by trying to make them cross their legs. (I know all you people out there with generous thighs know EXACTLY what I am talking about lol) Get them to cross their feet and lean their knees to the side instead. If there is a group shot, avoid putting the heavy person front OR centre. They will feel more comfortable having their body partially obscured so pack their kids in front of them, get them a stool to stand on in the back row, or seat people in front of them. Have them lean down and put their arms around their spouse/child/parent from behind - it's a great shot and makes everyone feel a bit more comfortable. If you happen to have a location that affords it, put them in an oversized space - a huge doorway, an open field, something with cathedral ceilings. A large space lends itself to making a person look proportionately smaller than their surroundings. (Imagine the difference between putting someone heavy-set next to a skinny poplar you can wrap both hands around vs. a full-grown oak tree you can barely wrap your arms around.) In the case of boudoir or glam photos, a shallow depth-of-field is your best friend. Focus on the eyes, the feet, the cleavage - whatever the person feels are their personal highlights - and leave the rest blissfully out of focus. Stick with highlighting body parts (head, calves, cleavage, eyes, shoulder) as opposed to the whole body. If you're shooting digital, be sure and show your client a few samples on the back of your camera - when they are able to see that they are not being depicted in a manner that makes them feel more self-conscious than they already probably are, then they will be that much more willing to relax and trust your direction. LIGHTING: Again, side-lighting and high contrast is a good way of giving the illusion of someone being half their size. If they have lumpy bits (most of us do) try and camouflage them - a filmy scarf, gauzy over your lens, and (this is a trick from peeler bars) red gel over your lights will all help... but I caution that trying to get a plus-size person well lit to minimize the appearance of lumpy upper arms or thighs will not be as effective as it is for disguising pores...

So, there are my tips for the 2 biggest concerns that (usually) women but (sometimes) men have when getting their picture taken. Emphasizing our best qualities and minimizing the rest is a way better metaphor on how to love yourself than creating an image of ourselves that we can't possibly obtain. It's making seriously tasty lemonade, from our own seriously nasty lemons.