The posing bench should be set at an angle to the camera. When the bench is square to the camera, people tend to sit on it with their shoulders square to the camera This puts their shoulders straight across the picture and such a pose exaggerates the width of the shoulders. This pose is obviously inappropriate for a woman. When your subject is a male dignitary (VIP), a pose like this enhances those qualities. Very few people have positions that demand such a pose. Having the posing bench at an angle to the camera before the sitter arrives should automatically suggest to the subjects that they sit with their shoulders turned slightly from the camera. With the shoulders turned slightly from the camera and the head turned back toward the camera, a sense of motion is created. Even more motion and alertness can be suggested by having the subject lean slightly forward.

Eye Direction

To create an intimate portrait, the subject appears to return a glance to the viewer. The subject's eyes should look near the camera lens (just above or to the side of it). When the subject looks directly into the lens, a stare

Figure 7-3. Rule of thirds.

will result (fig. 7-1). When the eyes are looking too far away from the camera, a vague, faraway look results (fig. 7-2). The eyes also lose their brilliance and sparkle, and too much white shows when the subject's eyes are looking away from the camera.

Portrait Composition and Subject Placement

As in every type of photography, in portraiture there must be one, and only one, principal point of interest. Naturally, in a portrait, this is the subject's face. You can emphasize the point of interest in a portrait by doing the following:

Having it contrast with the background

Giving it the strongest lighting

Posing the subject and arranging the props so all elements point to it

Locating it at a strong point within the picture area

Where are the strong points within a portrait picture space? The principle of thirds, as discussed in chapter 5, applies to portraiture as well. These are the areas within a portrait that attract eye attention and are the preferred locations for the center of interest (fig. 7-3). In a portrait, when the main point of interest is located at Point A, the secondary point of interest should be at Point D. If B is the point of interest, C becomes the

Figure 7-4. Subject placed too high in the photograph.

secondary interest point. Such an arrangement obviously balances the composition.

As stated earlier, the subject's face is the point of interest in a portrait and, of course, covers a considerable area in the picture space. Usually in portrait composition, the eyes fall close to Points A or B. But these positions are approximations only. The final adjustment of the head depends upon several factors: the eye direction, the shape of the body, and the leading lines. No rule can be given for best portrait composition. Rules only give guidance to a rough approximation of good placement. You can only arrive at the best composition for each portrait through the feeling for balance and subject position.

When the head and shoulders are placed high in the picture frame, a sense of dignity and stability is gained. Such placement is particularly appropriate when the subject is a person of importance, such as the CO. However, when the head is too high (fig. 7-4), viewing the picture is uncomfortable because there is a feeling that if the subject stood up he would bump his head. Also, when the head is too high, the proportion between head and body areas becomes awkward.

Figure 7-5. Subject placed too low in the photograph.

Most inexperienced photographers place the head too low, rather than too high. This is usually the result of the photographer's desire to show as large a head as possible. When the head is too low, there is not enough body to support it (fig. 7-5).

When the head is turned toward the side, avoid having the tip of the nose from coinciding with the outline of the cheek or projecting only slightly beyond the cheek line. In either case, the far eye will be divided by the nose. When the tip of the nose sticks out only a little beyond the cheek line, it appears as a lump on the cheek

Before you seat a subject, suggest that the subject may like to check his or her appearance in a mirror. Combing the hair, straightening a tie, setting a hat at the proper angle, and smoothing out the lay of the clothes should ensure a neat, well-groomed appearance. When the subject is in military uniform, be sure that medals, ribbons, insignia of grade or rate, and other accessories are worn properly. These minor details are easily overlooked and failure to correct a discrepancy may make it necessary to retake the portrait.

When a military subject is seated, one particularly important point to consider is the lay of the coat collar. The collar has a tendency to separate from the back of the subject's neck and project outward resulting in the impression of a hump. The coat should be pulled down to make the collar fit properly and make the line of the subject's back appear free from slouch or slump. When the portrait includes only the head and shoulders, the drape of the coat can be improved by unbuttoning the lower button and pulling the bottom of the coat down.

The sleeves of a coat are another problem, particularly when you photograph a seated subject. There is a tendency for the sleeves to work up and wrinkle at the elbows, allowing either too much wrist or too much shirt cuff to show. To help remedy this, have the subject pull the sleeves of the coat down and straighten out the wrinkles as much as possible. Wrinkles, folds, and unwanted creases in a uniform detract from a neat appearance. When the subject is wearing a long-sleeved shirt under a coat and the hands will appear in the portrait, both shirt cuffs should be visible or both should be out of sight. Do not have one cuff visible and the other not.

Stay near the camera and tell the subject what to do. You are obligated to give directions regarding the pose. A subject is not able to see all posing aspects for the portrait. Whether the subject is an admiral or seaman, you are expected to detect and correct any discrepancy in pose, uniform, gestures, or actions, and so on. One of the greatest obstacles to successful portraiture is the timidness of some photographers and the way they handle the subject. Never take a portrait when something about the portrait is wrong because of fear or timidity to speak and act in the presence of high grade. The results will be disappointing and embarrassing.

When the military subject is to be photographed uncovered, be sure that the hat is removed far enough in advance so any impression on the forehead caused by the hatband has time to disappear.

When the subject shows a tendency to squint or blink, suggest that he rest his eyes by closing them for a moment. The facial expression is an important element to a good portrait. Unless some method is used to induce a pleasant expression, the subject will generally appear bored and uninteresting. Telling a subject to look this way or smile is not enough to cause the subject to smile. A forced smile sometimes looks more like a frown. A good method to get a pleasant expression is through conversation. Talk about a recent incident, a funny story, the weather, or any other topic that will cause the subject to concentrate on something other than the business of making a portrait. With most people, a smile is contagious. When you smile at a person, the person usually responds with a smile. Beware of a broad smile

7-8 because it rarely looks attractive, and it is usually not appropriate for a person in a military uniform. While you are trying to induce the expression that will show off the subject to the best advantage, be particularly observant of the details necessary to maintain a neat appearance and good composition.