Enhance Your Photography with High-Quality Brick Photography Floordrops.

Create Picture-Perfect Moments with Concrete Photography Floordrops.

Unleash Your Creativity with Stone Photography Floordrops!

Get Floored by the Spectacular Tile Photography Floordrops Experience!

Elevate Your Photography Experience with Exquisite Wood Floordrops

Questions? Call Us 1-800-844-5616

Questions? Call Us 1-800-844-5616

This section doesn’t currently include any content. Add content to this section using the sidebar.

Image caption appears here

Add your deal, information or promotional text

For Denny – Quick Tip Feb 2025 Blog

For Denny – Quick Tip Feb 2025 Blog

By Gary Bernstein

Session 7 – An Actor with his Bride to Be

 

Continued from January 2025:

 

Shots 4-32 and 4-33

Light Source: One Hot Light and two silver reflectors

Location: Home Environment

Camera: 4 and 6 MB Digital Cameras with Zooms (short telephoto)

Shot 4-32

    At the end of the session with the actor, I made some images of him with his wife to be…

Let’s talk about “rules.”

You know that I don’t like rules when it comes to photography. It is, however, nice to have a place to start (or something to fall back on) – especially if you’re a newcomer to the business because a shoot always carries with it pressure in the moment. So, I will always give you “suggestions” that I believe will make your pictures better or more interesting and give you something to fall back on. Bottom line: Your subjects must like themselves in the pictures or you blew it! These “suggestions” have worked for me for decades (and thousands of other shooters) to help make photographs more appealing (and salable). 

Re working with couples—some suggestions…

    Notice that the man is positioned slightly higher in the frame. It is not so much about the man being higher as it is about the eyes of the subjects being at different levels in the composition, which creates movement and greater impact. If a third person were added, those eyes would be placed at yet a different level in the frame. In reality, photographing couples and groups is a bit like arranging flowers…you do it one at a time.

 Notice that the man leans i.e. faces in the direction of his body so his head and his torso face in the same direction (it is more masculine in doing so, and creates strength). Notice that she leans in an opposite direction to her torso (creating an S-curve, which is more feminine and soft). No, it is not a sexist comment. It is a photography comment ;). The result of the posing is that they end up leaning toward each other which makes for a “pleasant composition” allowing the viewer’s eye to focus primarily on one area of the frame. Notice how comfortable the two of them look. That is what we want.

The light is placed so that it comes from above the subjects’ eyes. As a rule, most faces look best when the light comes from above and at a 30-45 degree angle to the face producing a catch light in the eyes. Even when working outside, remember to position your subject under an awning, in a doorway or under an overhang so the angle of light bends into the subject’s face at the same 30-45 degree angle. In the case of this photograph of the couple, there are 3 catch lights in each eye produced by the single spot (the main light) and two silver reflectors placed on a dining room table in front of them. They are sitting on chairs as am I – which worked for this shot ONLY because of his height in relation to hers. IF they are not at the correct heights, then bring in 2 Denny adjustable stools so the heights work and the subjects are comfortable.

Below is an image I made for my very first layout for Esquire Magazine. It features two of the more beautiful people ever put on the planet – Uva Harden and Victoria Principal…

The photograph was made in Malibu, California with midday sunlight (the most unforgiving light for photographing faces) high above us. Consequently, I positioned Uva and Victoria under the Santa Monica Pier allowing the indirect light (to the open sky) to bend at a perfect angle into their faces. My reflector? The beach, of course ;).

Can the same image be made in the studio? Absolutely, just buy a Denny solid color white background and remember to overexpose the background to keep it pure white.

 
 

See the full details of this shoot in my book, PRO TECHNIQUES OF PEOPLE PHOTOGRAPHY available for purchase here on the Denny website.

Another image that further makes the point (from the same book) appears below:

Notice that the relationship of the models in the frame or the composition, meaning that the relationship of the heads and the heights do not change regardless of the composition (here a ¾ length image) and cropping. There are subtle differences but the overall compositional elements remain in tact to create a strong image. This shot was made for an Esquire fashion layout as well; but obviously what couple (in your studio for a portrait session) would not adore going outside for a photograph like this? It’s a rhetorical question ;).

And what trumps all the rules? The real spontaneous relationship that only loving couples exude—like this shot I made of Robert Wagner and Jill St. John during a moment when they weren’t posing for pictures!

PHOTO 4-P

Robert Wagner and Jill St. John © Gary Bernstein 2013

Getting back to our loving couple…

Shot 4-33

    …For a romantic variation on a theme…just turn them to each other…and ask them to look down from the prior setup. Notice how the highlight of his profile falls in contrast against the shadow side of her face. Is minutia like that important? You better believe it! In the final analysis (and at the risk of repeating this very important point), the subjects (and the clients) rarely knows precisely why they like or don’t like a photograph. They either do or they don’t, so you need every element going for you; and attention to detail is key. Notice the cropping, the position of the eyes in the frame, keeping the eyes in the upper third of the shot.

Next month we’ll take a look at more shots of couples for commercials and advertisements…like this one for The La Costa Hotel and Spa…

Happy Shooting. See you next month!

Gary Bernstein

ALL PHOTOGRAPHS © GARY BERNSTEIN . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Search our collections