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10 Things Men Hate About Being Photographed: 1 - 6

Lesson 25 from: Men's Portrait Photography

Jeff Rojas

10 Things Men Hate About Being Photographed: 1 - 6

Lesson 25 from: Men's Portrait Photography

Jeff Rojas

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Lesson Info

25. 10 Things Men Hate About Being Photographed: 1 - 6

Lesson Info

10 Things Men Hate About Being Photographed: 1 - 6

We're gonna discuss ten things men hate about having their port their portrait taken I think a lot of men stay at home and in the audience a kind of kind of feel the same way sometimes you guys have clients that have reasons they don't want to take photographs whether it's they're doing it for their wives they don't want to do it they feel uncomfortable all these they're nuances the difference when we talk about marketing it's important to know why people don't want to do things as well because it's important how to get them how to manipulate them is going to call it that to get them to do what you want to do they're self conscious I'm gonna to the next live before anything I want you guys through this I hate being in pictures because I can never keep my eyes open and have a totally unacceptable draw lines so every time my pictures taken and I end up with this dude who has his eyes closed, you can't really tell where he was where his head meets his neck like a smiling toe with a beard ...

that's actual men perception to how they feel about themselves think about that like I look like a smiling toe with a beard they don't they don't know what to do their self consciously like it just doesn't look right read it, use it reddit user hey carpet we're our own worst critics we look at ourselves when we look at ourselves in american like we wish we could be better people are comparing ourselves other people we're comparing ourselves our celebrities with other celebrities celebrities in general we're looking at other people all the time we're given all these issues of body image it's rather for skinny if your larger if your medium you still consider yourself and you put yourself in a position where comparing yourself to other people somehow somewhere we've all done it once it once in our lives at least and we discussed earlier twenty nine percent of men who think about their appearance at least five times a day it's important you know most most photographers I think look at a man like I don't know what to do you just stand there and put your arms your sides we talked about that you know and the guy's like do I put my hands in my pockets good luck take my photo but there were so in tune to thinking it's okay to photograph a man he doesn't really care about his appearance because that's what he's vocally saying that it's like hey it's okay he's okay he said he was okay therefore it's okay where is most women when we go to photograph women you kind of like oh they're emotional you think about their perception that's not always the case you know it works for both both both genders another reason is perceived flaws we look at ourselves way talked about double chins we talked about droopy eyes large noses way talked about belize we talked about chests we talked about all these being short being tall whatever it is that people have as perceived flaws making them feel better about themselves because people aren't secure about themselves I mean that's that's the reality things people do not feel comfortable with who they are comparatively to everyone else most men have three most men have four areas that they're really self conscious about which is something that we discussed in total but we're just going to kind of wrap up on that specific note which is they're conscious about their stomachs right? They're conscious about their waistlines they're conscious about the amount of heroin there had follicly challenged people as you mentioned they're self conscious about their wrinkles I mean they're normal people they're human beings so thinking about them a such as extremely important we'll discuss this double chins the same thing if your subjects I'm going to bring the child for two seconds if your subject is worried about their double chins and you're taking important you know what can you do if they're sitting down on dh you can't like for instance one of one of my favorite things is just kind of stick your neck out ever so slightly kind of lean forward if you had to take a photograph but not every every photographer knows how to do that as best as possible, so those of you who are listening on are sitting at home think about howto emphasized just the face without necessarily having this double chin tennis sticking out just taking out the neck ever so slightly if the persons in that clique short even turning in boats aside accentuate your neck a tiny bit turning to the face that you see a little bit of length of neck and that we head out chin up considerations like that told you guys myself, I'm only being photographed for my side because you get to see all this it's like, I don't want anybody to see that ever I don't want to see it for myself with that being said, I don't have a strong jaw line, you don't need a strong jaw line who said that you needed a strong joel and we talked about what people perceive is is great things who said eyes and eyebrows and things that were looking to emphasize that doesn't necessarily mean that you need a strong jawline toe look attractive, everyone is attractive in their own way okay attraction has a lot more to do than physical parents and our job is to photograph people and make it look good, but they should feel good that should be more important than them being your idea of beautiful it's their their best their best effort to be themselves were taking voters of them as people to make them look asbestos possible. You don't need to weigh did retouching on it it was showcase your eyebrows and more or less your eyes and depth of your face. I'm not trying to liquefy you, I'm not going to change who you are. I'm just going to draw attention to certain things that we like about you by we I mean all the world, if that makes any sense to showcase we care about you stick out your chin like it just mentioned just make sure that as people were taking their photographs, if they're conscious about the double changes taking on their chin ever so slightly and how facial hair helps with defining jaw lines for people who are very, very self conscious because you're hiding anything that you have underneath and it's a great way to hide this things armpits web talk about ways that people are very, very self conscious about their armpits. What? How you can put sanitary napkins under your armpits and even mentioned even for people that sweat a lot using the same things for peoples. Were they using rock concerts, people's hats in line, their hats and things so they don't have to drip sweat from your face? Sounds weird if it works, it works, being nervous or anxious can increase sweating you know so what can you do tow potentially reduce nervousness? Well onset what could you possibly say? What could could you turn down a temp? Victor, could you try to make some of the eighties? Can you put on music? What can you do to influence that person's perception about themselves to just focus on having a moment of peace again regulating the temperature in the room with studio it's extremely paramount rusty shoot a lot of boudoir sessions strapped how does from the room temperature influence the shoot like depending on the particular scenario, sometimes cooler is better, but usually I'm keeping it uncomfortably warm for myself because it's comfortably warm for them ultimate that say ultimate it's back in nineteen eighty it's that's great because people have their own regulated body temperatures that they feel comfortable with regardless if it's a buddha bar session or any type of forces portrait session. If your client feels too hot, too cold it's going to be evident in final photograph like you can tell a miserable out here it's one hundred fifty degrees outside or its one hundred fifty degrees in here kinda regulate temperature to who your client this I don't look like that, you know I don't look at that photograph and I don't think it's myself I don't like my perception of who that person is versus who I who I am is completely different meaning we're judging other people I don't look like that model I don't look at that person can't tell you how many portrait sessions that I get calls from can you show me your portrait your portrait just portfolio and not your model before leo I photograph feel the same way it doesn't matter if you're a regular portrait client that doesn't look like a model I photographed literally the same way and again even with you directing like the same way would anyone else my portfolio is the same everything is consistent that way so why do people judge based on what features they deem is beautiful it's the same exact way same session we do with you I do with everyone else way discussed eighty point seven percent of men talked about their own percent of personal parents compared to everybody else's wait lack of hair slim frame somebody somebody's perception of someone else we're constantly speaking about our own self consciousness and what we see these other people were still like kids in a lot of ways we're like that person's fatso to make us feel better because a lot of times they were like do I really look like that? Like people do have those perceptions I mean sometimes we're not speaking to buddies about it like our friends but we've made tell the wife or girlfriend whoever it is that I wish I was I wish I could go back to the gym I wish I had more time to do this we're not open about our feelings with everyone doesn't mean that we don't feel those emotions number two I don't know what to do you tell a guy I want to take a photo of you know what? Take photo may how do you you don't know what to do like it's very awkward have any of you actually been in front of the camera to have somebody else take your photograph, russ has you have a swell it's? Same thing you don't know what to do with me because I think it's photographers we can sit there and take photos of people and like do this this is this is the second behind that counter it's like I don't know what's happening you've got to sit in that other seats have a photographer work with you to at least one your friends you guys were all photographers I'm sure you have somebody you can call to say can you take my photo from a can we do a swap? You know, learn how how your your client feels in front of that camera it's almost like a doctor you know what doctor you need to call in case anything happens to you feel the same way? Like call somebody you feel comfortable about for you guys exchanged imagery with one another there's no better experience at being in front the camera communication is keep looking at somebody and and being able to say okay I want to do this I want you to do that I want to do this versus trying to discuss why you want this things you know what are you trying to melt? What do you try and discuss what's happening on set I don't look at sets and we will talk about next side quickly directing instead of posing I don't pose people I direct them can you do this? You can do this the only time you get so mean would like pose someone was the model who had done it before when I said okay, shoulder back do this do this do this this his profession is not a zillion times but it's supposed to stony I said a case down can you put from one hand to the other? This is what I'm looking for think about you walking forward think about things that are happening something when we when we're on the floor I said okay, I'm going to do with you I'm jumping down there on the floor showing them and trying to replicate learning how to do yourself that goes back to getting photographs being comfortable knowing how to do that post not again not to point back with lindsay's great lindsay is great at posing on set with the models she'll replicate everything that she wants done you're not going to see me try to do a girlie publish whatever I'm trying whatever I'm trying to do but when it comes to guys I sat down with you and I said okay this is what I'm looking for being comfortable doing that because if you look like a fool or not make somebody feel like wolf they're goingto they're willing to do it it's cool as subjects to do things instead of telling them to do so has remember being a kid your mom's like go do that your dad was like go do that as a person of the first time somebody asks you hey can you do this for mate like you feel more inclined to want to do things when somebody asks you to do something as opposed to telling you to do something so I always ask people can you do this can you do the shore nor is because they feel like they're doing me a favor even though they just did what I wanted to begin with like I'm trying to manipulate them to do something and rights to the opposing redirecting them without necessarily trying to to that so inspiration boards I love inspiration board twenty talk about inspiration board to specifically mean these days everything changes but I use pinterest a lot my mood boards look like this guy posing men I discussed posing man with anybody that I shoot regrets the photography, whether it be fashion, whether it be anything else, I photograph people, and I discuss what I'm looking for now, there's a lot of times when you're photographing people that you have the screen say, if this is the screen that I want and there visually trying to replicate that same thing at the same time and it looks awkward that's, because they're trying to mimic that same screen. So what I do is I sit down with him for like, five and say, this is kind of what I'm looking for, close it and then go shoot because now they have to do muslim era it was like this, and they generally a little bit more, less rigid with whatever oppose it because they don't try to replicate the screen in detail kind of just did the same thing that they thought happened, whatever pose it wass so being comfort with that, the other thing is with mood boards and a lot of art direction, we're talking about the stylistic approach to everything. How the styling supposed to be, how the ending's supposed to be? What are you trying to showcase being comfortable with, maybe even showing your camera to your client saying, this is what I'm seeing, and this is versus what I'm thinking should happen ship thinking men feel at ease you know how do you how do you discuss how you make people feel better like onset stuff it's tough to kind of it's almost like consoling people you almost have to be a psychologist in a way one of the one of things that I do and I think I discussed this earlier I touch them it was I using music on set I don't touch the suit anybody who's actually work with me or been around me I'm very much like whatever whatever whatever do whatever you want whatever that's just me like you want to touch the radio go touch the radio whatever makes you happy so everyone's happy on set I just put my music needs aside unless it's certain there's certain artists like no I don't want to hear that ever kind of thing joking around but I don't really care like I want the final shot I want people to feel comfortable you know the first thing even if I'm shooting models go to computer good she's whatever music you want music has a great impact on our self esteem and her emotions were I worked with a model who had worked with a very proceed a very controversial stay like that gentleman with glasses and mine chops that I had to shoot see those who actually in flannel shirts there you go you go that who plays rock music on everyone's in one of his sets right and his whole thing is acting he wants the person to rolled round up around have fun and get into the mood of whatever music it is and a lot of that has to do with attitude and what you're trying to mount a cz your clients were listening to music that impact impacts and as well you know listening to let's say rock'n'roll I'm pointing at him because you you played in a band so I'm like rock and roll like how does that affect your client if that's their favorite type of music and comfortable they're in the mood you know what would they do to a moat teo improvise there posing like how that affect their personality as opposed if I had to use it I don't listen to jazz do you like jazz is just something that you like if I'm liking all jazz is what you should like how is that going to affect his personality and set like how is that that gonna work there's a lot of times I don't agree with music on set you know how many times we've listened to a certain john wrote music even like hip hop I don't really listen to a lot of hip hop you don't but there are times where like the stylist on set crank it like as loud as they can and I'll listen to it so more in tune to listening to it all the time now why listen to rock and I turned that on there like, listen, that that's not happening, you need to change it back to whatever whatever station they like because that's that's just their attitudes and I'd rather make everybody else happy just to get the final image that I need. Music is an escape, you know, gets us away from reality. You know, how many times have you guys got into the gym aground somewhere where you put headphones in here and you blank out the world so just being able to change music in that position, giving people music gets them to escape the reality of things again we're on how many different lights? And I talked about the silence before we have salad to myself because it's it's awkward no one wants to see silence or hear silence! See salad that doesn't make any sense. Let your subject be the d j again giving them the control saying here here's ugo here is that the radio here's the pender on my my my screen used me music as a way to judge time as well. Just a quick wayto tio. Use it as a clock. Okay, if the average song length is four minutes and five songs go by, you know it's twenty minutes into the shoot because how many times you like it's an hour and what am I doing? Nothing's happening proficient lives? I use it as a judgment to say, how long am I spending for that specific shot? And I'm looking for so if I'm sitting there and I'm taking ten shots and I hear a whole song passed I know it took me ten shots to get sorry, I know it took me four minutes to get ten shots approximately so I used it as a judgment of time laughter your laughter I make fun myself twenty four seven on set you guys told me do it here I have no problems making fun of myself if it makes other people laugh because other people's laughter makes me feel like things were going okay that's my own reversion of, like a pat on the back. Okay, I make people laugh for ok and people appreciate that they're like okay, if he's made he's willing to make me laugh he's willing to meet me just be a motive or or he's willing to make a fool of himself or herself, then we're okay. I mean comfort. I mean, like next to family kind of thing using their name, I talked about this before I'm actually really terrible at names, I'll remember your name here it's going to be very, very tough unless we interact several times over and over and over again for me to remember your name so much so and again even while I'm here and set the two models we had today we're in on a board so I was kind accused of like, okay that's the name and I can remember that way but I know the importance of remembering their names I can discuss those things so I'm always constantly trying tow relate their name as much as I can because our own name is soothing to us the second unlike soon can you do this he's more inclined to do that instead of hey can you do that it's a difference in asking him to do something and state making important about him doing something from may three they have a hard time faking happiness how many times have you heard that I'm not happy like that's that's not me I don't do that you're like hey guys my half smile that's what that's what you got that's what you go ways to make your subject smile try smiling yourself like I said, I laughed myself all the time I'm joking about myself all the time because I can sit there and I can relate hey, I'm a person too it's uncomfortable for you as it is for me and I'm sure even your first boudoir session russ how uncomfortable is that for everyone on set he's like I was in there and I was quickly click and I mean it was more it was more about the pressure of like, I need to make sure that I do this right and and I'm not, you know, making them look bad, but yeah, I think I think it was okay because we were both open about the fact that we were it was her first time posing my first time shooting we're both very open about that were like, this is going to be awkward we'll figure it out was any laughter onset of course absolutely can't make fool of yourself you gotta have fun and just being ok to see those six aids again, we talked about taking things it was a large I would never say it's my first time kind of thing if it's something that it's a small client received first session it, why not? You know, we're learning together this was definitely just a test shoot with a friend, so it was it was not a like you did to our sessions with your friends actually many surprisingly enough, yeah wait works ladies be russ's friend, everybody has a different form of humor some people are funny, some people are like that's just the reality of things I'm not gonna sugarcoat it and say be funny makes them laugh not everybody has that capability. I make fun of myself because it makes other people happy like that's just me and my way doesn't mean that that's needs to be your form of humor we discussed before and I'm going back into the mistress position here as michael sitting on set I don't look over there see that I didn't think about anybody's name I remembered it based off what happened? Michael sitting there and I said, michael, you look creepy you look like a bank robber and it was my way his ego that's still not funny now is it kicking you look any angrier is that? And he starts laughing I'm trying to find social cues that's just me trying to get him to laugh but yesterday I did it to you where I said, are you trying to be a bank robber? I did the same exact joke that is my go to joke and he laughed and I got a photo of him and he did the same thing. It depends on the person. The same joke is gonna work for everyone but try to find something you could try to do to make people laugh if you if you feel like you can make them laugh blue steel those of you that understand what blue steel is no way that's funny okay, you guys haven't ever seen zoo lander go wash? It is photographers. So the springs another point use references that people recognize half of you laughed, half of you did it. Okay, half if you haven't seen that movement have no idea what we're talking about right now. Those of you that have no why that's like no it's. Funny, we've got a lot of blue steel comments in this hole in this whole lesson about like, hey, ugo, like turning around and doing posing that way that's a different joke in itself, but just using references somebody who's let's say seventy, may not find the same things funny eighteen year old, seventeen year old, a fifteen year old finding jokes that relates or finding ways to human people based on their age group way talked about this false facial motions and maura parent on the left side of the face and on the right side of the face way talked about each of you has different ways that they fake a smile. You specifically do you like it? You go. This is my one smile, but smiles more about symmetry. We can actually tell when it smiles riel versus when it's not you, can visually see things in an image, especially photographers, we can tell. Instagram is a great way to tell people of lying or not like if they're lying about their lives because you ever seen somebody on the beach like yeah look at me I'm happy versus like other things that they do throughout then tough they're faking it or not you can start telling people's real lives two smiles on what's happening so what happens if they have a stoic personality what happens that's just not their thing well not everybody is capable of taking happiness and you know what's funny that's okay no one needs that not everybody needs to be happy it's okay you don't have to have them smile and if you don't believe me there are actually celebrities who stoic men can relate to I want all you guys at home to google issue gets capped okay the first one and this one because I looked at these guys smiles and was laughing because they're very creeping the second smile it's like that's not normal like you should never do that again for the first one tommy lee jones you have seen tommy dooley joan smile this is goes to face there's like one photo him smiling and you're like don't smile ever again please don't smile about that before we went live today and we've pulled up a like just google image search of tommy lee jones and there was one shot that was smiling and I was like that doesn't look right absolutely when's the last time you say I might have a smile johnny depp johnny has won creepy smile that he does he has one photo anybody's in google images right now the third images on there's the only spot he has it's not creepy looking I'm looking there like that's the internet like high internet world ice cube I don't know why that's that's uh that's three we need a fourth one ice cube you ever seen ice keep smile once once on set it's like it's it's very farm in between what was what's his name the one that just played in a movie with him on yes tries to make him laugh all the time he thinks he's corny he's like you're not funny whatsoever and he's like you cannot make me laugh worth anything the last one your ears and laugh that's funny for kids to see the way that that works little men we discussed this four they think it's a complete waste of time posing for pictures you ever seen a guy like you just took my photo? I don't care what you have to say don't pose me and I don't want to hear I don't want anything that's there well that's when I go into well why're the photo is important to you that like why are you here like what's making you want to be here why are you hiring me or why do you want to take images if you're not? You're just going to sit on a chair to say it took my picture like I don't really care whatever it takes just take my photo and just go on I start talking about legacy and is it for family like what is it about what are you trying to melt why're you here asking them is it a corporate client like what's the final image? How much impact does that have in the business they have if it's for family you know who are we doing for if it's for children and the children that don't want to do it just trying to convince them by children I mean little men if little man no I don't want to do it you know who can you convince them to smile for who can you convince them to do things for or pose for? Do you want to do things for you know, trying to manipulate them emotionally to do what you want you know is it personal branding? Is that your lawyer your doctor? Why are they there? You know it's like the lawyer doctor is like, I don't really care just take a photo made a desk and we discussed yesterday well, you posing in a desk like this may not be pointing at him like it's a bad thing it's comfortable, but how does how does a lawyer doctor look when they pose that way or they sit that way? How does that have a reflection of what they want to do to kind of explain that? Hey, listen, look, your body positioning is communicating that you're not, uh you're not wanting to do your job, I'm taking a photo of you that way, do you? Do you want your clients to, like, physically see that way? What the goals lamb is what's the final result? Like, why are you doing this? I mean, I can't I can't emphasize that enough like that that would be my go to is why do you want to be here in the first place? Why? Like what what's making want to be here because you're not if you don't want to be here, you're not you don't want to be here like there's no questions about you wouldn't be in that spot. I love somebody either a put a gun to your head or be like forced any anyway, they found you two like gilded you to be there you want? You have to have some sort of reason you're there so there's a small inkling you just need as a photographer find why that angling is what's happening in that specific england? The photo doesn't look like me we've all gone through it we have perceptions of ourselves that nobody else knows about we see ourselves one way you look in the you look in the mirror, you see everything I level compared to yourself you stare in the mirror mirrors here here how far it is we're seeing a reflection of ourselves we're seeing the differences of seeing ourselves for have her old you are you're looking in a mirror, seeing yourself in a reflected version your perception is you foot over I mean those considerations tohave we'll discuss that momentarily they've put weight on they've gotten older it's not their current self image. How many guys have you seen what they're like? I haven't taken a photo like five years, you know? But they five years fifteen, twenty, twenty five, thirty pounds compared to what they did before and they're like I'm looked like that last so much photo I was like one twenty and that's how much they used away back then convince wait do now our men have gotten older and five years skin changes hair follicles what is it here? Follicly challenged things happen your hairline khun start receiving your starting to get white hairs things are starting to happen, I'm pointing I'm not even pointing at you and you're like yet thinks that hair style changed there's so many different things that change within that time quick group mirrors versus the photos what we were talking about before well no I mean you sit there in front of a mirror you look at it you've been looking at it for thirty forty years whatever the matter there is in you looking at and reverse image of yourself and you don't know how that specific mirror lies every time somebody takes a photo of you right like you look at it like now that's not me and I have seen many photos on set in the last couple days I'm like I don't look like that that really isn't may everyone is like that it's not just you guys having that perception and being able to communicate that listen look you don't have to educate every single client you're gonna have that one kind of like I don't look like that if you need to in reality you can say listen I'm gonna try to make the best representation of you on that note I'm here to help you I'm not here to take a bad photo again unless your papa rato that's a different story and its own lens distortion the difference in using lenses and how people perceive himself you know when we discussed using let's say thirty five in a wider subject, people aren't going to take kindly to that if their wider and they're very, very self conscious about their appearance they don't look at themselves that way you know when they're taking their selfies keep mentioning that because it's like kind of the whole psychological thing nothing like oh it's a psychological problem when you're taking your individual photos of yourself or selfish you're hiding certain aspects about yourself you're worrying about your nose or your ears whatever it is I have a big o so you guys know I'm verbally saying this so you guys know I'm a man I justify me is being an adult male that I can say these things my my parents my family have made fun of my ears for years okay? This is a specific instance where I usually called a volkswagen door with with the doors open because my head was so large and like my ears that stick out I post photos that I find it funny now but growing up as a kid you're like don't look in my years like so you start game these like self perceptions where if you take a selfie it's always like one year to the side where you can't really see the other side like those considerations that you start having it starts messing with you we discussed this rust you with your eyes you had something that you are self conscious about your eyes like there's so many different things that we're looking at like self perception wise that think people have done to us in the past that we still don't know mirrors versus reality again same person just flipped over. That person sees himself completely different than we do. You know, moles on the opposite side were visually seeing different different features that we did before same thing how much wider does he look on one side than the other visually he's looking itself in different cues using photographer may not see it but people see that themselves they look at themselves and they know he sees himself like that every single day every time he looks in the mirror that's him and the second he goes to take a photo that's him how is that perceived for your subject? How does he look at himself and say you know what? My perception on where my have one cheek bigger than the other one I begin the other is different it's just so odd I'm gonna go back the moles that person sees their mole every single day and this image he was a little mall here goes there moles here go his his eyes he sees this freckle every single day you take a photo and he looks like that psychologically everything's flipped over it doesn't look like me like that that's totally different next same thing even cheekbones even hair you do your hair some of us do your hair so must do our hair I could say the same thing I really didn't care anymore um and we have our part is one single way our hairs one specific direction you look at us in a photo and it's everything's completely distorted the way we dress everything might watch everything the way that I see myself is when I'm seeing in the photograph our interpretation of who we are to first from everyone that we see around us everyone sees us in a different way and as a photographer you have your own perspective on how people are supposed to look and people were going to assume that that's them so we talked about distance to maris the self is the selfies versus reality differences in distance people aren't used to seeing themselves that's if that's the mirror this far away how like far you generally from your ears at tops if he counters there if there's a counter in the bathroom this is probably how far you go you don't sit here this far, so the second you hear this far proportionately everything else everything is different you know you're looking at yourself regardless of your height you're looking at yourself and then down so what's personal what's perspective on that large small so you're always looking at yourself perspective large, small regardless, if you're if you're skinnier bigger, it doesn't matter you're looking at a wider image down too narrow, so a lot of people that are skinny and taller we're thinking about themselves larger head skinny skinny body how are they perceiving themselves that they have issues with their with being skinny? Seamus has even skinnier larger people what are they saying? They're seeing themselves a skinny you take a photo they look larger like it's all perspective most clients are photographers they don't understand those things you know as you guys are trying to discuss these things and you let me take a picture it's okay to explain those things saying you know what? I understand I'm here for you you know, I know a lot of times people aren't used to having a photograph taken you know, these are things that we all go through like I understand that it's difficult to see, you know, somebody else's perspective view I'm gonna take the best image of you that I can physically I want to make you look the best I'm working for you here I want to make you look as great as possible be able to sell that and don't again don't be afraid, but I keep ahead of the curve here like this don't be afraid to explain why they only taking photos with other people I'm gonna get a little bit about group posing here way haven't discussed crew posing I'm gonna give you a couple go to poses for for first let's cover this section before that personal space personal space depends on the area that you are like it depends on what? What are you from western hemisphere? Eddie from new york city versus california. I know in florida when I speak to someone I could speak I'm just gonna walk up to somebody ran that I could speak this close and we have a customer a conversation I'm like hey, how are you? How's? Everything going the second I move to new york hey, man, how's it going? How you doing, how's? Everything going like personal space is completely different than when you take a photograph. You know, here in seattle percent like I goto say hello to somebody hey, give me a hug near city don't give anyone a hug like not happening give me a hand shake and, like, give me at least an arm's distance away like those considerations to have someone we go take photos of other people do we really want a hung up on people in like, new york city is a close friend isn't an acquaintance. Yes, about two with people from middle east. I mean, they talked to you and it's right here. Oh, yeah, so it's me, nick, and if you're not used to being someone being that close to you may could be seriously uncomfortable for you absolutely and it's not so much for them absolutely and can you imagine being able to take a photograph of somebody who's willing to like you have your own personal bubble? You let me jump up there and take a photo with wei don't want that like if you have a friend the other thing is before anything weird group poses that whole weird we're group poses everybody has like hey let's let's all hug toby should be in the french in the side should be in the you know, the angle I told people automatically get pushed to the back that short people get to the french girls so they want to be there are they an apple box what's happening like all those weird nuances it's so much information all at once that it's very, very difficult so group the other thing was I recently read some of this here for two seconds I recently read something where one gentleman was like, you know what? Every time I go take a photo it's awkward for me because I go to put my hand around someone and I'm like do I put it on the top put it on the bottom if I'm too close to the hit I look like I'm holding his bum if I put it over the top are we friends like we partners or, you know, what's happening with that specific subject you know there's so many different nuances of things that are happening it's funny because people don't think guys think about that, but how many times you got toe like take a photo with a bunch of friends and it's like ok, what do we do like how do we what's happening here? Is it okay to go put my hand around two guys? So I stand there kind of to the side that was saying like this? Like what happens? So we're going to cover quickly because we haven't discussed it before do you mind if I pose with you so we gonna talk about we'll be same sex couples as well, what do you think? Unite total good you're my kind of guy, man, we'll go with this can do it, we're friends do I want to hold his waist away? Do I sit here? And I'm like, hey, how are you what's happening where women take photographs and that's generally okay, if we're if we're too straight males like, how would that be perceived? We're looking at that automatically. Do we want to take photos together? You know how close you want to be together? You want to stay, don't make ourselves look skinny and I want to make sure I take photos like this all the time, which is funny because I don't it's funny because you like you can tell people to do as much as they want what I wanted doing is just trying to show distance of that relationship of what we have and he's my best friend I don't mind getting close like we're comfortable that way if not this is automatically it happens it's like see see how this photo would look we're fine we're comfortable we'll care for another so a couple to go to poses with male fortress if he's my friend I don't mind doing this because we're cool we're confident he's he's comfortable like this doesn't scream like a gay couple of somebody's afraid of showing that they're gay as opposed to if it is a gay couple of its two straight males it's it's not bad just to go around each other and just take a photo of one of you'll see like neil patrick harris do the same thing where he's literally just is very, very close russ so it's it's okay to be comfortable around other people just look at the way that they're perceived or perceiving the situation you know if you have two people again this is going to feel weird but where's your dominant hand like what's happening how are you taking photos of people you know being okay with this distance? We're fine, you know? It depends on where you going well okay, I don't wanna hold you I just you want to show everybody as best as they can and somebody who's uncomfortable about grabbing someone or being close to someone can feel awkward, and they're going to show that in the photo, you don't want somebody to feel uncomfortable it's gonna showcase everywhere or everything that you're doing. I have the problem that I am very much a chronic like hunger and not on just a personal life, but also in photos, and I've noticed that I kind of have tto sort of gauge it as I go in, like males and females it's definitely there a lot of women who don't like to be touched and so it's like it's different for you, each person, it just kind of have to feel out that relationship see what people like, it goes back to what you've said constantly see where people naturally go, if people are like, if you say, okay, everybody stand over there, and they all just kind of standing apart from each other, you'll need to pose them in amore distant way, whereas if they all just get in and naturally or like eleven on each other, then that's what we're going to do, and I'm okay with it because the second let's say you have a whole group of people that are very uncomfortable with one another and like, uh, this person, I don't want to be anywhere near that person, you're ready, considering those things like very, very socially awkward. And a lot of instances. Trust me. I've got a lot of photos with different people for those reasons, mostly family, ninety nine point, nine percent family.

Class Materials

bonus material with purchase

Photographer's Style Guide for Men
Men's Posing Guid
Photoshop Black and White Presets
Adorama Gear Guid

Ratings and Reviews

caroline ross
 

I watched this class for free and am saving up to buy it. First of all confirmed! Sigma lens are nothing to be ashamed of and since I love my one main lens, Sigma I immediately felt a rapport. Then listening to the fascinating insights about men and their feelings when confronted by a lens and...what to do with folks who have shaved heads or a little large. Some of the tips were great! Adding a decoration on suit front like a flower or handkerchief, and how to get the suits looking FIT! and well, I plunged into man world and it was a super education. By day two I was amazed by Jeff's generosity. Basically all his experience, all his favorite lighting techniques and painstaking attention to detail. I would have to watch Day two zillions of times to actually be able to absorb all the scenarios and effects. Im going to buy some suit clips Jeff and clip a bunch of suits in back and front to gorgeous my male subjects out. Thank you again for a wonderful, wonderful class.

Lee Crow
 

I've taken a lot of photography training in the last couple of years. Jeff is outstanding. I didn't realize that this content would have such an impact on me. The lighting sections were the best I've seen and the psychological impact of us men having good photos is a wonderful subject to bring to light. The class is great. Jeff is great. CL is great.

MizUniverse
 

this course was worth every penny. Full of practical information and excellent demonstrations. Jeff needs to quit with the crotch comments though ..it was like ...really AGAIN? why are you so obsessed with saying crotch crotch crotch good God. Apart from THAT (which I think was just silly nerves) I really do recommend this class. Jeff is actually very very good. I admire his work. Thanks Jeff I learned a lot!!

Student Work

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