When you are composing portraits, there are several small details you can play around with to make your photos interesting and unique, and enhance the overall effect of your photographs.
Althought it might sound being fussy to meditate on each detail, they are much more significant than one would think. For example, a clumsy pose of the feet, even if it takes up only about 5 percent of the photograph, is capable of ruining the whole concept and 'feel' of your portrait.
Even more important is the posing of hands, because hands have the capability of reflecting the person's character and mood, and, if used to effect, they can add a lot of expression to the portraits.
Overdoing is Bad
Always remember, though, that none of the details should be emphasized too much, so that they do not draw the attention away from the face of your model: the point is to animate the subject's pose, and not to overload the portrait with details.
This may seem a little complex but in reality there are only a few principles that you need to understand to get a grasp of the basics, and with a little practice you will easily find the balance to capturing stunning portraits.
The first thing you need to consider is what you would like to do with the hands: do you want them to be part of the composition, or would you rather 'hide' them so that they do not divert the viewer's attention from your subject?
My experience is that if you cannot decide whether or not to include the hands, it is always better to leave them out.
Never leave the hands dangling down
Even if you would like to leave the hands unnoticed, the arms should never just hang at the sides of the person – it looks unflattering and clumsy and will affect the overall pose in the portrait.
Luckily, people tend to pose their hands quite well on their own as well, they instinctively fold their arms or place them the way that it is most comfortable for them, which always looks natural and relatively 'invisible' on photographs.
You can also ask your model to put his/her hands their pockets or behind their back.
The Hands as Props
If you want the hands to be seen on the portrait you have to position them in a way that they add to your composition. The easiest thing is to try and get the subject to do something with their hands that feels comfortable and it is very likely to work in the picture.
However, some people tend to get nervous when photographed, so you may need to guide them a little to find the best pose for their hands. The positions that usually result in the most 'natural' looks are when the hands rest upon something, like a wall, the subject's hips, or you can even give them something to hold, like the arm of the chair or a pen, etc.
Bending the Wrist
More often than not, when you ask your subjects to strike a pose, they will be so concerned about the posture that they forget about the hands and position them in a most awkward and unnatural-looking way.
The general rule for relaxed-looking hands that are above the person's waist line is that the hand points upward and the wrist is slightly bent. When the hand is below the waist line, the natural position is letting the hands fall downwards.
Side-view of the Hand
It is usually more enticing to photograph hands from the side, rather than showing the back of the hand or the palm, so that the hand looks slimmer and does not overwhelm the picture. This is especially important when the hand is close to the face in a portrait.
Also, make sure that the hand does not catch too much light, otherwise it may become too dominant and divert focus from the subject's face.
If you have something in mind, please feel free to share them on the comments below. We love constructive criticisms, it will allow us to do better on our endeavors.
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That's it for now guys and stay tuned for another episode of our Photography 101. If you wish to check on our previous releases, see the list below.
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