Varying the pose

As the notes say, pose or stance is a body equivalent to expression. This exercise is designed to explore how variations in pose can send different messages to the audience in much the same way as facial expression, and therefore how pose and stance can be used by the photographer.

As suggested, I looked through several magazines for ideas; I don't list them here but the subject matters included cooking, women's affairs and student matters.

My subject for this exercise is my son. All the images were taken in the lounge of our house. I resisted the temptation to ask him to remove his glasses. Additional illumination was supplied by Microlite Panels.

Canon EOS 450D with EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM. f4; 1/15; ISO 800 focal length 24mm.

This is almost an exaggerated relaxed stance. Possibly the serious formal expression contrasts too strongly with relaxed stance - lesson here to get consistency between the two.

Canon EOS 450D with EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM. f16; 1/15; ISO 800 focal length 47mm

The pose was inspired by a similar image in a women's magazine. Holding a cup hints at a homely context.

Canon EOS 450D with EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM. f16; 1/15; ISO 800 focal length 45mm

The pose is more engaged - the implied line is off camera; I asked the subject to sit quite upright with arms in front to give the clear impression of listening intently to something or someone off camera.

Canon EOS 450D with EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM. f16; 1/15; ISO 800 focal length 55mm

This is my favourite of the set - a very distinctive blokey stance - and this time the expression goes with the stance; a mildly aggressive pose that sort of says "get on with it". I saw a similar image in an accountancy magazine, which probably says it all.

This exercise worked well for me; I had not really thought about pose and stance before - rather taken what I got - but now can see it is an important adjunct to expression. As important I can see how sometimes expression and pose/stance can work in harmony (as in the last image) and sometimes not (as in the first).