We cannot stress the importance of this enough. Over the years, we have become pretty hot on this! It is so so vital that you direct your clients into the exact poses you want, or often your descriptions will get lost in translation!
So, lets set the scene…
You see a gorgeous location that you think will be perfect for your client and her horse. There is a cute little log in a beautifully lit area in the woods. You can envisage exactly what you want…the client to sit on the log, with her horse cuddling into her.
However- when trying to explain this to your client, they don’t quite get your vision. They are sitting awkwardly and the horse is standing too far away.
You could spend the next 5 minutes shouting instructions at your client, but in the end, you’re wasting everyone’s time- yours included.
Find a location, then physically put yourself where you want client to be. Walk over to that area, show them where to position the horse, stand exactly where you want the client to stand, then shoot! Even down to the finer details like where to put their hands, where to put their feet- these are vital, and often, clients don’t know how to pose themselves- they need YOUR direction!
The horse position- find a location, put horse and owner in it, see where the horse naturally stands- then quickly match a post next to their horse- some horses aren’t as relaxed or like standing still for long,
Make sure that directions are clear and positive! Stand up tall! Keep smiling! Look at your horse! Look at me! Keep looking through your camera, adjust if needs be, and capture!
Posing can be a real bug-bear when it comes to shooting on location, and so many photographers get really worried about it- it’s so simple when you have structure and confidence! A big part of our 2 day Foundation of Photography Course is focussed on posing your clients to ensure you get the BEST shots- check it out!