POSING In photography the posing of the figure has to be considered from a different standpoint from what would be suitable in painting, on account of the exaggeration of perspective in short-focus lenses. Care should be taken so to pose a figure that the whole arrangement of figure and dress is as much in the same plane as possible. With sitting figures, the chair should be placed slightly turned to one side, so that the legs and feet do not unduly extend into the foreground. The arms and elbows should rarely be allowed to rest on both arms of the chair, but ease of pose is often obtained by resting on one arm—the one farther from the camera ; in photographing ladies, it is in most cases better to avoid the use of chairs with arms, as a much more graceful pose can be obtained by allowing the dress to fall over the side of the chair. The standing figure allows of much variety of pose, in which the hands play a very important part, but great care must be taken to see that they are so arranged as not to appear awkward. If the body is turned so as to present a side view to the camera, one foot—preferably that farther from the camera—should be advanced in front of the other. Should one arm hang down at the side towards the camera, it should be slightly bent. The hand should be in such a position that the breadth of the back of the hand does not show, but turned so as to show its side and therefore narrowest view ; the fingers should be arranged so that the index finger forms a continuation of the chief line.
When the profile is pretty, the head may assume a looking-down position, but such poses need careful arrangement, and there should be an obvious reason for the position. In such a position, and should a book be held, avoid any parallel position of the two arms ; this is easily done by holding a top corner of the book with one hand and with the other the diagonal corner. Sunshades, fur boas, and ribbons, all provide useful accessories for obtaining graceful poses by giving opportunities for the arms to be raised in many different positions, always remembering to avoid straight lines and sharp angles which are particularly undesirable.
For head and shoulder pictures, the model may sit on a chair having a small and somewhat high seat. Allow the figure to lean slightly forward away from the back of the chair, as this avoids any appearance of rigidity. The head turned in a slightly different position from the direction of the body gives a suggestion of alert ness.