The POSING ISSUE

JULY/AUGUST 2016
Striking a Pose:
Advice from THE
the Experts POSING
ISSUE
The Power of
Body Language
Focus On:
The State of
Boudoir
Vicky Papas Vergara’s

Super Stylized Looks
15 Must-Have
Backdrops
& Props
The Official Magazine of
PHOTO © VICKY PAPAS VERGARA

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CONTENTS
52
July/August 2016 Vol. 65 No. 07
THE POSING ISSUE

PICTURED: A wedding-inspired
shot from a boudoir session
41
by Jennifer Rozenbaum, who
Posing With Purpose
takes care to pose each part
Introducing a tip-packed issue.
of the body.
42
Striking a Pose
We turn to the experts.
44
Staying in Fashion
7 pointers for posing models.
BY LA RA JA D E
46
People + Pets
Photographing that special bond.
BY KRIST IE L E E
48
On Posing + Prepping
Unwrapping some newborn knowledge.
B Y A N A B RA N DT
50
The Family Playbook
Following the four golden rules.
BY TA MA RA LAC K E Y
52
Celebrating the Feminine Form
A head-to-toe breakdown.
BY JE N N IF E R ROZE N B AU M
54
The Spontaneity Within
Discreet tricks for group portraits.
B Y R OB E RTO VA LE N ZU E L A
56
Body Language Basics
Understanding the deep-seated power
of posing and its nuances.
BY DA N IE LLE L IB IN E
S P E C I A L F E AT U R E
PHOTO © JENNIFER ROZENBAUM
64
State of the Art
The ins and outs of boudoir in 2016.
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CONTENTS
F E AT U R E S
36 28
Photographer You Should
Know: Vicky Papas Vergara
A fashion-oriented fine-art
shooter finds her niche.
I N TE RVI E W BY LIB B Y P E T E RS O N
72
Wedding Photography
Competition
Winners’ Gallery
FOCUS
18
News, Products and Exhibits
Military tea time sessions, a
Gordon Parks/Ralph Ellison
PHOTO © LATO PHOTOGRAPHY

exhibition and the Miller’s/
Mpix Loyalty Program.
B Y L I B B Y P E T E RS O N
20
What’s in My Bag?
Breaking it down with a
Photographer’s Creed.
B Y ROB GRE E R 28 12 93
Wedding of the Month From the Director Ad Index
24 Rainy day rejoicing. BY JASO N G RO UP P
Defining Moments S EL ECTED B Y 94
A Q&A with Kenny Kim. JACQ UELINE TO BIN 14 On My Radar
B Y TA M A RA L AC K EY Rf Conversations In the moment.
CO MP ILED BY RF STAFF BY MAT T WILLE Y
COLUMNS
26
Light Reading 08 16
A spectrum of portraiture.
B Y JI M CORN FI EL D
From the Editor
B Y JACQ UELINE TO BIN
Editor’s Pick: Daryl Henderson
BY JACQUELINE TOBIN ONLINE
30
N O W!
From the Cubicle WANT EVEN MORE
Perseverance pays off. RANGEFINDER?
26 BY JASO N G RO UP P Look for extra insight from
the posing experts, tips
80 from Family Photography
Product Roundup Now author Pat Pope as
Fifteen backdrops and props. well as excerpts from Dani
BY G REG SCO BLET E Klein-Williams’s Real. Sexy.
Photography.: The Art and
88 Business of Boudoir and
Fundy Designer v7 Corinna Gissemann’s Food
An album builder ups the ante. Photography book.
BY G REG SCO BLET E PLUS: How the UK does
boudoir, with special
PHOTO © PAUL MOBLEY
90 insight from photographer

First Exposure Jessica Pereira.
PictureCode’s Photo Ninja.
BY STAN SH O LIK rangefinderonline.com
6 R ANGE F INDER S UM M ER 2 016

FROM THE EDITOR
One of my favorite photographers from my PDN days,

Ellen von Unwerth, once said that she likes to “photograph
anyone before they know what their best angles are.”
PHOTO © SUE BRYCE
®
Von Unwerth herself—renowned as a photographer and
director for her images of “erotic femininity”—was a fashion
model for ten years before moving to the other side of
the camera. I always marvel at how her sultry subjects (a mix of celebrities EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jacqueline Tobin
and models) never fail to exude that certain je nais sais quoi. Is it in the artful FEATURES EDITOR Libby Peterson
throw back of her subject’s head, the way a lipsticked mouth (half open) SENIOR TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Greg Scoblete
seems to whisper unheard secrets, or is it the tilt of an arm, bent at the elbow ONLINE EDITOR Stacey Goldberg
with hand on head, fingers grabbing at hair? Whatever it is, the message is ART DIRECTOR Kelly Holodak
Daniel Ryan
clear: Working with the person who stands (or sits) before your camera takes GROUP PRODUCTION DIRECTOR
PRODUCTION MANAGER Gennie Kiuchi
time and intent. Even the most naturally-posed-looking person probably did
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
not start out that way. Speaking of which, have you noticed that I changed my Ana Brandt, Jim Cornfield, Rob Greer, Jason Groupp,
profile photo for this issue? It was taken by Sue Bryce, who has a knack for Lara Jade, Tamara Lackey, Kristie Lee, Danielle Libine,
Theano Nikitas, Jennifer Rozenbaum, Stan Sholik, Roberto
making every woman look, and feel, her best (thank you, Sue!). This month, in Valenzuela, Matt Willey
our very first Posing Issue, you will learn from our pros on how to do posing SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, PHOTO AND JEWELRY GROUPS
right, whether you are working with professional models, regular people, John McGeary (646) 668-3736
VICE PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER, PHOTO+
adorable newborns and kids, or even pets! We also have Vicky Papas Vergara Lauren Wendle (646) 668-3762
in our lineup, a super talented phenom from Down Under who swept the ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Mark Brown (646) 668-3702
WPPI awards earlier this year and whose work also SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
Jon McLoughlin (646) 668-3746
taps into my Ellen Von Unwerth and Sue Bryce envy. Lori Reale (858) 204-8956
And don’t forget to check out the winners of our ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Joseph Kowalsky (646) 668-3694
Wedding Photography Competition to see whose Dennis Tyhacz (646) 668-3779
work our judges—including Brian Callaway and DIRECTOR OF SALES, PHOTO+ SHOWS
Mike Gangel (646) 668-3717
Jose Villa—were fully engaged by. Enjoy! Mike.Gangel@emeraldexpo.com
For subscription information and customer service, call:

—jacqueline tobin, editor-in-chief (866) 249-6122 or locally, (847) 763-9546
jacqueline.tobin@emeraldexpo.com | rangefinderonline.com Rangefinder, P.O. Box 2198, Skokie, IL 60076

Rangefinder@halldata.com
ON THE COVER For list rental information contact:

Mike Gangel (646) 668-3717
“This is one of my very first studio shoots I ever
OPERATIONS MANAGER Neeta Lakhani
did, so I spent a bit more time making an effort to
do something really pretty, beautiful and elegant,” A P UBLICAT IO N O F
says Vicky Papas Vergara, a fine-art portrait shooter
and this month’s Photographer You Should Know.
“It’s kind of where I found my style. Anne Duffy
is a nude art model, and this was my first time CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND PRESIDENT David Loechner
photographing her. I allowed her to get the feel of CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND TREASURER Philip Evans
PHOTO © VICKY PAPAS VERGARA
her style and I would then come in and direct her, CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER Bill Charles
VICE PRESIDENT, GENERAL COUNSEL AND SECRETARY DavidGosling
creating feminine shapes. It was also my first time
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS Lori Jenks
photographing full length, so I was very aware of SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, DIGITAL Teresa Reilly
silhouettes and shapes.” Want to know more on SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING SERVICES Joanne Wheatley
how Vicky Papas Vergara found her niche and how VICE PRESIDENT, HUMAN RESOURCES Eileen Deady
VICE PRESIDENT, CORPORATE OPERATIONS Denise Bashem
she sets up her fine-art portrait sessions? Check
out our conversation with her, starting on page 36. Rangefinder is a trademark owned exclusively by Emerald
Expositions, LLC Copyright © 2016 Emerald Expositions, LLC.
All rights reserved.
PHOTOGRAPHER: Vicky Papas Vergara MAKEUP: Saphire Gaskas CAMERA: Canon 1D X Rangefinder Magazine
85 Broad Street, 11th Floor,
LENS: Canon 85mm f/1.2 EXPOSURE: f/9 at 1/125th of a second ISO: 100
New York, NY 10004
LIGHTING: Strobe, softbox with a reflector for fill LOCATION: Studio (646) 668-3700

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hOW I GOt
thAt shOt dReW GURiAn cAptUrEs A stAr
WitH tHE prOFOtO B1
in 2014, i waS HireD BY an aGenCY TO iSO 200, f/9 at 1/125 of a second. i used my Profoto B1 monolight and a
PHOTO © rOBerT CaPLin
photograph the now seven-time Grammy- Profoto Softlight for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, i wanted to
winning rapper Kendrick Lamar. light him with something that had a bit more punch than your average soft
Kendrick was in new York City for a press box, and i thought the reflector would suit him well. Secondly, because
day announcing a new brand collaboration. i it was incredibly windy, i knew that the shallow profile of the Softlight
had been hired to shoot reportage throughout would stand up to the elements a bit better than a soft box.
the day, and i wanted to sell the agency on Some people need a lot of direction and i have to fight to break down
the idea of shooting a quick portrait as well. Due to the jam-packed barriers, but Kendrick is not one of those people. He’s one of the most
schedule, they were hesitant at first, telling me no. when i said i could do genuine, humble people anyone could ever hope to work with, and as
the portrait in one to two minutes, they gave me a tentative go-ahead. soon as he stood in front of the camera, i knew i had what i was after.
as a new York City resident, i jump on any chance i get to create a The few minutes i had outside with Kendrick—and this single frame—
classic new York scene. On this particular shoot, we had access to a made the entire day a huge success. while the client had their own
terrace that had a great view of Chelsea. goals, i knew i needed to push the envelope to produce something really
Given the time constraint—and the freezing December temperatures— amazing. By convincing them to let me create something of my own, we
my assistant and i had everything set up on the terrace and tested well got something out of the day that all parties were truly happy with.
before Kendrick’s arrival.
i opted for a Profoto B1 flash with a white Profoto Softlight (a.k.a. To learn more about the Profoto B1 light and the Profoto Softlight, please visit
Beauty Dish) at camera right and photographed Kendrick head on, at profoto.com/offcameraflash. See more from Drew Gurian at drewgurian.com.
advErTiSEmEnT
tips &
tricks
1
BE on yoUr aBSolUTE a-gamE whEn
ThE TalEnT arrivES. Have everything set
up perfectly and talk with your talent. The more
professional and personable you, are the more
time you’ll have with them.
2 BUild UP yoUr lighTS onE aT a TimE.

For an environmental portrait, get your settings
for the background dialed in first; then add your
main light.
3
whEn adding lighTS, add ThEm wiTh
CarE. More lights can mean more problems
if you don’t have control over them.
4
whEn USing flaSh, PraCTiCE
BalanCing yoUr BaCkgroUnd wiTh
yoUr forEgroUnd.
The last thing you want is for your subject to look
pasted on the background.
5
know EaCh of yoUr lighT ShaPErS
inSidE and oUT. You need to know what
light will suit your talent best, and learn just how
versatile a single light shaper can be.
PHOTO © Drew Gurian
LiGhTinG setUP
Behind the scenes S UBJ ECT
Top: The
final shot of
Kendrick Lamar,
photographed
on a Chelsea Profoto b1
rooftop. wiTh Pro foTo
Ca m Era So fTlighT
Right: Gurian’s
former photo
assistant, erik
ellingson, stands Brought to you by
in for a test shot.
www.profoto.com
FROM THE WPPI DIREC TOR
Time for a mid-year check in! What the what?! Yep, over half our year
PHOTO © CHRISTIAN LALONDE
is gone! I thought I’d check in and see how you guys are doing. For
those of you in the northern hemisphere, your busy season is in full
swing and right about now you’re gasping for air! The good news is,
you’re halfway through; the bad news…you’re only halfway through.
This issue covers all things posing, which has always been a tough
skill to conquer, and like lighting, it’s one that we perfect over time. Invest the time in this craft
and I guarantee your imagery will grow in leaps and bounds.
A great place to learn more about posing, of course, is at one of our two conferences each
year. Most of you are familiar with WPPI in Las Vegas (which in 2017 will be from February 4-9),
but our sister show, PhotoPlus Expo in New York City, is also a great experience. If you’ve never
been to NYC in the fall, you must join us (October 19-22). Registration
just opened—check us out!
+ photoplusexpo.com
JASON GROUPP
Photo © Liam shaw
WPPI Director of Education and Membership

Jason.Groupp@emeraldexpo.com
(646) 668-3722
PhotoGraPhy annuaL
2 0 1 6
r fa n n u a L . c o m deadline: 09.01.2016 SponSored by
Rangefinder is seeking the most exceptional imagery from september 2015–2016

in the following categories: weddinG / Portrait / fashion
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Photo © Liam shaw
RFAnnual2016_PDN_HP.indd 1 6/28/16 10:27 AM

12 R ANGE F IN D ER S UM M ER 2 016
RF CONVERSATIONS
As a subscriber to Rangefinder
for over ten years, the June 2016 issue
is the best. Why? I like the tactile feel of the paper, and
the writing has drastically improved. The first piece on
“How this photo was made” gets the reader’s curiosity
going...and I always read the magazine cover to cover
and did so as soon as it arrived in the mail.
The advertisements, necessary items, are pertinent to
the stories adjacent to articles and are well composed.
And as an outdoor landscape photographer, I am very
seriously considering buying some lighting equipment
due to your articles from your advertisers.
Just wanted to say thank you for a real first rate
PHOTO © VOULEZ VOUS BOUDOIR
issue; a job well done to all the staff.

Sincerely,
Robert Olson
Kennebunk, ME
voulezvousboudior: Catching up on my reading!

#voulezvousboudoir #beauty #tulsa #sundayfunday
#rangefindermagazine #poolside
Stockland Martel:
Thank you,
Brian Callaway: Well done to everyone @aphotoeditor, for
who entered Rangefinder’s 2016 featuring
PHOTO © MILLER MOBLEY
Wedding Photography Competition!! I just @millermobley

and his
finished my share of the judging! Should be an
@RangefinderMag
amazing Collection!!!! cover story!
Colin Rieser via Blue Kite Cinema:

MOM! MOM! We made it!
We have an interview article in
PHOTO © BLUE KITE CINEMA
Rangefinder magazine!!!
*insert goofy nerd smile*
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Lens and accessories shown are not included.
EDITOR ’S PICK
Summertime
Sass
By Jacqueline Tobin
I first met L.A.-based fashion lifestyle, editorial

and travel photographer Daryl Henderson about
a decade ago at our sister publication PDN’s
PhotoPlus Expo in New York City. Since then,
we’ve stayed in touch as I’ve made sure to follow
his career and his burgeoning client list—which
includes America’s Next Top Model, Us Weekly,
InStyle, Nylon and Condé Nast. Henderson
says it all came to fruition earlier this month
when he landed a dream shoot in W magazine
(bit.ly/1VXbEK8).
One element I love about Henderson’s work
is its ability to stand still and move at the same
time, to feel both classic and modern, and to
maintain a sense of authenticity, even if certain
shots are set up. This one, originally captured
in early 2014 for L.A. fashion accessories brand
VidaKush, was taken in natural light with just a
small white fill card.
“It was used on the company’s website and
social media campaigns for its Spring/Summer
collection,” Henderson explains. “We rented the
Cadillac and drove it down to the beach. We
didn’t have a permit so we just picked a spot
that looked nice and pulled the car up to the
boardwalk. Of course, we could have gotten
booted at any moment, but on this day no one
bothered us at all! This model had a lot of sass so
I told her to act like this was her ride and to just
own it. I had her looking forward, as if she had
just parked, with her arms up to showcase the
jewelry. Then I had her just turn her head to look
at me and it was a perfect moment, pedestrians
in the background and all.”

+ daryl-henderson.com
PHOTO © DARYL HENDERSON
RA NGE FIND E RONLINE .COM 17

FOCUS
CO M P I L E D BY L I B BY P E T E R S O N
PHOTO © VANESSA HICKS

P H OTO S E R I E S
On Military Time
Military family life can be an absolute challenge, and one California-based wedding and lifestyle photographer knows this all too
well. Vanessa Hicks—a military wife, mother and a Navy veteran herself—started a photo series of military parents in uniform with
their children, sitting down for outdoor tea. Her adorable sessions began in April, dubbed the Month of the Military Child. “My
daughters just spent a year away from my husband last year because he was deployed,” Hicks explains, “so, I thought, creating an
intimate setting, something that little girls love, playing dress up and drinking ‘tea’ with their hero would be a great way to honor
this month.” She marketed the sessions on her Facebook page and website, and the response was overwhelming, she says—it
wound up going viral, even getting shared by Britney Spears on Facebook. “We focus on a lot of deployments and welcome
homes (as we should) but not a lot on what happens after that,” Hicks says. “That’s what these photos entail.” —Libby Peterson
+ vanessahicksphotography.com
FOCUS
W H AT ’ S I N M Y B AG?
Rob Greer
ROB’S GO-TO
WEDDING GEAR:
CAMERAS
• Nikon D5 (x2)
• Nikon D800
LENSES
• Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII (x2)
• Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 VR
• Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8
• Nikon 60mm f/2.8 Macro
• Nikon 50mm f/1.8
LIGHTING
• Nikon SB-900 (x2)
• Nikon SB-910 (x2)
• PocketWizard TT1 (x2)
• PocketWizard TT5 (x2)
• Westcott Ice Light
• Surefire Executive Elite Flashlight
MISCELLANEOUS
• Swiss Army Multi-tool
• Eneloop Pro Batteries
PHOTO © ROB GREER
• Lexar 128GB CF Cards (x4)

• Really Right Stuff L-Brackets
• Darth Vader Mask
• Diet Coke
Photographer’s Creed: This is my Rob Greer is a Los Angeles-based He has been repeatedly recognized
camera. There are many like it, but this wedding, portrait and product by WPPI (Wedding and Portrait
one is mine. photographer who shoots many Photographers International) with more
My camera is my best friend. It is my life. I must different genres of photography for than 40 awards, including eight 1st, 2nd,
master it as I must master my life. many different clients. His photography and 3rd-place trophies. This year he was
Without me, my camera is useless. Without has been featured in The New York also awarded the title Master of WPPI.
my camera, I am useless. I must use my Times, People, Us Weekly, USA Today, Some of the celebrities Greer has
camera well. I must take better photos than my Entertainment Tonight, TV Guide, photographed over the years include
competitors. I will... BRIDES, Rangefinder, Shutterbug, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Martin Sheen,
My camera and I know that what counts at The Advocate, Out, Good Magazine, Mark Wahlberg, Pierce Brosnan, Kristen
weddings is not the number of photos that we Harvard Magazine, Austin Monthly, Bell, Dax Shepard, Orlando Jones,
take, the noise we make, nor the dark clothes we Lacrosse Magazine, Lawn & Landscape, Casper Van Dien, Bruce Boxleitner,
wear. We know that it’s great photos that count. The Daily Mail (UK), The Knot, Huffington Karch Kiraly, Maria Sharapova, Kei
We will create. Post, Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings, Nishikori, Sloane Stephens, Omarosa
My camera is human, even as I, because it Style Me Pretty and the 2009 Nikon Manigault-Stallworth, Jonathan Lipnicki,
is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will International Calendar. Jonathan Togo, Eva La Rue, Bill Bellamy,
learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its Greer, who is considered an SEO Telma Hopkins, Josh Stewart, Tichina
accessories, its viewfinder and its lenses. I will expert and teaches two-day workshops Arnold, Wayne Brady, Max Carver, Buzz
keep my cameras clean and ready, even as I am across the U.S. on the subject, also has Aldrin, Jane Goodall, Chitty Chitty Bang
clean and ready. We will become part of each corporate clients, including Microsoft, Bang, Clive Cussler, John Sandford, Vint
other. We will... AT&T, Samsung, Nikon, Oracle, Penguin Cerf, Eric Garcetti, and the crew who
Before everyone, I swear this creed. Group, Disney Book Group, Hyperion flew NASA’s final space shuttle mission.
My cameras and I are the defenders of human Books, Honeywell, Dun & Bradstreet, For Greer’s more complete, very
memory. We are the masters of matrimony. General Motors, Scott’s Miracle-Gro, extensive gear list, please visit his
We are the saviors of my life. Avery Dennison, Nestlé, HEAD Penn website.
So be it, until the wedding is over and there Racquet Sports, Los Angeles County
is no more cake, but rest! and Reebok. + robgreer.com
© Alba Soler
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and Ralph Ellison
This collaboration of artistic minds may
have come to fruition over 60 years ago,
but it’s remained largely unseen by the Over 50 of the
public eye until now, through an exhibition salvaged photos,
called “Invisible Man: Gordon Parks and contact sheets
Ralph Ellison in Harlem.” Parks and Ellison,
feeling united by racial injustices, created
and manuscripts
an alternative yet meaningful approach associated with the
to representing African-American life by projects are on display
*For information about how to redeem this
joining their visual and literary strengths. at The Art Institute
The photographer and author teamed up
special offer, fill out our New Customer
back in 1948 for an illustrated essay called
of Chicago.
Account Request at bayphoto.com.
“Harlem Is Nowhere” and again in ’52 for
another story, “A Man Becomes Invisible,” following the release of Ellison’s acclaimed
novel The Invisible Man. Neither photo essay was published as the artists originally
intended—the former was lost and only a fragment of the latter ran in LIFE—but now,
over 50 of the salvaged photos, contact sheets and manuscripts associated with the
projects are on display at The Art Institute of Chicago. The exhibition will run through
August 28, 2016. —LP
+ artic.edu
PHOTO © GORDON PARKS/COURTESY OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
ABOVE: “Contact Sheet, ‘A Man Becomes Invisible,’ Life story no. 36997, 1952.”
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FOCUS
DEPTH OF FIELD
Defining Moments
Getting to know WPPI speaker and destination wedding shooter Kenny Kim.
I N T E R V I E W BY TA M A R A L AC K E Y
Tamara Lackey: You have taught at WPPI for the last eight years, yet KK: Being a giver—giving without expecting anything in return. I
you have shared that it felt very risky for you to attend your very first learned this lesson from my photography mentors: Invest your time
WPPI. Why was that? in people. While your recipient may think that they are benefiting
from this, it is the giver who experiences more joy. Stop counting the
Kenny Kim: I was afraid of the unknown. I had never been to a “photo- costs and always expecting something in return. The joy of giving far
graphy conference” before so I didn’t know what to expect when Skip outweighs the gift your giving away.
Cohen (president of WPPI at that time) invited me to attend. I loved
photography but didn’t know any technical aspects of it. Looking back, I TL: What book do you find yourself recommending to other people
realized that whenever I wanted to try something new in life, fear always the most, and for what reason?
raised a red flag in my mind, telling me that it’s not a good idea and that
I should stay in my comfort zone instead. While it might sound “safe” to KK: Besides the two I wrote—Wedding Photographer’s Planner and Digital
listen to your fears, it also has a way of crippling you. So now you can Wedding Photography Photo Workshop (ahem, shameless self-promotion)—
imagine how hard it was for me to attend my first WPPI back in 2006. there are two books I recommend for anyone thinking of getting into this
business: Love is the Killer App by Tim Sanders and Never Eat Alone by Keith
TL: What’s something you know to be true, even though no one may Ferrazzi. While they don’t talk anything about photography, it has everything
agree with you? to do with it. It’s the foundation of how I started this business.
presents
SIZZLING SUMMER
GIVEAWAY
DAYS!
Visit Rangefinder on Facebook for a chance to
win one of our spectacular prizes during our
GIVEAWAY DAYS going on now!
TL: Your successful destination photography business looks quite glamorous
from afar. What is the most challenging aspect of that much travel for you?
KK: There are pros and cons to everything. Yes, I have been fortunate
to visit some amazing places around the world, but it requires flexibility,
discipline, time management and necessity to adapt to time changes
quickly. Becoming a savvy traveler can help you overcome these
obstacles and once you do, it’s well worth the initial inconvenience.
TL: What are you most looking forward to in life right now, and why?
KK: I love and crave making new relationships and reconnecting with
people around the world. I learn the most from the people I meet and
the experiences I get to go through because of it. For this reason, I am
always looking forward to my next adventure, travels and weddings
coming up. If you already can’t tell, I really love what I do.
Tamara Lackey is a photographer, author, program host of

Adorama’s reDefine show, Nikon USA Ambassador, and founder of
Beautiful Together (in support of children without families) and the
eco-friendly Lush Albums. Kenny Kim’s work, which spans the globe
in over 200 weddings and destination events, has been featured
in several magazines and blogs including Destination Weddings PHOTO COURTESY OF KENNY KIM
& Honeymoons, The Knot, Chicago Social Bride, Shutterbug,

Rangefinder, Grace Ormonde Wedding Style, Junebug Weddings ABOVE: Kenny Kim doing what he loves most—shooting
and Style Me Pretty. weddings on location.
BEAT THE HEAT
PHOTO © EVGENIYA PORECHENSKAYA / SHUTTERSTOCK

WITH AN ARRAY OF
COOL PRIZES!
Past prizes have
included products from
X-RITE, ACRYLIC PRESS,
SPIDER HOLSTER +
MANY MORE!
HAVE A GREAT PRIZE TO GIVE AWAY?

To partner with us, contact Mark Brown at:
Mark.Brown@emeraldexpo.com

FOCUS
LIGHT READING
A Spectrum of Portraiture
BY J I M CO R N F I E L D
If I Live To Be 100: The Psychological Portrait:

The Wisdom of Centenarians Marcel Sternberger’s Revelations in Photography
portraits by paul mobley jacob loewentheil
welcome books/an imprint of rizzoli new york | 176 pp. skira rizzoli/an imprint of rizzoli new york | 210 pp.
In his latest book, photographer Paul Mobley Marcel Sternberger’s name was not a household
blends his superb touch as a portraitist with an one when he plied his trade during the 1930s,
almost tribal rite—passing history down to the ‘40s and ‘50s; it still isn’t. But any doubts about
next generation via the spoken word. If I Live To his photographic pedigree vanish as you page
Be 100 is a collection of stunning monochrome through the amazing images in this collection—
portraits that give us personal glimpses into the spartan black and whites of Sigmund Freud,
last hundred years as reflected in the wonderful George Bernard Shaw, Franklin Delano Roosevelt,
faces and oral reminiscences of 50 remarkable Albert Einstein, Jawaharlal Nehru, H.G. Wells…the
centenarians. list goes on. Many of these images became the world’s most familiar
It’s not anyone’s commercial specialty, but we all occasionally face representations of these historic faces (i.e. Sternberger’s profile of
the challenges of photographing an older person. The first instinct FDR on the U.S. dime). There are fascinating, fly-on-the-wall anecdotes
is to strategize correcting the obvious signs of maturity with help describing shooting sessions, behind-the-scene snaps of Sternberger
from lighting, sometimes filters and always after-capture tools. But himself posing his subjects by hand while tilting the chin of some prince
for Mobley, that’s counter-intuitive. Each of these intimate studies or Nobel Laureate. There are also an abundance of lighting diagrams,
represents a rigorous fidelity to truth and naturalism, most of them notes on camera angles, subject interaction and more. If you’re a
shot in close-up, with textural, off-axis lighting, attention to keeping serious portrait shooter, a history buff or both, this book just might be
tonal values inside the histogram and studious posing that mixes stage your find of the year.
directions with the subject’s unforced body language. In the majority
of these images, the sitter’s weathered hands are kept prominently in price: $55
the frame to help tell that person’s story. + rizzoliusa.com
The verbal musings that accompany these photographs are witty,
reflective and compelling, but the images are the thing with this book—
pure inspiration to everyone who photographs the complex, nuanced
landscape of the human face.
Real. Sexy. Photography.:
The Art and Business of Boudoir  
price: $50 by dani klein-williams
+ rizzoliusa.com amherst media | 128 pp.
Amherst praises accomplished boudoir and wedding

shooter Dani Klein-Williams for her “chic, flirty, and
feminine boudoir portrait style and ability to showcase
each woman’s best assets.” We would expect nothing
less from a photographer whose team of associates,
she recently told an interviewer, coordinate roughly
300 boudoir sessions each year. The book offers
bulletpoint advice on planning for the session, lighting
and exposure strategies, flattering posing, post-production and sale,
among other topics. The author’s exceptional imagery with an eclectic
clientele supports her guiding personal philosophy that “every woman
has a beauty all her own.”
PHOTOS © PAUL MOBLEY

price: $37.95
ABOVE: Inmany of the portraits in Paul Mobley’s If I Live To Be 100: + amherstmedia.com
The Wisdom of Centenarians, scrupulous attention to hand position For an excerpt from Dani Klein-Williams’s Real. Sexy. Photography.: The
reinforces the impression of experience and wisdom that dominates Art and Business of Boudoir, visit rangefinderonline.com.
these portraits of some of our most senior citizens.
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FOCUS
RF WEDDING OF THE MONTH
Rainy Day Rejoicing

S E L E C T E D BY JACQ U E L I N E TO B I N
Nary a wedding goes off

without at least one hitch.
In the case of New Zealand
couple Kelly and Cole’s day,
the rain never really let up.
The husband-and-wife photo

duo that make up Lato
Photography say the rain
posed a big challenge for
their gear and their clothes,
because they were shooting
stop-motion, plus still photos.
Still, says Laura, “we are very
pleased with the results. The
light and the mood were
perfect at the end.”
+ www.photoforwardblog.com
Category: Wedding of the Week
ALL PHOTOS © LATO PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOGRAPHERS: Laura and Tommy Lato COUPLE: Kelly and Cole LOCATION: Waikite Valley, New Zealand
CAMERAS: Canon 5D MARK III, Canon 6D LENSES: Sigma ART 35mm f/1.4, Canon 50mm f/1.4, Canon 85mm f/1.8, Samyang
Tilt-Shift 24mm f/3.5 LIGHT: Natural light for daytime and dinner, Nissin Flash Di 866 for the dances COMMENTS: “The
most memorable thing about this wedding were the people,” Laura and Tommy agree. “Throughout the day everyone was
smiling in spite of everything, despite the rain. The bride was stoic for more than an hour under the rain but she
didn’t want to give up even one minute for the couple portraits.”
FROM THE CUBICLE BY JASON GROUPP
PHOTO © JASON GROUPP

Perseverance Pays Off
A few weeks ago, I watched the around my established communities and hit to first base, beating the throw. I ran over to
greatest ball game I’ve ever seen. the activities surrounding them. Now, please her and said, “SEE! That track wasn’t a waste,
It featured the area’s best players understand I don’t look at our community as right!?” She responded, “Dad, stop, you’re
in their championship game, momentous children, but there are huge similarities in the embarrassing me!” Later, as we rode home,
emotional swings, great plays, and of course way many of us learn and grow. I revisited her running to first and we talked
(as with any awesome sporting event), some Here’s another story I’d like to share with about how one activity supported another,
questionable calls by the umpire. Believe it you: I took this photo of my daughter, Phoebe, connecting them. It was a really cool lesson,
or not, it wasn’t played in a big stadium as she rounded the track in the 400-meter race one that made me think about how these two
under the lights in front of 50,000 people— she was competing in against several other sports stories relate to our photo community.
this was my 9-year-old daughter’s softball schools. It was her last race of the year, and We live in a world where connection is
championship game. despite the fact that she was lagging by quite possible all the time via social media, however
These kids played their hearts out, and I was a distance, she persevered. I offered my praise the act of connection in person truly makes
so proud of them, even though they lost and it as she passed me, but she waved her arms and everything meaningful. Don’t get me wrong,
ended in tears. At the start of the season these said, “Stop, Dad, you’re embarrassing me!” social media is a fantastic way to relive and
kids could barely catch or throw a ball, and that At the end of the race, I congratulated her on reminisce the moments in our lives, but you
night they were making plays at home plate. It a great season. She looked at me and said, really can’t create memories on the interwebs.
was an inspiring night for every parent. “But Dad, I came in last place and I come in Last week, my friend Matthew Kemmetmueller
I’ve learned so much from my children last every time!” I turned to her and said, “You posted a photo of himself on Facebook being
this year, specifically about how important did, no doubt, but look at your time! You are introduced on stage by Kevin Kubota during
community becomes in raising our kids. A nearly a minute faster than your first race! That our WPPI Photo Ignite program. It was his
big part of my job is serving this community is AWESOME!” She smiled and said, “Yeah, first time speaking, and he had prepared a
and doing what I can to make it stronger, and that is pretty cool, right?” As we walked back hilarious intro that was written by another
honestly it’s a real joy for me. Being a parent to our seating area all her teammates offered friend, Timothy Beckford. What I hadn’t known
requires “on the job” training, and I’ve been congratulations and support. was that they had met while in line to get their
able to pull a lot of wisdom from the leaders That following week, Phoebe legged out a badges for WPPI several years earlier. Now,
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FROM THE CUBICLE
Tim and Matthew are very close friends, Tim you guys are bringing it! Entries are up again • Expect upgrades for celebrating the
was a groomsmen at Matthew’s wedding, and for the fourth year in a row. Thanks to all who 16 x 20 prints that are hung in the galleries.
they’ve worked together shooting weddings entered, and look for Second Half to open All prints will be hung in one location as we
all over the world. Think about that: A chance on July 13! work on creating a really fun area where we
meeting on the registration line formed a We’re also working to build on the can be inspired, gather and discuss! I can’t
decade-long friendship that has been a very filmmaking portion of our competitions, wait for this.
useful relationship for their businesses. featuring a judging panel made up entirely • More hands-on classes than ever before!
How many of you have had a similar of working filmmakers. I’ve wanted to do this
experience at a photography event? I could forever, but now I’m finally ready to launch Make sure to look for me out and about over
personally go on for hours! These moments and help build this part of our tribe. the next several months. You may have seen the
happen when you put yourself out there, Finally, I know many of you have been launch of a new conference and expo called
make yourself vulnerable and offer yourself to asking for details regarding WPPI 2017 at Visual Nation (visualnationexpo.com) that WPPI
another person. Is this no different from when the Las Vegas Convention Center. It’s so will be sponsoring, starting with Chicago in
we watched our kids walk over to that other important to me to make sure we find ways August. This will be a great small gathering of
child on his first day of kindergarten? As a to keep us all together and I’m happy to see our local communities (check the Visual Nation
parent, you watch from afar and cringe inside some of it coming together! We have a long website for specific cities and dates).
as your kid says, “Hi my name is ___, what’s way to go with planning, but here are a few Finally, I’d love to connect with all of you
yours?” That same kid she approaches is the things I can share with you as of now: one-on-one and hear about what you’re
same one years later that says, “Let me help doing on a local level to help build your
you with your swing, Phoebe!” (Because, you • Conference dates have been mapped out corner of the world. It would be great to
know, Dad has no idea, even though you’ve for February 4–9. Plus Classes will kick off share inspiring stories of our members giving
been trying to help her for weeks! I digress…) the week, followed by two full days of judging back to their communities. So take a minute
I’ve worked hard to keep our community for The Annual 16 x 20 Print, Album and if you can and shoot me a note (Jason.
strong over the last few years on the Filmmaking Competition, and then we launch Groupp@emeraldexpo.com) to let me know
WPPI side of things and I’m proud of our into everything else (as we’ve done in the what you’re up to! One of you may very well
achievements. Submission for The First Half past) with our Master Classes, Photo Walks become our next spotlighted Member of the
SCH_Mike Briner_Rangefinder.qxp_Layout
competition 1 6/15/16
is about to end, and once again 12:44 PM Page
and Platform 1
sessions. Month!
B+W EXPOSURE
www.schneideroptics.com
Mike Briner, Photographer
www.mikebrinerphotography.com
HONORING THE NPS CENTENNIAL THROUGH BRINER’S LENS
The US National Park Service celebrates its 100th year of stewardship of our National Parks. Photographers
like Mike Briner encourage conservation efforts by capturing the beauty of these protected lands.
“ I’m always inspired by the awesome panoramas of the Great Smokey Mountains National
Park. For this autumn shot, I chose my Canon EOS 5D Mark III and 24-105mm lens with a
B+W Käsemann HTC Polarizer on front. At double the light transmission of other Pols, the
HTC really enhanced the fall foliage colors and brought out detail in the fog.
”
32xxx_RF_0716_Schneider.indd
R ANGE F IN D ER S UM1M ER 2 016 6/15/2016 12:57 PM
BROOKE SHADEN JOÃO CARLOS
ROBERTO VALENZUELA SCOTT ROBERT LIM
The conference for connecting, learning and exploring
with the best visual artists in the industry.

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AUGUST 15-18 • CHICAGO
be visual
VISUALNATIONEXPO.COM
P YS K : V I C K Y PA PA S V E R G A R A
PRIM
&PO
ALL PHOTOS © VICKY PAPAS VERGARA
THIS SPREAD: ForBurlesque dancer

Sina King, Vicky Papas Vergara
went for a 1940’s Hollywood
glamour look. “The hip action,
expression, head tilt and posing
of the hands are all authentic to
that era,” she says.
PED
RANGEFINDER:
How did you get into
photography, and what draws
you to fashion-oriented fine-art
portraiture in particular?
VICKY PAPAS VERGARA: As a 16-year-
old, I would always sketch up fashion
illustrations and come up with so many
ISED
designs. But I never pursued fashion, mainly
because I was never encouraged by my
father; I suppressed my true passion until
the age of 41 (I have been a professional
hair stylist for 30 years and own a salon
where I still work three days a week—I do
all the hairstyling in my shoots)! Then, I
started painting women on large canvases
and it progressed into creating wearable art
pieces where I would dress my models and
photograph them. I got a lot of attention
on social media from those images, and
that encouraged me to pursue the genre.
I quickly developed my own style. From
there, I perfected my photographic craft
and post-production skills, attending
workshops to learn as much as I could, to
create stylized fine-art portraits. I started
exhibiting my work a year ago and selling
interview by libby peterson limited-edition prints on canvas, framed 1.5
by 1 meter, and then I paint brush strokes
She entered the photography scene just a few years ago, but Vicky on them to personalize each print.
Papas Vergara has already earned the title of “award-winning,”
multiple times over. Here, we talk to the Melbourne, Australia-based RF: Areyour photo subjects
artist on her process and how she found her niche. professional models or clients?
VPV: I photograph a combination: Clients
who connect with my work and want a stylized
art portrait will reach out to me, and I reach
out to my favorite art models, which includes
Burlesque dancers, art nude models and
dancers. They are an art form in themselves
W H Y YO U SHO ULD and are incredible at moving their bodies and
creating these feminine forms, as opposed to
K N O W HER fashion models, who are fantastic at posing
for high-fashion and editorial shoots.
Vicky Papas Vergara and her stylized
portraits blew away the 16 x 20 Print
RF: How do you approach
Comp judges at WPPI 2016; she
swept the Beauty/Boudoir category posing?
completely, won a Grand award and VPV: When I meet a new model and get
became the first recipient of the to work with her, my first step is to get
inaugural Bill Hurter Excellence Award. to know her and her style of posing, her
It was her second year submitting work. characteristics and personality, and I allow
+ vergara.com.au her to freestyle to see how she moves and
instagram: @vicky_papas_vergara how comfortable she is with her body. After
HEADSHOT © PETER COULSON I have observed this, I then add my touches

P Y S K : V I C K Y PA PA S V ER G A R A
to complement her style; I make sure every wearable art I have created at the time. RF: Doyou style your
element in the pose is perfect—hands, body I am going to pose her to suit the gown, sessions yourself?
position, neck, face, expression—before I the era and the feel of the concept. I
click the shutter. make most of the wearable art for my VPV: The last few years I have had 90
shoots. I have made a lot of costumes and percent control of the styling, including
RF: When you’re shooting accessories, but I recycle them—it gets creating the wearable art, hair and makeup—
expensive! the total look. I do collaborate with some
clients, how do you get them very talented people, including one of my
comfortable in front of the RF: Which do you prefer, best friends, Saphire Gaskas, a makeup
camera? shooting in the studio or artist who also creates incredible wearable
art, as well as with makeup artist Lizzie
VPV: Once I have dressed them, I gently on location? Sharp. It’s always great to collaborate, but
coach them into getting into character. The I am a control freak and love when I am in
poses are subtle. It’s quite easy to coach a VPV: Earlier on I had no choice but to control of the entire process.
client into a pose like that. shoot on location because I didn’t have a
studio. That was not ideal for me because RF: Do you retouch as well?
RF: Where do you get your I had to consider weather conditions and
the comfort of the models. A couple of VPV: I do all of my own post-production—
ideas for your shoots? years ago I set up a studio that allowed knowing how to finish an image and take
VPV: My ideas have a lot to do with the the freedom of lighting control and I could it to another level is very important to me.
photograph any time of day. The fact that My retouching is very painterly, but I keep
BELOW, LEFT TO RIGHT: An
example of the S shape; the subject is the graphic element in my it simple: skin retouching, using frequency
Vergara carefully posed this Sudanese fashion images, without too many distractions, separation, and dodging and burning to add
model’s long arms, hiding one behind her back. works for me. dimension and tone the image.
IN VICKY PAPAS VERGARA’S GEAR BAG

CAMERA: Canon 5D Mark III LENSES: 24-70mm, 85mm, 70-200mm LIGHTING: Profoto B1, Westcott Ice Light
I make sure every
element in the pose
is perfect—hands,
body position, neck,
face, expression—
before I click the
shutter.
THIS PAGE: Posinga fashion model

with an athletic body, Vergara
made sure to make her look as
delicate as possible.

POSING WITH
ᄴURPOSᄉ
ᄴ
ᄴURPOS
URPOS ᄉ
URPOSᄉ
THE
POSING
ISSU E
Have you heard? Posing is

the new black! Everywhere we
turn lately (no pun intended),
we are unearthing more tips on
the fine art of posing subjects
to refine a concept. The key to
success? Keep it natural and
make it purposeful. Several
industry experts share their own
techniques. Also featured: a
compelling piece on the thriving
state of boudoir.
42 RANGEFINDER ASKS THE EXPERTS // POSING TIPS FROM:

LARA JADE — FASHION • KRISTIE LEE — PEOPLE + PETS • ANA BRANDT — NEWBORNS • TAMARA LACKEY — CHILDREN
PHOTO © KRISTIE LEE
JENNIFER ROZENBAUM — WOMEN • ROBERTO VALENZUELA — WEDDING GROUPS

56 BODY LANGUAGE BASICS | 64 SPECIAL FEATURE // FOCUS ON BOUDOIR: STATE OF THE ART
THIS PAGE: Connectionis
everything when it comes to
posing two models together,
says Lara Jade. Check out
more of the fashion shooter's
tips on pages 44 and 45.
PHOTO © LARA JADE
THE
RIᄣING
POSING
ISSU E
expert advice on:
No two photo sessions are exactly alike. And when you're talking vastly different subjects—a
professional model, a "real woman," a kid, a newborn, a wedding party or even a dog or cat—
the way you pose and direct each will vary greatly. We decided that rather than give you tips
on one, our experts would give you pointers for every scenario you might encounter!
RAN GE FI NDERONLI NE.COM 43

HE EXPER
TS
ST
SK •
•
••
RF
••
G
POSINLS
••
•
••••••
•••••••••
MODE
•••
••
••
••
••
•
• •
••
•• ••
•• •••
•••••••
by lara jade
rom an outside perspective, it might

seem easy for a fashion photographer
to pose a model because it almost
seems like models do all the work.
The perception is that they just fall
into poses and get exactly what a
photographer wants. While it’s a
model’s job to pose and understand
a look or theme, it is ultimately the
photographer who is responsible for
guiding the subject. It’s our job to talk
them through posing to get the best
possible shot.
For me, it’s the theme and clothing
of the campaign that defines the
posing I ask for. If I’m shooting
something, let's say, '60s style, then it
will have a different set of posing rules Fashion photographer Lara Jade
PHOTOS THIS SPREAD © LARA JADE
launched her own business at the age

than a very classic Dolce & Gabbana- of 17. Her work is featured in many
esque romantic shoot. Generally, I have magazines and campaigns, and she
a set of posing rules that go through is often found online and on stage
sharing her insight and tips with other
my head on each shoot and a certain
photographers. Visit larajade.com and
number of “base poses” I try out for my larajadeworkshops.com for
more classically styled shoots. more information.
POSE TWO CREATE A ROLL
MODELS TRIANGLE BACK THE
TOGETHER EFFECT SHOULDERS
Connection is everything A triangle is a great If you ask your subjects
when posing two (or compositional tool and a to simply move their
more!) models together. good one to remember with shoulders, they could
I often talk through every posing. Using them in portraits go in any direction.
movement and mirror a and fashion photography can But if you say, ”Roll
model’s posing to show help strengthen an image the shoulders,”
them what they are doing and make it more pleasing to they will roll them
and how to correct it. the eye. Look back at how the back and forth. This
Wrapping the arms around masters of painting used it to rolling action makes
shoulders or waist and bring attention to their subjects for an interesting
connecting with the hands, using the head and arms in composition when
symmetry in their posing, an angular composition (for you’re working with
consistency…these are example, Renaissance art). The angular poses with
all things that I look for. focus is usually on the eyes (the the body. Rolling the
Not only does connection top of the triangle and main shoulders also helps
come within the posing, focus) and the body creates because it's the angles
but it’s important to cast the bottom part of the triangle. of the shoulders and
models that work with Whenever I am shooting a more arms (as well as the
one another well and look “classic” shoot (or something angle of the head) that
good together (similar face a little more romantic), I use a create that interesting
shapes/height/sizes, etc.). triangle composition. composition.
GO FOR RELAX CREATE TILT

SOFT HANDS THE MOVEMENT THE
I dislike seeing clutching
or claw-like hands; I try
to have models relax
their hands on set and
MOUTH Usually movement
helps bring life
to a static pose.
Hair blowing is
HEAD
be aware of how their When I ask a model to always helpful for If the composition or
digits look. I usually like open her mouth just an interesting shot. outfit is very symmetrical,
the pointer finger more slightly, it’s because I I usually have the I usually throw off the
pointed and the rest of want the pose to look less hairstylist on set to help symmetry by having
the digits relaxed, like forced. An open mouth blow the hair, whether the model tilt her head
ballet hands. I don’t like often helps relax the face with a fan, wafting or move one arm to a
to see the palm of the and almost looks as if a small polyboard/ hip. This makes for a
hand (it’s awkward to you’ve caught the model foamboard or even much more interesting
edit).   in thought. with a leaf blower! composition.

ASKS THE E
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Most pet owners would quickly

agree that their animals are more
than just pets; they are beloved
members of the family. These days, I
get a multitude of clients hiring me
to shoot family portraits that include
their pets, and oftentimes the 1. OWNERS
animals are front and center, ready
for their close-up! While it may
LOOKING AT
seem like a daunting task to get an THEIR PETS
animal reined in for a portrait, it isn’t I have the owner look at their
as difficult as you might think. Here pet, smiling, and the animal
look at the camera. This
are a few quick setups to consider
gives a natural, candid feel,
between pets and their owners looking like the image was
when shooting family portraits. just snapped in the moment.
Patience is key when dealing with
animals. A good finger puppet also
works great now and again!
2. DOWN LOW
Shoot low and use the feet
and legs of the owners as
the focus of the portrait.
This is a great pose for
owners who don’t really
want to be in the shot and
helps you incorporate
the environment from a
different perspective.
3. PEOPLE
BLURRED
BEHIND PETS
This is a good pose for
people who don’t want
their photo taken but still
want to be in the portrait. It
also puts the focus on the
pet and creates a position
of importance.
5. OWNERS 6. LOOKING
4. MIRRORED 7. SHOOTING
KISSING IN THE SAME
POSING THE PROFILE
THEIR PETS DIRECTION
When posing a family If you shoot the subjects
with pets, have everyone I do this pose because it side on, with the owners
This pose creates
(pets included) in similar gives more of a dramatic, looking directly into the
connection with the
poses. This helps create exaggerated feel to the pet’s eyes, the result is
animal while also
symmetry and balance in image, creating the illusion often an image with a
conveying the love and
the image. that the animal is posing light, humorous feel.
bond they share.
for the portrait as well.
also keep in mind…

I am often able to get the pets to look in
different directions with a treat, toy or ball.
I can also usually get them looking at the
camera by making really strange noises,
like barking, meowing or kissing sounds.
I usually have an assistant on set who is
comfortable handling animals. They put
the pet back in position, over and over,
until we get the shot.
Kristie Lee is passionate about

capturing animals and their owners
using fashion, architecture and
urban backgrounds to create lasting
memories. She offers in-person
workshops where you can learn how
PHOTOS THIS SPREAD © KRISTIE LEE
she styles and poses people with their

pets to create portraits with beauty
and connection. For more details
go to kristieleephotographer.com/
workshops.

ana brandt
on posing + prepping
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While newborns tend to look cute no matter what pose or props they’re in, California-
based photographer Ana Brandt has a way of making the tiny bodies look particularly
precious. You may have seen Brandt at WPPI 2016 hosting two hands-on workshops and
also presenting “The Art & Business of Pregnancy and Newborn Photography.” Brandt also
owns the Belly Baby Love studio in Tustin, California, and offers educational workshops
across the U.S. Here, she offers her tips on how she poses miniature humans in a way that’s
safe, comfortable and downright adorable.
1
WHEN SHOOTING FROM
THE SIDE, BE EVEN IN
HEIGHT WITH THE BABY.
I tend to pose my newborns
on a Paloma Shell beanbag
and shoot straight to the baby.
I like to sit on a yoga ball so
I am even in height with the
beanbag.
Ana Brandt has been

photographing newborns
and pregnancy in her
California studio for over
17 years. She is on her fifth
year as the photographer
for 11 cover issues a
year with Parenting OC
magazine and is also
the creator of The Art of
Pregnancy and Newborn.
© 2016 RF, Rangefinder Magazine, Emerald Expositions, All Rights Reserved.

DON’T UNDERESTIMATE
3
THE FEET SHOTS.
Even if a baby is crying, you can
give them a pacifier to calm them
down and capture feet images.
It is most parents’ go-to image
when creating announcements.
extra tip: When it

comes to props and
additions on set, I always
keep a heater close by for
warmth as well as a baby
PHOTOS THIS SPREAD © ANA BRANDT
shusher, which are essential

for newborn shoots.
extra tip: When it comes to

wrapping a newborn, I start
2 4
with arms down to the side.
WHEN SHOOTING FROM ABOVE, START WITH A WRAPPED BABY.
If I put the arms on top of the
STAY ABOVE. Whether the baby is on the floor with a
chest, they tend to burst out
Too many photographers squat down head support or in a basket, I know if the
like Houdini. For those new to
and end up shooting “up the nose.” baby is wrapped, it’s a guaranteed shot.
wrapping, have an assistant
If you are shooting into newborns’ Even if a baby is awake, they are usually
or parent nearby to help
nostrils, it won’t look amazing. Instead, more settled if wrapped, which also
hold the arms down, then
stand right over the baby. I shoot my helps me achieve great sibling photos.
wrap the legs and tuck the
5
above shots with a Canon USM 24-
wrap under the bum. Once I
70mm II lens that allows me to stand flat WHEN SHOOTING FROM AN get the baby fully wrapped,
on the floor and shoot over a newborn. ANGLE, KEEP THE HEAD HIGHER I can easily access the feet
If I were using a fixed lens, then I would THAN THE BODY. and get the toes out. From
have to climb on something, which can I tend to curve my babies in a banana there, I can wiggle the hands
be a safety hazard. (Note: When I do shape, curving the head up on one side. out and slowly unwrap.
need to stand on a ladder, I have an I will tilt my camera down toward the
assistant helping me.) head to achieve this angle.
OTHER THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

BEFORE THE SESSION STARTS, USE COLORS, MATERIALS AND TEXTURES NEVER LEAVE A BABY UNATTENDED
FEED AND BURP THE BABY. WHEN THE PALETTE IS MORE NEUTRAL. OR FORCE A POSE.
I have a newborn workflow we Make sure colors are complementary and Babies can have sudden movements that
follow and it starts with soothing when paired. For backgrounds, I can cause them to roll or move right out
mom feeding the baby, and then I hold love the textured Dreamweaver backdrops of a prop. It is very important to either
the baby upright for a bit to make sure from Intuition Backgrounds by Becky Gregory. have an assistant or a parent spotting at
they burp and any gas comes out. I find I can use them on the wall or on the floor. The all times. I also don’t think you should
the baby will enter a deep slumber once soft texture is great with newborns and not ever force a baby into a pose—it takes
they relieve themselves. If they do not, too distracting. For fabrics, I look for things two seconds to take a picture, so take the
then I try to photograph the baby awake that are delicate and soft—mohair wraps that time to invest in safe posing. Not every
and hopefully calm them. We also have have beautiful detail and soft colors, felted baby curls up into a potato ball, and not
two yoga balls in our studio that, if you items and faux flokati. We can also cast mom’s every baby likes to lie on its tummy. Work
bounce the baby gently, are also helpful belly during pregnancy, which makes for a slowly and spend time learning the baby’s
for calming fussy babies. great neutral prop. movements and pose in a natural way.
© 2016 RF, Rangefinder Magazine, Emerald Expositions, All Rights Reserved. RAN GE FI NDERONLI NE.COM 49
So much goes into
great posing, but if you
can keep these four
things in mind the next
time you photograph
a child or family,
you’ll definitely see
a difference in your
portraits.
by tamara lackey 
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Tamara Lackey is a photographer, author, program host

of Adorama’s reDefine show, Nikon USA Ambassador,
and founder of Beautiful Together (which helps improve
the quality of life of children waiting for families,
beautifultogether.org) and the eco-friendly Lush Albums
(lushalbums.com). She is also the author of The Posing
Playbook…For Kids Who Don't Do Posing and The
Family Posing Playbook, and she also pens the monthly
Rf Q&A, Depth of Field: Defining Moments.
RESPECT
THE RATIOS OF
HEAD TO BODY
PHOTOS THIS SPREAD © TAMARA LACKEY
When a baby is born, their head is a major

part of the entire body. In fact, their head
is already at about 25 percent of the size
they will be when a baby reaches adult
age. Compare that to the fact that their
body is only about 5 percent of what it will
one day be and you will better understand
ORGANIC A GREAT
why managing proportion ratios can make
for better portraits.
When posing little ones, it helps to
DIRECTIVE EXPRESSION pose them—and angle the lens—so that
you are keeping those proportions in
POSING IS EVERYTHING mind for the most flattering effect. This
image (below) works because it’s a bright
I start with a specific direction in mind but then
This may just be my personal opinion, but I little girl in a bright big girl dress, and
let my subjects take over, adjusting so that the
put a great deal of emphasis on expression, the angle is shot in a way that shows
poses more reflect who they naturally are and
and I think it trumps everything else going off her natural loveliness and whimsical
how they naturally hold themselves.
on in a shot. If I get the lighting, pose, expression while also respecting the
I photographed this boy (opposite page)
background, framing, composition and lens proportion of head to body.
in our studio, setting up four of my constant
choice perfectly correct but I have an average
lights and staggering them around and behind
expression, I have not achieved a great
him. My other images of him were brighter,
portrait; I just shot a technically good frame.
with more cheerful expressions but I wanted to
I photographed this brother and sister
show this more serious side to him as well.
during a workshop I was teaching in London,
I shot at a higher ISO (4000), still able to
and I set them up so that I could showcase
control errant noise with the Nikon D4, and I
symmetry in the framing and composition,
kept my shutter speed at 1/250 (he had been
complete with the leading line of the trail, but
a pretty “jumpy” subject and I didn’t want any
I broke symmetry in their pose by positioning
unintentional blur. As for the pose, I was just
one of them toward me and the other facing
trying out different looks when he adjusted
right. The first few takes were stiffer than I
his hands, which along with his dress coat and
would have preferred, but the silliness of my
shirt, made him look much older. I love how the
interaction with them elicited some fantastic
placement of the hands can have that strong of
expressions and softened both of their poses
an impact on the feel of the portrait.
so that they naturally leaned into each other.
CRISS-CROSS
APPLESAUCE
As cute as this little guy is, he’s still trying to twist
out of mommy’s lap while she is trying to keep him
in place by blocking him with her leg. What I asked
her to do instead was position his and her legs
identically, like “criss-cross applesauce,” and nuzzle
his cheeks at the same time. By doing so, she limited
his ability to use his legs to get away, while the soft
kisses on his cheek made him reflexively smile—and I
called to him at the exact same time she did her part
in order to get his attention. He only stayed for a few
seconds—but with photography, that’s all you need.

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by jennifer rozenbaum
Posing is one of the most
challenging aspects of
photography to master. That
said, learning the ins and outs
of posing women can take your
images to a new level and also
allow your clients to connect with
POSE WITH PURPOSE
their personas like never before. I believe boudoir can give every woman in the world a chance to celebrate her
Boudoir photographer Jennifer unique femininity, shamelessly. It all starts with a great pose. Your job as her
Rozenbaum recently joined photographer is to make her look as good as, or better than, she does in real life.
The poses you create are meant to flatter her body and show off her features.
ShootDotEdit president Jared Posing is the quickest way to improve your photos and client satisfaction. I’m
Bauman in a live webinar to share not telling you that white balance isn’t important, or that the right tools aren’t
important, however, if you just fix one thing in your posing and everything else
her top tips and tricks for posing
stays equal, your clients will be that much happier. The client, after all, wants to
women. See the full webinar look hot.
here: bit.ly/22CZWVP.
FOCUS ON PROPORTIO N
I don’t believe in body types. So what do I look for when I pose a woman?
Proportion is key. Every single woman I work with is completely different, so I look
for proportion within that woman and what looks best on her. I treat every client
individually based on how her body works. Then, I decide how I can use the best
poses to keep her body in proportion.
IMPLEMENT THE EIGHT POINTS OF POSING

I developed the eight points of posing from the armature dolls I used in my art
Jennifer Rozenbaum first picked up classes growing up. These are the major joints in the body that move, and we can
a camera in 2009. She currently runs manipulate the body to create our desired pose. During my shoots, I pose the eight
a successful boudoir photography points. If each of them looks good, I take the photo. I look at the back of my camera
studio, Jenerations,in New York. She to make sure everything looks good, and if it doesn’t, I make adjustments. This
loves helping women feel beautiful, takes muscle memory. The more you do it, the better you will get. Scan for the eight
feminine and fearless, and is thrilled points every time you pose, even if you are only capturing a certain part of the body
to be able to share techniques to help in the photo. Before I press the shutter, every single time, I check a woman’s head,
you do the same.
shoulders, arms, wrists, waist, hips, knees and ankles.

POSE THE CHIN AND
SHOULDERS PROPERLY
Chins and shoulders are more
important than you think. I know when I
first tell a woman to look at the camera,
many push their chin up to avoid a
double chin. When you tell her to push
her chin out and down, it gets rid of
her double chin, strengthens her jaw
line and makes her eyes appear larger.
While she is lying down, have her raise
her chin so you can avoid distortions
and forehead wrinkles. (After posing
her chin, open up her shoulders to
avoid broad shoulders if she has them.)
CREATE FLATTERING ARMS

Arms are the hardest to pose on a
woman because they add bulk to
the body. Keeping them away from
the sides helps slim and show off a
subject's curves. In-body posing is
when the arms are within the lines of
the body, which accentuates her shape.
Out-of-body posing is when the arms
are outside the lines of the body, which
allows us to see the shape without
blocking it. You can combine the two
to ensure you can see the curves and
not add bulk. Whichever you choose,
be careful not to amputate the arms
because they can provide leading
lines, framing and interest to an image.
ADJUST THE HANDS,

WRISTS AND WAIST
Hands can often look out of proportion
on some women, so try to avoid the
front of the hand as often as you can.
Positioning a subjet's hands on her
waist helps to slim her so her body
looks more in proportion. Another trick
to use when you adjust her waist and
hips is to have her push her hips away
from the camera. This makes her hips
look smaller, and it also defines the
stomach and lengthens the torso.
PAY ATTENTION TO
THE LEGS AND FEET
I make sure when I pose a woman and
she’s lying down that the leg farthest
from the camera should be lower
than the one closest. It creates a nice
PHOTO © JENNIFER ROZENBAUM
line and slims out the thigh. Legs can

create interest in the same way arms
can, so it’s necessary to pay attention
to how they are posed, as well as her
ankles. As you pose her lying down,
make sure her toes are pointed so it
adds a few inches to her height.

g pa r t y p o r t
d in ra
i Avoid Mirroring
d From family portraits to
ts
e
wedding party photos,

w
if you stay away from

mirroring the hands and
feet, your portraits will
look more natural and
spontaneous.
by roberto valenzuela
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PHOTOS THIS SPREAD © ROBERTO VALENZUELA
Roberto Valenzuela is a
Beverly Hills, California-
based wedding and portrait
photographer who shares
his expert advice in his
book trilogy: Picture Perfect
Practice, Picture Perfect
Posing and Picture Perfect
Lighting. He is also a veteran
WPPI attendee, speaker and
Print Comp judge.

Small Group The Nose X-Factor
This image (above, left) clearly displays For the next image (above, right), I placed
When you’re trying to create a more dynamic
the effects of mirroring in a group setting. the flower arrangements at different
group photo, crossing the nose paths of the
The women in this photo are all bending heights and positioned each body at a
people in the group photo in different directions
their arms at nearly the same angle. Even different angle. I also posed the subject’s
will yield a much more stimulating photograph
worse, that angle is 90 degrees. There is no heads to point in different directions
than the traditional pyramid-style group pose in
denying that the photo appears staged. It instead of looking straight at the camera. which everyone looks straight at the camera.
is missing that spark that can elevate your Lastly, I said something to make them In this group photo, I positioned each of their
work above that of other photographers. react with a laugh or a candid smile. Even heads to draw your eye to where the bride and
The concept of mirroring does not apply the way each is holding her bouquet is groom are standing. I did this without being too
just to feet, hands and arms. It includes different. This photo has more heart to obvious about the pattern. The key is to trick the
heads and torsos as well. Notice how all the it, evokes more emotion and tells you viewer into thinking there’s no pattern, or there
bodies and heads of the guests face the something about their relationships. must be just enough randomness within the
same direction. Except for their faces, they
are almost replicas of each other. The bride
is the only one positioned a bit differently.
pose to confuse the brain. And there must be

enough intention and organization to draw the
viewer’s attention right to where you want it. It
is a sensitive balancing act. To draw the viewer’s
attention to the bride and groom, I began to
Big Group cross the nose paths of the people surrounding

them. People subconsciously look where others
are pointing or facing, so I’m using this to my
This image shows each individual from head to toe, so it was important to make sure that the feet,
advantage. Because the people at the edges of
bodies, arms, hands, heads and expressions were all different from one another. Hard work, but
the photo are turned toward the camera, the nose
the results are well worth it. Naturally, issues surface with posing so many people, each reacting
path crossings are confined to the middle where
differently to what I said to coax a response. For example, there is a hand appearing out of the
the bride and groom are standing. This subtlety
man’s shoulder on the left side of the photo. Don’t worry too much about posing perfection. With
puts the viewer’s attention where you want it—on
a photo as fun and unique as this one, no one is going to care much about that loose hand.
the bride and groom. (Still confused? All I do
By being aware of the effects of mirroring or not mirroring parts of the body, you can push
is create a cluster of path crossings zigzagging
yourself to create something different—something people notice and are willing to pay for.
around my main subjects. Then I simply break that
zigzag pattern, usually at the edges.)
(Excerpted from chapter 9, Avoid Mirroring, of Picture Perfect Posing.)

THE
POSING
ISSU E
BODY
LANGUAGE
BASICS by danielle libine
Have you ever wondered what a pose actually is? Why one pose conveys power, another
sweetness? Why the slightest shift can impact the mood of the image dramatically?
What if I told you that a pose is a coded message that speaks directly to your brain in a
language as old as the origins of human life on earth? Pretty cool, right?
B
efore humans evolved into speaking beings, we communicated with connected with that thought.
each other through gestures, sounds and expressions. This mode of I try to avoid telling people to squint to get
this result because—just like with happiness—
communication is commonly known as body language, and our brains
they might try to fake it and end up appearing
learned how to recognize emotions linked to different behaviors so we could angry instead. When we squint, we do bring
survive and live together. As it turns out, body language is trusted 14 times the lower eyelid up but also push our upper
more than spoken words. When you feel an emotion, your body instinctively eyelid down, and this is what our faces do
when we are angry.
moves in response. It’s essentially a physical reaction that happens without a
filter. And this is where it gets really interesting for us photographers. î Angular Posing
Because our torso holds all our vital organs,
making it one of the most vulnerable
MICRO EXPRESSIONS think of something that makes them happy—a parts of the body, we’ll only leave it open
When our bodies react through movement, person, an object, a food, a memory—and and unprotected when we feel safe and
they can be big movements with your body or observe their faces as I run through the comfortable. When we’re uncomfortable or
smaller movements with your facial muscles; options. As soon as I see that little tension don’t like someone, we start to pivot away as
the slightest tension in the face can make around the eyes, I know we have it. At that our bodies get instinctively ready to fight or
your subject look angry, sad or disgusted and moment, I ask them to share that thought with flight. The way you use this in your poses can
can impact the overall feeling of your portrait. me and we’ll use that word during the shoot drastically impact the feeling of power in the
to get a real smile every time. image.
î Don’t Say Cheese!
Real happiness doesn’t happen in the lips or î Engaging the Eyes î Fronting
mouth, but around the eyes. When humans When we are actively engaged with another To make a person appear confident, powerful
feel real happiness, it’s the muscles around person or activity, we squint slightly by and trustworthy in your pictures, you will
the eyes that pull up the cheeks, not the tensing our lower eyelids. We change the want to shoot them straight on. However,
mouth that pushes them out. We can identify shape of our eyes in this way so we can focus this presents a particular challenge in
a fake smile by the absence of action in the better (just like the aperture in our cameras), photography because we often ask our clients
eyes. and on a non-verbal communication level, to stand sideways to create a more visually
Why do we want to avoid fake smiles? this indicates to the other person that we are pleasing image.
Because what a fake or tense smile says about actively engaged with them. On the other At this point, it’s important to know the
the person in the image is that they are not hand, when we are bored or scared, our objective of the image, and to choose what’s
being honest, that they are uncomfortable or bottom eyelid drops and this makes us look more important: the feeling of power or
even submissive. less confident and lower power. making a more pleasing image. If you’ve
An emotion can’t be faked and a person When working with someone to create that been hired to create an image for a client, it’s
has to really feel it for the image to look confident look, I like to help them connect to important to understand their personality and
genuine, so if you want a real smile, you a moment in their lives where they felt really the objective for the image so you can adjust
need to help the person to actually feel that proud of what they did; I see that lower eyelid the amount of fronting to match the level of
emotion on the inside. I ask my clients to come up automatically as soon as they have power they want to portray.
AT RIGHT: The
slightest
change in a facial
expression can
ALL PHOTOS © DANIELLE LIBINE
completely change
the emotion in your
image. Can you see
how just changing the
eye tension makes the
subject look bored,
connected or angry?

BODY L ANGUAGE BASICS
î Pivoting
A slight pivot can still convey a certain amount of
power, especially if the posture is good and the
expression is confident, but the more you pivot the
body away from the camera, the more defensive or
low power the person is going to appear (versus high
power, which looks more open and confident).
Not all pivoting is defensive, however. A woman who
is flirting with someone will turn her body sideways
and look at them over her shoulder. This is a pose that
we see a lot in glamour and boudoir photography
for this reason. But because nothing is clean-cut with
body language, she can also communicate disdain at
something or someone she doesn’t like with this same
movement; the difference will be in her expression.
It’s also very important to pay attention to pivoting
while photographing groups of people. When people
stand in groups, they will naturally pivot toward the
people they like and away from those they might not. If
you want to avoid the individuals in your group looking
disconnected from each other, you will want to pivot
them slightly toward each other to create a nice sense
ABOVE: The way we angle our bodies and faces toward or away from another person is of connection in the image.
one of the most important indicators of how powerful and confident we feel, and also The same goes with couples during engagement
indicates how we feel about the person we're interacting with. and wedding sessions; if you want to create a sense
1 2 3 4
Facing the camera is going A slight head pivot with no tilt Pivoting sideways with a slight A sideways pivot with a slight tilt
to give the strongest feeling in our face usually indicates that tilt toward the camera is a very away from the camera happens
of power to the person in we are listening and creates a friendly cue to be used when when we are evaluating what the
the image. sense of connection, however friendliness trumps strength, other person is saying or when
the expression on the face will as it can come across as a little we are feeling a little superior.
determine if the intention of low power. It is a higher power cue and can
the pivot is a friendly one or a come across as a little cocky.
higher power one.
All these gestures need to be kept very small in practice, or they will
look fake. As nothing is simple in non-verbal communication, the
expression on the face, the pivoting of the body, and the extent of all
visible gestures will also impact the power and feeling in the picture.
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conveying the right message. We have

become accustomed to these images and
have stopped questioning their validity.
Of course, people can also cross their
arms when they are cold, to relieve pain, or to
indicate that they are not open to discussion,
but no matter the reason, this is not an open
and confident expression.
Let’s take it out of the context of
photography. Think about the last time you
were having an open and positive discussion
with your friends. When you were happily out
on a date. When you were trying to convince
someone about a subject you’re passionate
LEFT: Tocross or not to about. Did you cross your arms? Think of
cross arms in pictures? the people giving powerful presentations
It depends on what on stage. Do they cross their arms? When
message you want to we’re looking to create a confident and open
convey. image of someone, we want to stay away from
shielding body language cues.
So when do we want to use crossed
of love and connection between them, squeezing his fingers together. Another place arms in photos? There is no right or wrong
always keep their bodies pivoted toward to look for pacifying gestures is the mouth; lip body language; it’s just a language that
one another, even slightly. If you want to pressing and licking, and tongue movements conveys an emotion, and it’s a great cue to
have some distance between them, or their pressing inside the cheeks or lips show high use if the emotion you want to convey is
bodies facing away from each other for levels of stress. one that happens when humans do cross
aesthetic reasons, make sure there is a lot Take any of these as a sign from your their arms.
of connection going on elsewhere in their clients that they are uncomfortable, and this
bodies—especially their eyes—otherwise the
body language will communicate distance or
even distrust between them.
might show up in your pictures.
We implement blocking gestures by
putting something between ourselves and an
1 DEFIANCE
You’ll see this behavior as a characteristic
in children who don’t want to do something,
This is also true for the face. As uncomfortable situation. Crossed or closed or in two people disagreeing on a subject.
photographers, we like to pivot the face arms are the most obvious ones, but the person Pair this one with a higher chin and squinting
slightly as it creates and shows a nice might also be holding something like a bag or eyes to achieve the perfect defiant look.
jawline (which is also rooted in non-verbal a laptop in front of them, or even crossing their
communication, as this area of the body
indicates our hormone levels). As soon as we
pivot the head sideways there is another cue
legs tightly when standing or sitting.
î Crossed Arms
2 NO DISCUSSION
People will also cross their arms to
indicate that they are not open to discussion
that enters the equation, and the way we tilt it Torso-shielding gestures occur most often anymore. An interesting study found that
will also create a different meaning. when a person is feeling defensive or when our arms are crossed, we are actually
uncomfortable, and also to indicate that they less open to hearing what other people are
NEGATIVE BODY LANGUAGE are not open to discussion. Whether it’s arms saying. If your client wants to show that they
Like with any other language, body language folded across one’s body, buttoning up a are not open to discussion and it goes with
conveys information and emotion. While jacket, holding something in front of their their personal brand, or their profession, then
there is no “wrong” body language, some torso or straddling a chair, these gestures are this is the perfect pose to adopt.
cues can be linked to negative emotions or initiated to put something between ourselves
levels of discomfort, and you’re going to see
them in your clients’ bodies (and therefore
your photos) as you interact with them.
and a situation or a person.
People often argue that they don’t feel
defensive when they cross their arms, and
3 BIGGER BICEPS
Although not linked to an emotion,
crossed arms are also favored by portrait
this is explained by the fact that this soothing photographers when shooting male subjects
î Pacifying and Blocking Gestures gesture releases oxytocin and makes us feel because it’s an easy way to make their upper
Rubbing or pressure movements are calmer. And that is exactly the point. Any arms look bigger. Simply get your client to
called pacifying gestures and are meant to pacifying gesture highlights a discomfort of make fists, place them under their biceps and
calm down the brain when we are feeling some sort, and will come across as low power. tada! Bigger biceps.
discomfort by releasing a hormone called But what about crossing your arms in Note that if the objective is first to make
oxytocin. business portraits? Isn’t that a powerful sign your client look strong and virile, and we
You will observe this when a woman is of a successful businessperson? don’t care too much about openness, the
playing with her necklace, rubbing her arms Just because we are used to seeing crossed-arms pose will trump the closed body
or legs, or a man is playing with his clothes or this image everywhere doesn’t mean it’s language message.
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Body language is
spoken in our poses,
and we can use
this knowledge to
powerfully convey
emotions through
our pictures.
MIRRORING
Understanding and using body language doesn’t end
at creating stronger photos—it will also help you when
directing and interacting with your clients. Many people
feel uncomfortable at photo shoots, mostly because
they don’t know what to do, and this will translate in your
photography if you aren’t careful.
A client of mine shared this story: “At my last photo
shoot, the photographer asked me to smile. So I smiled.
‘No! Not like that!’ he said. ‘You know…relax and smile!’ All
I could think is, ‘Damn…I’m not relaxed, how do I relax?’
which made me stress even more, and the more he was
telling me to relax, the less I was! It was horrible! I look like
I’m growling in all the photos. I hate them!”
Telling your clients to “act natural” doesn’t work because
what would be natural for them in this moment would
probably be to run away.
So if telling them what to do doesn’t help, what can you
do? Show them. People can easily mirror what you want
them to do. Ask them to mirror you, and show them exactly
the pose you want them to take. Not only will this help
them relax, it also allows you to get them to tap into the
ideal body language for your session. When working with
children, you can turn this into an imitation game, and they
will play along with you in seconds.
Mirroring has roots in body language theory, too. It’s a
key human bonding behavior
that creates an immediate
ABOVE: Mirroring helps
connection between you and
your clients understand your subject, and allows them
what to do. RIGHT: This in to relax, shift their attention
turn allows your subject away from the lens and focus
to relax and give you on you instead, all while feeling
genuine expressions. safe and comfortable.
Danielle (Dee) Libine is a Swiss-Canadian portrait

photographer and a certified body language trainer with
Science of People. Running photo studios in Switzerland
and Hong Kong allowed her to test her approach with a
wide variety of clients, and she went on to write and publish
A Photographer's Guide to Body Language to share this
knowledge with portrait photographers worldwide.
FO CUS ON: BOU DO I R FO CUS ON: BOU DO IR FOCUS ON: BOU DO IR FO CUS O N:
s ta te
of the
Three photography teams discuss the ins and outs of boudoir photography in 2016.
compiled by libby peterson + jacqueline tobin
BOU DO I R FO CUS O N: BOU DO IR FOCUS ON: BOU DO IR FOCUS O N: BOU DO IR
 HOW IT’S DEFINED

I never thought of boudoir as needing to stay within the
traditional realm of how it was traditionally shot. “Intimate
lifestyle photography” has become the label I use because
it expresses the meaning that so many of our clients have
found in their session experience. I wanted to shoot
them in a much more lived-in, voyeuristic manner. It is
our call-to-action—helping men, women, gay, straight or no
category—to be able to express who they are freely. Intimate
lifestyle photography for me is about being part of
this larger movement demonstrating our clients' strength,
sensuality, vulnerability and sexuality all in one.
—Ewan Phelan
 STAYING ON BRAND
There are several styles of boudoir, so it’s important to
continue to photograph in a way that matches your other
brand. Callaway Gable is in the luxury wedding market,
so it’s important that we photograph our clients in a way
that’s classy, feminine and empowering. It’s not about what
we show, but rather more about subtlety, a hint of what’s
there. It’s looking for nuance by framing parts of her body. In
fact, we have had several non-nude boudoir shoots, and
that’s okay. What’s important is capturing her true self.
—Brian Callaway
 PREPPING CLIENTS FOR SESSIONS
One of the best tools you can give your clients is a prep list
before their session. It’s a way to set expectations and
trouble-shoot potential questions, alleviating lots of back
and forth communication. And while this is a helpful tool
for your client, it's also a way for you to gently present
things that you want and don't want to take place. If you
want to ensure your client moisturizes their skin in the days
leading up to their session, or if you are not a photographer
who uses props, you can state this right in the prep list
so you don't have to worry about being put on the spot if
someone shows up for their session with a bunny costume.
—Brianna Phelan
PHOTOS THIS SPREAD @ BRIAN AND ALLISON CALLAWAY | CALLAWAY GABLE
POSING PERSPECTIVES
 NICK MURRAY  BRIAN CALLAWAY .

 EWAN PHELAN Make sure her shoulders are down.
I speak quietly to my clients and give We’ll throw some music on and I’ll just shoot
when an idea materializes. Occasionally I’ll Have her take deep breaths to help
direction in a very concise and non-
suggest they move their arm, or to lift their her relax. Look for her neck and pull
threatening manner. I never ask my clients
head slightly, but the process is so organic. her hair back on the part that is closest
to “get on all fours,” making them self-
I’ve found the greatest inspiration happens to the camera. Create an S shape with
conscious about what they are doing, but .
when the person is open to ideas and their her body so her waist is accentuated
rather ask them to place their knees in one
movement is fluid. Sometimes I’ll set up a as small—this works well with plus-size
position and their hands in another. Giving
pose just to shoot the few moments after women because you can create a more
very direct and specific instructions takes
I ask them to stop posing; those fleeting flattering photograph.
away any doubt from the client about what
they should be doing. seconds when they relax are golden and
can produce some of the best work.

FOCUS ON: BOUDOIR FOCUS ON: BOUDOIR FOCUS ON: BOUDOIR FOCUS ON:
 ON-LOCATION
pros: From mountain

tops to sand dunes,
salt flats and bodies
of water, the variety
of backdrops provide
something completely
new and different to
capture.
cons: People that

come across what
you thought was your
private location can not
only throw you off, but
also your client. Finding
safe, private locations
can be tricky at times.
—EP
PHOTO © EWAN AND BRIANNA PHELAN
 IN-HOME  AIRBNB
 STUDIO
STUDIO pros: The same
pros: The most reliable pros: The same pros as benefits of an in-home
for your clients and a studio, plus as a home studio, plus they’re
you, allowing for quick it provides a more  HOTEL great for travel.  CLIENT'S
.
trust-building because comfortable feeling. HOME
pros: Very convenient,
LO C AT I O N S
they know you're busy cons: Can have the

especially if you pros: Makes your
enough to require a cons: The same cons same problems as
are a traveling client relax, and each
dedicated location and as a studio, plus a hotels. Speaking with
photographer. home provides fresh
that you know the space client may not want the Airbnb owner
perspectives—the
inside and out. to just come into beforehand is very
cons: Some hotels colors, textures and
your home when they important so you don’t
cons: It always has have rules against light are always diverse.
are making a large find yourself having to
that “studio” feel to business being
financial investment in exit right before one of
it, and it’s sometimes carried out without cons: From a purely
the session. —EP your scheduled shoots.
hard to get that lived permission, and it organizational point of
—EP
in, voyeuristic feel; it is often hard to find view, some clients have
can get repetitive and a hotel that has the children and large pets
take away some of the aesthetic you’re that obviously can’t
challenge of shooting. looking for. —EP be there.
—EP —NM
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FOCUS ON: BOUDOIR FOCUS ON: BOUDOIR FOCUS ON: BOUDOIR FOCUS ON:
have issue with the fact that I’m a man

photographing them. As many other
clients have said, they preferred
that I was a man. —EP
 ALBUM SALES
The best way we have found to
encourage album sales is by asking
clients how they want to view their
images 30 years from now. Do they
want to be huddled around a
computer trying to discreetly take a
peek, or would they rather flip through
the pages of an album while curled up
PHOTO © NICK MURRAY
in front of a fire? With the rapid

changes of technology, there's no
guarantee that digital files will be
relevant down the road. It's important
to have an album collection to show
clients. —BP
 GEAR ON SET  THE IMPORTANCE OF A CONTRACT
I’ve only ever used the one lens to The worst mistake you can make  DEALING WITH BACKLASH
get what I need: a Nikon 50mm is shooting a client without a signed I’ve been lucky enough to have had
f/1.4. Using the one lens really makes contract. This is your opportunity to only one critic (that I know about) and
me consider how I shoot, as well as have all agreed-upon details in that was via an anonymous reporting
having the added benefit of simplicity one place, dated and signed. A on Facebook. I did my very best to
for the client, where they’re not waiting verbal agreement is not adequate make sure that all of the images more
for me to decide on a lens whilst and you always want a paper trail. than met Facebook’s guidelines
they’re in a state of undress. Changing Your contract should include dates, before I posted, but somebody still
lenses in front of the model brings a payment schedules and everything took offense. Facebook disagreed with
cold, stark technical element to the that your client is responsible for (like the report and the image was back up
shoot. I prefer to keep the conversation providing their own lingerie). It should in no time. I’m sure there’s more criticism
going, and I find I get the best results also state the penalties if the to come in the future, but harsh words don’t
when the idea of the camera melts away. agreements are not met. This ensures phase me. Nothing great was ever achieved
—NM that your client knows exactly by worrying about negativity. Some people
what they are receiving and there is will get it and some won’t, but at the end of
 GETTING CLIENTS no confusion. A contract protects you, the day, it’s all about shooting for yourself,
WITHOUT MARKETING the photographer. It states exactly and nobody knows you better than you.
There are no boudoir photographs what you are responsible for providing Take criticism lightly, but you have to stay
on our website, blog or social media. and protects you if you end up in true to yourself and your artistic vision.
We want her to immediately know court. Ensure that you update it as —NM
that her privacy is paramount. you encounter new situations,
When she initially contacts us and have it approved by your lawyer.
about her wedding she must answer Purchasing a professional contract
a questionnaire—one of the questions online will save you a big headache, Brian Callaway created the award-winning
wedding photographer studio Callaway
asks about how she feels about with the work already being done
Gable with his wife, Allison, both of whom are
boudoir. Has she ever thought about for you. —BP
frequent educators. | + callawaygable.com
it? If her reply is positive we will talk about it
during our initial phone consultation. We  SHOOTING BOUDOIR AS A MAN Nick Murray is a wedding photographer
will also send a private gallery of previous It is important to show as much work in the UK who expanded to boudoir fairly
boudoir sessions. (It’s important to note that as possible in order to help gain recently. He shoots with a Nikon D750 and a
our previous clients have all approved trust. When clients see that other 50mm f/1.4 using only available light.
the use of their images; privacy and women, men or couples have trusted + nickmurrayphotography.co.uk
trust are integral.) If a client comes into you to photograph them, it is easy
our studio for a wedding consultation, for your potential client to imagine Ewan and Brianna Phelan have been
we will have a tasteful boudoir book themselves being photographed shooting intimate lifestyle photography for 12
and a box of matted photographs by you. As a man shooting this style years. They’re also co-founders of Do More
Wear Less, an education and networking
in the stack of wedding books. In our of photography for over a decade
platform for boudoir photographers.
experience, an interested client will let now, I have to say that I have only
you know right away. —BC had a couple of potential clients + domorewearless.com | + ewanphelan.com
The Portrait
presents
Enter by
N e w b o r N s /C h i l d r e N / Fa m i ly / Fas h i o N / G l a m o u r / b o u d o i r / m at e r N i t y July 29, 2016
Save
Prizes
One grand-prize winner will receive:
30%
$1,500 cash
A $500 gift card to a major camera retailer
Full-page advertorial in Rangefinder
each first-place winner will receive:

A one-year PHOTO+ basic membership
with a PHOTO+ Membership
A Full Platform Pass to WPPI Conference + Expo
A $100 gift card to a major camera retailer
all winners will be featured in an online

gallery and the October issue of Rangefinder,
and will also receive The Portrait official win-
ners’ seal.
© JAymE FORd
www.rangefindertheportrait.com
ThePortrait2016_RF_CFE_HP.indd 1 6/28/16 10:04 AM
photo © tatiana lumiere
SECOND 1/2 16
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WPPI2016_SecondHalf_CFE_RF_HPH_v3.indd 1 6/28/16 10:01 AM

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Wedding
presents
photography competition
Rangefinder is excited to present the winners of the 2016
Wedding Photography Competition. Grand-prize winner Dark
Roux Photography will receive $2,000 cash and a $500 gift
card from B&H. First-place winners Anne-Claire Brun, Alison
Conklin, Mike Vallely and Rebecca Yale will each receive a
$100 gift card from B&H. The grand-prize winner and all
first-place winners will also receive a HoldFast Money Maker
multi-camera strap, and all first-place winners will also receive
a Full Conference Pass to WPPI Conference & Expo and a
PHOTO+ Basic Membership. All winners are featured in the
following pages, and the extended online gallery can be seen
at rangefinderweddingcontest.com. Congratulations to all of
this year's winners, and thank you to our judges!
kim kuhn nicole

is a photo editor williams
at Destination is a senior associate
Weddings & photo editor at
Honeymoons BRIDES magazine,
Magazine, and spending her days
played a significant looking through
role in the brand's real wedding
2014 redesign. photography.
k i m b e r ly brian jose villa

richards callaway is a fine-art wedding
is an editor at is the owner photographer. His
WeddingWire, and principle work has been
focusing on photographer of published in a multitude
wedding planning Callaway Gable of magazines, including
advice, etiquette Studios. His work is Martha Stewart
and trends. frequently published Wedding, Harper's
in top magazines. Bazaar and Vogue.
72 R ANGE F IN D ER S UM M ER 2016
• reception •
dark roux photography

• pool party •
A thunderstorm prevented this couple's
planned sparkler exit, but they decided not to
let that ruin their evening and jumped into the
pool with their sparklers, creating their own
unforgettable end to their wedding.
• reception •
left
scott schoeggl
• groom couldn't resist •
While watching his groomsmen and
friends perform a traditional Tongan
dance during his wedding reception
in historic Union Station in Tacoma,
Washington, this groom couldn't resist
jumping in, tux and all.
below
s h a r i v a l l e ly
(shari + mike
photographers)
• say what?!? •
"I think the best man and maid

of honor reactions say it all,"
Shari says.
• w e d d i n g pa rt y •
m i ke va l l e ly
(shari + mike
photographers)
• make lemonade •
“It was pouring rain on

Ashley and Rob’s wedding
day and it wasn’t stopping,
so we made the most of it,”
Mike says.
ly n n e ke n n e d y ke n pa k
• untitled • • perfect beer storm •
Katharina and James and their bridal party The wedding party has fun with bottles of beer.
celebrate with balloons on a clifftop on the
Isle of Skye in Scotland.
RA N G EFIND E R WED D ING CONTEST 75

• destination •
alison conklin
• sunbathers •
Mena and her father walk the pier as sunbathers stand and
applaud the beautiful moment, in a little town outside of
Naples, Italy, where a boat will take them to the wedding
ceremony.
lu c y s pa rta l i s
(she takes pictures he makes films)
• sunlit snowcapped love •
“When nature pulls out all the stops,” says Spartalis. Alana and Louis,
moments after saying "I do" in picturesque Queenstown, New Zealand.
gitte meeussen kama

• highland elopement in fiji •
Renee and David go off the beaten path to have their dream wedding
captured in the wild of the Nausori Highlands in Fiji. Theirs was the
first elopement to ever be held in this location.

• portraits •
anne-claire brun
• just married •
The bride and groom

share a kiss amidst
confetti.
beth price dylan kitchener

• untitled • (the kitcheners)
• first look •
Price says of the image: “Love is love.”
The beautiful moment right after Robby and
Marina’s emotional “first look” in the woods.
• details •
left
rebecca yale
• untitled •
A modern take on a classic

white and green bridal
bouquet, captured at Eolia
Mansion in Connecticut.
bottom left
graham scobey
(the scobeys)
• little glass boxes •
The dress’s reflection in a hotel
window across the street.
bottom right
matthew sowa
• grandmother •
The wedding gown hangs in
the bride's grandmother’s
room, alongside her private
collection.

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PHOTO © VICKI TAUFER
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seascape/autumn foliage, and the other x 20 feet, depending on your backdrop material.
sports summer foliage on one side and You’ll have a number of different materials to
city lights on the other. At 4 x 5 feet, choose from, including Baby Drops, which is a
these backdrops should handle close to heavy matte vinyl; Candy Drops, printed on a
full-length portraits and will collapse to thin nylon-polyester material; and Candy Stick, a
about a third of their size for transport. film-backed drop that can be stuck to a wall and
They weigh in at 3.3 pounds and come peeled off for reuse up to 15 times. If you need
with their own carrying case. something larger, the company’s Platinum is a
wrinkle-free fabric that is washer- and dryer-safe. prices: starting at $89
price: $171
+ backdropoutlet.com
+ lastolite.us
PRODUCT ROUNDUP
PHOTOS © CANARY GRAY

Drop It Modern
Sunray Fabric Panel Backdrop
Everyone wants to feel special, and when you buy a Drop It Modern fabric backdrop you’ll be
one of 15 photographers to gain access to that style—the company maintains a limited inventory
so that each style is more exclusive. These non-reflective canvas linen fabric backdrops are sold
in 54- or 98-inch widths and 108-inch lengths. Wrinkle resistant and seamless, these backdrops
can be machine washed and tumbled dry on low heat. Pictured here is Sunray.
Backdrop Express
Stadium Scenery prices: starting at $165 | + dropitmodern.com
Football season is nearly upon us and
Backdrop Express’s sports and stadium- PhotoPie Backdrops
themed printed backdrops are a great Bird’s Eye View Floormat
way to capitalize on the bone crunching. You don’t have to browse Instagram
They’re available in poly paper or vinyl in long before you see images of people
either 4 x 5-foot or 5 x 6-foot sizes, or a in dangerous places. You can satisfy
fabric with sizes ranging from 5 x 6.5 feet the thrill-seeking selfie shooter with
up to 10 x 10 feet in a choice of light or PhotoPie’s vertigo-inducing Bird’s Eye
heavyweight. The poly paper version is View floor mat. The bottom is made of
water resistant and has a matte finish. If non-slip rubber that will stay in place
you opt for vinyl, you’ll get a more durable once it’s on the floor. The top material is
backdrop that’s also water resistant and felt and is imaged using a fade-resistant
has a matte finish. The heavyweight fabric dye-sublimation process. Sizes range prices: starting at $95
is a polyester/cotton knot that’s washable from 4 x 5 to 8 x 10 feet. + photopiebackdrops.com
and wrinkle resistant with a sewn-in rod
pocket. The lightweight fabric is a 100 Blueberry Hill
percent polyester weave that Backdrop Thick Knit Brown Blanket
Express likens to a tablecloth. It, too, is Knitting instantly invokes homemade
wrinkle resistant, though less than the comforts, and Blueberry Hill’s Thick Knit
heavyweight fabric. On the plus side, Brown Blanket will shroud a baby. Ideal as
Backdrop Express says the printed design basket stuffers for newborn photo shoots,
is “slightly clearer” on the lightweight this 24 x 24-inch blanket is best hand
version. Decisions, decisions. washed and air dried.
price: $40
prices: starting at $50
+ theblueberryhill.com
+ backdropexpress.com
PHOTO © LORI DORMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

PRODUCT ROUNDUP
Custom Photo Props
Faux Fur Mats
You can channel our cavemen ancestry with Custom Photo
Prop’s Faux Fur Mat, safe in the knowledge that no animals
were harmed in their making. These synthetic mats are PETA-
approved, machine-washable and hypoallergenic. They can be
ordered as a basket stuffer in a 20 x 32-inch size. It’s sold as a 15
x 15-inch layer or in 3 x 5-foot and 5 x 6-foot sizes. They’re super
comfortable on baby’s skin as well.
prices: starting at $13.75

+ customphotoprops.com
ProStudio USA
Hard Rock Poser
Express your love of geology with ProStudio’s Hard Rock Poser. They
may look back-breaking, but these posers are made from plastic and are
hollow inside so you can move them around your studio, or to a location,
with ease. (Pro tip: Pretend they’re real and lift one over your head to
impress friends and clients.) The poser has a flat top and is sturdy enough
for an adult to sit on. The small rock measures in at 19 x 14 x 12 inches
while a large model is 27 x 21 x 25 inches. Additional sizes and rock colors
are also available.
prices: $59 (small), $99 (large)

+ prostudiousa.com PHOTO © AXSYSDESIGN NEWBORNS
Ink & Elm

Dip n Dots
Summer may be drawing to a close soon, but ice cream is everyone’s year-round fave.
Unlike the real stuff, Ink & Elm’s Dip n Dots backdrop won’t melt on you and its matte
vinyl is tear resistant, so you can use it as a floor drop, too. It’s water resistant in case
some real ice cream spills from your subject’s hands (or yours, we’re not judging). You
can order the backdrop with grommets along the top for an extra $8, or spend $15 to
get a pole pocket along the top. Sizes range from 3 x 2 feet up to 10 x 6 feet. Yum.
prices: starting at $20 | + inkandelm.com

Savage Universal
Translum Backdrop
Made from styrene, a wrinkle-free plastic, this versatile backdrop can be used as a light table,
prop setup or a seamless background. Props or people on the other side of the backdrop
are seen as shapes and eerie silhouettes. Placed in front of a light, it delivers a frosted glass
effect. You can cut Translum with scissors, so you can whittle down a roll into any shape you
desire. It’s available in three grades: lightweight, for a soft light effect with a ¾-stop light loss,
medium grade that eliminates most of the shadows and delivers a 1.5-stop light loss and a
heavy grade that knocks back two stops of light (this grade is recommended for shooting
tables and is cleanable). Medium and lightweight grades are sold in 60-inch x 18-foot rolls
while the heavyweight grade is available in 54-inch x 18-foot rolls.
price: $58 (60 inches x 18 feet) | + savageuniversal.com

PHOTO © LOPSHIRE PHOTOGRAPHY
“Mom and baby portraits are timeless and
capture the bond between mother and child.
Every time I unpack an order from AdoramaPix,
I am blown away by the quality! I’m thrilled
to offer these product to my clients”
- Eden Bao
Adoramapix Ambassador
Eden Bao
Connection counts...
Eden Bao knows that connecting to the emotion of her clients is one of the most important
aspects of a successful portrait image. Capturing the heart in the art is what has propelled
her images to be loved by her clients the photography community. Eden needs a lab that
understands that connection and produces products that are beautiful enough to live up
to the images she creates.
AdoramaPix Ambassadors are envoys of what makes the art of photography special and what
keeps us constantly striving for perfection.
See more about all of our AdoramaPix Ambassadors at adoramapix.com/ambassador

www.adoramapix.com 888-216-6400
PRODUCT ROUNDUP
Denny Manufacturing
Fairy Tale Trail
Among a raft of new products, Denny’s Fair Tale Trail
puts your subject in a whimsical (dare we say Hobbit-
esque) setting. The backdrop is available in your choice
of three materials: Freedom Cloth, which is a wrinkle-
free polyster that’s washable and dryer safe; Twist Flex,
which uses the Freedom Cloth material but mounts it
to a wire frame that can be folded down tight if you
envision travelling a lot with the backdrop. Lastly, it’s
available in canvas, which is a more delicate backdrop
that ships with a wood mounting and Velcro straps.
Sizes vary with Freedom Cloth, giving you the widest
selection of size options.
prices: starting at $50

+ dennymfg.com
Background Town
Wall Yellow
Get an austere rustic look with Background
Town’s Wall Yellow. It’s available in two materials.
NewFab is a tear resistant “paper-like” substrate
that’s wrinkle resistant and won’t reflect light.
It’s sold in 3.9 x 5-foot and 5 x 6.8-foot sizes.
NewFab backdrops won’t come with rod
pockets and aren’t machine washable. If you
need a backdrop with those attributes, spring
for Background Town’s UltraCloth material, a
machine-washable backdrop that’s wrinkle-free
and has rod pockets sewn in. It’s sold in sizes
ranging from 6 x 8 to 8 x 12 feet.
Lollipop Props by Westcott prices: starting at $72

Little Studio + backgroundtown.com
No space? No problem. The 42 x 42 x 42-
inch Little Studio unfolds to deliver a corner Mr. & Mrs. And Co.
studio setting in any location. Its metal frame is Branch Bed Prop
shrouded in white diffusion fabric and has hook- Mr. & Mrs. And Co. focuses on
and-loop edges so you can mount backdrops handmade backdrops and props,
and floor mats with ease. When the shoot is like the Branch Bed, made from real
over, the Little Studio folds down and slips branches. It has a flat space that’s
into an included nylon carrying case. You can roughly 18 x 10 inches for a newborn
completely disassemble the studio if you really to lay down on. It takes between one
need to pack it down. and three weeks to get it delivered
to your studio.
price: $50
price: $65
+ lollipopprops.com + mrandmrsandco.com
PHOTO © SHANNON BOWER PHOTOGRAPHY
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H A N D S- O N B Y G R E G SCO B LE T E
S O F T WA R E R E V I E W
FAST FORWARD WITH FUNDY

With a new user interface and organizing tools, is Fundy Designer v7
the album builder you’ve been waiting for?
IMAGE COURTESY OF FUNDY SOFTWAARE

Few photographers need to be Fundy Designer is still centered on template- specific image tags, you can also add
reminded of the old truism that “time free album building. While it’s faithful to this keywords and stars to images in Fundy and
is money.” Fundy Designer was built mission, Version 7 represents a substantial have that data travel back with the images
with this ethos in mind. It’s an album-building update. The user interface (UI) has been into Lightroom or Photo Mechanic.
tool that enables you to quickly assemble redesigned. The pale gray background has
your own print album rather than pay a third been replaced with clean white. Images USER FRIENDLINESS
party to do it for you. After version 7 was and tools once arrayed along the left rail If you’ve never used older versions
announced at WPPI, we were able to put the are now laid out on the bottom or top of of Fundy—heck, if you’ve never used any
program through its paces. Fundy Designer is the program, freeing up space to view your album-building software before—it won’t take
available for both Mac and Windows album pages more organically. Access you very long at all to get up to speed with
operating systems for $299 for new users and to albums, wall gallery designs and blog Designer v7. Every album starts by choosing
for $199 for anyone upgrading from an older collages are all available now in the main whether you want to design an album for
version of the software. interface. output at a specific lab (Fundy stores specs
Image browsing and organizing within the on thousands of album styles from over 110
WHAT’S NEW program have also been upgraded. There’s U.S.-based labs) or create a custom album
There are plenty of changes in v7, so it now a full-blown image browser where you that doesn’t necessarily conform to any one
makes sense to reaffirm what hasn’t changed: can organize images, add tags and stars, lab’s requirements. Once you’ve made that
and sort through your imported images. choice, you import a batch of JPEG images
ABOVE: Version 7 features a revamped Fundy Designer can now read star tags and and begin the design process.
interface and better organizing tools, such as keywords from programs like Lightroom or There are other software titles that can
the ability to rate and tag images. Photo Mechanic. Outside of three Fundy- compile images into albums, but Fundy’s
H A N D S- O N
Quick Designer Picker delivers over 150 mostly centered around the same theme: the Fundy album, you’ll get a little alert in Fundy
choices that themselves can be quickly program not always behaving intuitively. Case telling you to refresh the image to see your
refined, creating more possible design styles in point, when you click on the additional changes. In SmartAlbums, any edits made
than we can count. Every style you choose can modules at the top of the program (Galleries, to album JPEGs in external editors are
be further customized and saved for future Collages, Image Brander, etc.) they’ll open immediately viewable in the program, with no
use. Adding images to pages is as simple a small drop-down window that won’t user interaction required. Also, SmartAlbums
as dragging and dropping them into place; automatically close if you click back on the offers the option to output albums as an
Fundy’s “drop zone” technology automatically main screen. Instead, you have to click on the Adobe InDesign file if you want to manipulate
rearranges images to accommodate your icon again or the icon for the module you’re your design still further.
additions, all within the parameters of your currently working in to get it to close On balance, though, we think you can
given album. Similarly, the text editing tool requires two work faster and more efficiently in Fundy
Fundy’s UI is fairly minimalistic and sleek— clicks to actually begin editing your text—once Designer. For one thing, Fundy starts up
it’s not overflowing with toolbars and widgets. on text editing icon, the second on a pencil quicker. Editing tools that Fundy shows
Your images are front and center. The tools that actually opens an editable text window. clearly next to each image on a page are
that are there are usually accompanied by Customizing tags in the image browser only accessible when right-clicking images
a brief explanation that will pop up on the was also somewhat counter-intuitive. You click in SmartAlbums, which slows you down. We
screen about a second after you hover your the edit button to adjust the text in the fields, found it far easier (and quicker) to manipulate
mouse over an icon. As you finish your album but can’t hit “enter” to escape and save your and rearrange large album spreads in
and export it, Fundy will check it against the changes. If you click outside of the edit field, Fundy than in SmartAlbums. Fundy also
design specs of the lab you’ve chosen to make the editing window will close without saving supports direct album ordering from several
sure you’ve met the required page counts and your changes. partner labs, such as Miller’s, Pro DPI, Bay
that images are sufficiently high-res to print. There are also some extraneous tools Photo, Finao and others, which is definitely
taking up space in the UI, such as the ability to convenient if you happen to be a customer of
WHAT WE LIKED change images to black and white, that would that particular lab. The UI is cleaner and the
The image browsing experience has be better left to external editors. workflow felt more seamless in Fundy.
been vastly improved since v6. With the Beyond SmartAlbums 2, there are more
ability to sort imported images by star ratings, template-driven competitors like the $299
keywords, date, etc., you can quickly canvas FotoFusion from LumoPix. Next to Fundy, it
large collections of images to find the one If you’ve never used feels antiquated and a bit unwieldy. Since
you need for a given page. By default, Fundy older versions of FotoFusion isn’t tightly integrated with album
organizes images by date and time on the
(sensible) theory that you’ll want to design
Fundy—heck, if you’ve companies like Fundy Designer is, you’re
not building toward a specific book and thus
your album to track with a wedding day’s never used any album- designing in the dark (and Fundy has the
chronology. You can further refine your pool of building software ability to create a fully custom book too, if
images using several Fundy-specific tags (Main
Image, Cover Photo, Panoramic).
before, it won’t take you chafe at any lab’s restrictions and want
to go completely free form). The Photoshop
The Quick Designer Picker is very slick. long to get up to speed plug-in AlbumsDS gives you album-building
This isn’t a one-click pony—some images tend with Designer v7. within Adobe’s editor for less than what
to need realignment and you’ll likely find you’ll pay for Fundy Designer, but it strikes
yourself moving a few around or resizing them us as more convoluted and time-consuming.
on a page—but it gives you a great “first draft” Fundy is just faster.
album to build off of with the click of a button. HOW IT COMPARES With v7, Fundy has taken an already
Aside from improved organization, the Fundy has cornered the market on a must-have album builder to the next level.
main attraction is speed. Under the hood, truly template free album building approach, The new organizational tools and image
the new software has improved memory but there are other programs that offer browser make wrangling a large collection
optimization so your PC won’t choke on efficient album building. One is the similarly of images considerably easier than in v6 and
large albums. Our not-all-that powerful Mac priced SmartAlbums 2 from Pixellu. Unlike the cleaner, white UI is easy on the eyes. To
(2.6GHz Core i7 with 16GB of RAM) had Fundy Designer, SmartAlbums is strictly us, the Quick Design Picker is the ultimate
no trouble with albums spanning over 100 focused on album building and nothing else. selling point, making an amazingly efficient
images. It’s very stable, too. We only had one In Fundy Designer, you can purchase extra “first pass” at your album while preserving
crash (during an export) throughout our time modules to add features like building blog ample room for your own tweaks and
working in the program. collages, wall art galleries and more. customizations.
There are some differences between the
WHAT WE DIDN’T LIKE two. SmartAlbums, for instance, plays a bit
We didn’t have many complaints better with external editors. If you make a Greg Scoblete is the Senior Technology Editor
with Designer 7 but those we did have were Lightroom edit to a JPEG you’ve got in a for Rangefinder and PDN magazines.

F IR S T E X P O S U R E B Y STA N SH O LIK
S O F T WA R E R E V I E W
KARATE-CHOP YOUR RAW WORKFLOW

WITH PICTURECODE’S PHOTO NINJA
For preserving tone and believable color in highlights, this is the program to beat.
PHOTO COURTESY PICTURECODE PHOTO © STAN SHOLIK
While a few post-processing programs with big marketing upgrades is available for $59. Included in the program is the plug-in
budgets capture most of the news, there are other smaller, more installer for Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Photoshop Elements. You can
specialized programs that deliver results that rival those of their set up Photoshop to bypass Camera Raw and edit RAW, TIFF and JPEG
better-known peers. Photo Ninja is a standalone and plug-in RAW file files directly in Photo Ninja. And you can also access Photo Ninja through
processing program, which can also process TIFF and JPEG files, and a Lightroom and Photo Mechanic if you set it up as an external editor.
worthy rival to Adobe Camera Raw. Version 1.0 was released in 2012, an
outgrowth of PictureCode’s excellent Noise Ninja noise reduction USER FRIENDLINESS
software, three versions of which are incorporated into Photo Ninja for You access the two modules in Photo Ninja, the Browser and the
different purposes. Editor, from the menu bar above the preview image. The interface is
Also incorporated in Photo Ninja is a catalog-free image browser. clean and simple in the style of current imaging software. Unlike other
The browser allows you to view image files anywhere on your computer, programs, the filter adjustments panel is located on the left of the image
including network or removable drives. It also lets you apply ratings, rather than the right. While it cannot be moved, many other aspects of
rename, rotate, delete, duplicate and other typical browser actions. the interface are user-adjustable, making Photo Ninja easy to learn and
Double-clicking an image in the browser opens it in the Photo Ninja straightforward to use. The documentation included and the excellent
Editor module. Adjustments (Photo Ninja calls them “filters”) appropriate tutorials on the PictureCode website speed you through any learning
to the RAW, TIFF or JPEG image—based on camera model, ISO, image curve you may have.
contrast and other analyzed properties of the image—are automatically While Photo Ninja contains camera profiles for hundreds of digital
applied. You can program these automatic adjustments to suit your cameras, advanced users can create camera profiles for their specific
personal needs. You can open any of the filters and change the equipment at different ISOs and lighting conditions using standard
automatic adjustments as well as open other filters and copy and paste ColorChecker targets. The documentation explains this simple process.
edits from one image to others. Batch processing of images to TIFF or PictureCode plans on creating a repository on its website to which
JPEG output formats is easily done. users can upload camera profiles they have created and other users can
Editions of Photo Ninja are available for 64-bit Mac and 32-bit download them. The version we tested contained the profile for a Nikon
and 64-bit Windows platforms. The $129 price for the download of D5 and compressed RAF files from the Fuji X-Pro 2, so the program is
the perpetual license includes one year of free upgrades. If there kept up to date with camera releases.
is an upgrade you want to install after the first year, another year of
WHAT WE LIKED
ABOVE, LEFT: Split
screen view with before and after views of corrections to a While I am always skeptical of software that makes automatic
portrait. ABOVE, RIGHT: Photo Ninja includes a file browser with all of the file adjustments, the science behind Photo Ninja works extremely well. And
management abilities you would expect. you can set up the automatic adjustments with the settings you feel best
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F IR S T E X P O S U R E
represent the look you’re after. Presets are don’t provide me with the detailed
included for neutral rendering as well as information I would like. Also, output file
DIVE INTO several options for portraits, landscapes

and monochrome. These are editable
size is currently limited to powers of 2 (i.e.,
1:1, 1:2, 1:4, etc.) making it impossible to
MEMBERSHIP and can be saved for use in the future. I
particularly appreciated how I could link
output an 8 x 10 or 5 x 7 TIFF or JPEG with
the correct dimensions. And for those of us
the highlights slider to the exposure slider that shoot events with multiple cameras or
and have the highlights automatically multiple photographers, Photo Ninja lacks
30% DISCOUNT ON ENTRY
adjusted while I changed the exposure. the ability to sort images by capture time.
FEES TO PDN, RANGEFINDER And I could unlink them if I wanted to make And while I found Photo Ninja far faster
AND WPPI* PHOTO separate adjustments. to use than Lightroom and Camera Raw,
CONTESTS For most portraits, rather than having the speed comes at the expense of not
*No discounts on members-only competitions to deal with an array of sliders, you use the updating the thumbnails and previews
Detail slider in the Exposure and Detail if you copy and paste adjustments from
SUBSCRIPTIONS TO PDN AND RANGEFINDER
MAGAZINES panel. While it seems like a clarity slider one image to others. Not such a big deal
in other software, moving it to the left to perhaps, and there is a menu option to do
VENDOR DISCOUNTS ON GEAR, SOFTWARE, soften skin does not soften fine detail such this, but I found it confusing at times.
INSURANCE AND MUCH MORE
as hair and eyelashes.
And then there is Noise Ninja. It is one HOW IT COMPARES
PHOTOSERVE.COM LISTING TO PROMOTE
YOUR BUSINESS of the very best noise reduction programs Never having been a big fan of
available, and in my opinion, the easiest Camera Raw accessed through Photoshop,
to use. Following the simple recipe in the I process RAW files from client assignments
documentation delivers excellent results in Capture One and from anything else I
with no contrast buildup or artifacts. shoot in Lightroom, which uses the same
Choosing which of the three versions of processing engine as Camera Raw when
Noise Ninja to apply depends on your they catch up with one another. There is
needs. Version 3 gives faster results but no question in my mind that Photo Ninja
raises the chances of stairstepping, version does better RAW file processing than either
4 yields more 3-dimensional results with Lightroom or Camera Raw. This is especially
more detail but slower processing, while noticeable with the high-contrast concert
version 4 Turbo produces results similar to stage images I am often called upon to
version 4 but with slightly faster rendering. I shoot. Photo Ninja does a better job than
settled on version 4 Turbo as my default. its rivals when it comes to preserving tone
and believable color in highlights. Photo
EDUCATION WITH CERTIFICATION
PROGRAM (SEPARATE FEE FOR WPPI
WHAT WE DIDN’T LIKE Ninja is also better able to dig information
CERTIFICATION PROGRAM) I found nothing to dislike with the out of shadows and successfully remove
output images from RAW files processed the noise without creating artifacts or the
MONTHLY E-NEWSLETTER INCLUDING in Photo Ninja. As I don’t shoot TIFFs or purple tint I often find in other software. My
SPECIAL EVENTS, CONTESTS, NEW
BENEFITS AND MORE JPEGs, I didn’t spend much time testing comparison with Capture One is far less
them. As expected, a few of the filter conclusive, but that is comparing a $299
NEW – EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO THE WPPI adjustments only work on RAW files. program with a somewhat steep learning
ONLINE VIDEO LIBRARY FEATURING OVER What I found frustrating was the need to curve to the $129 Photo Ninja that’s far
100 HOURS OF EDUCATIONAL FOOTAGE
FROM THE WPPI ANNUAL PRINT, ALBUM click “Apply” in each of the filter panels easier to use, even if it lacks all the features
AND FILMMAKING COMPETITION before I could move on to the next filter. I of Capture One.
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version of Adobe photography software
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While I realize everyone’s workflow is

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Ninja. One is the lack of RGB readouts, in still life and macro photography. His latest
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The Index to Advertisers is provided as a courtesy to Rangefinder advertisers. The publisher assumes no responsibility
for errors or omissions.
photoforwardblog.com
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Volume 65, Number 7

ONON
M YMRYARDA
A DA
R R
Lorem ipsum
By Lorem Ipsumr, Lorem Ipsum
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer

adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo
ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum
sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis
parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus
mus. Donec quam felis, ultricies nec,
pellentesque eu, pretium quis, sem. Nulla
consequat massa quis enim. Donec pede
justo, fringilla vel, aliquet nec, v Lorem
ipsum commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean
massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et In the Moment
magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur
ridiculus mus. Donec quam felis, ultriciesBy Matt Willey, Art Director, The New York Times Magazine
nec, pellentesque eu, pretium quis, sem.
NullaThe photography
consequat massaworld
quis often
enim. feels
Donec dominated by a concentration on and pursuit of a sort of cold, deeply uninteresting technical
perfection.
pede It’s almost
justo, fringilla as if thenec,
vel, aliquet quality
v s. of the execution of the image alone is enough to justify it’s existence. It can appear mannered
and safe, a calculated approach that can dominate over anything that might be described as, for want of a better word, feeling.
+ www.loremipsfgei.com
Jack Davison seems able to sidestep a lot of that and get at something more immediate. Something more essential, visceral,
unfiltered and often very beautiful. Something that feels like a moment. He takes risks, tries things out, pushes, follows a hunch or
PHOTO © JACK DAVISON
an instinct. And despite (and because of) an obvious and abundant prerequisite technical ability, he is unafraid of the wonderful
uncertainty that comes from not being preoccupied with it. He’s uninhibited by the idea, both in terms of technique and in terms of
the history of photography, of what might be right or wrong, and is utterly concentrated on what interests him visually.
+ jackdavison.co.uk
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