overweight brides ... Ok... just looking for tips and thoughts on a delicate subject

[Regalon]

I know this is a touchy subject but I have found it hard to find flattering angles on overweight brides. I tend to photograph them just like I would normally photograph a bride and If the bride is comfortable with herself she knows this is the way she looks and does not ask me to take a little off here or there... however I have had a few who are really concerned with the way they look and want me to do some major editing to take off things that are .... well part of who they are... I do so at a 100.00per hour rate but would prefer finding the right tips.... that might help me not have to do this... if any of you have photos or examples of ways you have posed or used natural light for overweight (overweight being 5'1 190 pounds and up) bride please feel free to comment and post images. Please note that I am not trying to be unsensitive here... just as to the point as possible.

Thanks in advance for all ya'lls wisdom. :)

[simon]

Why should this be a touchy subject? It's a fact of life there are a lot of overweight and even morbidly obese people out there --- no reason they shouldn't look their best in their wedding photos....

The only solid tips I know of (more generally than wedding shots) is to shoot from above, avoid the arms running alongside the body, and avoid straight-on poses.

I'm sure the many talented wedding photogs here have more detailed advice. I'm sure we've seen some good examples, too.

Personally, I find unless things like liquify are used very subtly, they always look bad, so I'd be careful with that, too --- sensible for you to wonder how much you can do in the camera.

[Regalon]

women and weight is always a touchy subject. Just trying to be senstive.

[simon]

Originally Posted by Regalon

women and weight is always a touchy subject. Just trying to be senstive.

Fair enough, I just didn't see how there could be anything insensitive about discussing this on technical grounds in the abstract.

[Regalon]

I agree... I think that we should be able to discuss all things to a point... however we should show respect to all who might be involved in the discussion thus the preface and care in using my words.

[brad]

Standard advice for shooting larger subjects.. its a challenge.. moreso when it is the bride AND groom.. I'd show you what I did, but I didn't do anything special for them.

[Michelle Allmon]

The only solid tips I know of (more generally than wedding shots) is to shoot from above, avoid the arms running alongside the body, and avoid straight-on poses.

yeah, and i haven't tried this but you know how the tabloids shoot famous girls at a higher angle with a wide lens to make them look anorexic? how 'bout trying that? if you can pull it off without making their face look weird, that is.

[HotHolly]

Hey - Personally the trick here is not to add 10 lbs (like many amateur photogs do - and media peeps) and keep posing in mind to get them to look their best. A woman can be a total stick or plum and "fluffy" as someone else in here said...but they are all feminine and like to see themselves look good. Here is a thread on that.

It has a lot of posing tips. Personally, if you take the time to pose, I think you can skip photoshop. If you think Im nuts, then you havent gotten the nack of this yet. My intern thought we were totally nuts when we 1st hired her - her camera always adds 15 lbs. Turns out she can do this too...

I can make a bride look about 2-3 sizes smaller just by lighting and posing. The thing is there are a ton fo varibles and you have to think a lot...Most photogs are under pressure for time, and being careful with posing gets tossed out the window. Dont do that!

Anyway, we have had several plus size people ask us to please photoshop them smaller. When their images came back, they thought they looked great - so they didnt ask.

[Regalon]

Do any of you have photos that you can send with examples... or post...?

[simon]

Originally Posted by Regalon

Do any of you have photos that you can send with examples... or post...?

HotHolly just linked to a good thread.

[HotHolly]

Yea, there are images on that thread...I also have a posing book I made for our interns. You want? It has photos...

[simon]

Originally Posted by HotHolly

Yea, there are images on that thread...I also have a posing book I made for our interns. You want? It has photos...

Heck, I'd like a look at that!

[LadyShutterBug]

my tips:
hold flowers as low as is humanly possible. this elongates the torso and arms. be careful not to have brides with thick arms and spilling boobs pressing their arms down too hard-- then you get that little flap of underarm skin that even the really thin girls hate-- but it's worse on the larger gals.

shoot from above.

shoot at an angle, with the bride turning her head to the side-- helps with facial pudge.

have bride cock her neck up and out with both hands behind her back, looking somewhat demure.

make sure bride is standing up straight!!!!! especially with taller girls, we've been slouching all our lives because we feel too big or tall. you have to remind us to extend to our full height during portrait sessions ;)


i shall post MY VERY OWN bridals to show you how my photographer worked the angles (and in some cases didn't work them so much) to make me look more appealing (i'm chubby and busty, but not morbidly obese. about 5'10" 230 pounds). to me, i look like two different people in these pics. some of them, where she shoots close crop head-on at eye level, i look much wider. when she shoots me from above, or has me turn and crane my neck, i don't look as chubby. in the one by the gate where my arms are back, the ballgown-ness shows and i look pleasingly curvier. there's even the one where you see my whole arm in the pic, but the way my veil is laying kind of slims the arm a bit.

as you can see, my problem areas are the heavy arms and bust, with the neck/chin/wide jawline as well.

i know people often wonder why fat busty girls choose strapless dresses. well, i'll tell you. dresses with sleeves and cap sleeves don't allow you to move once you've shoved all that fat into them. halter dresses make it look like you are dolly parton. i sincerely found the straight-across strapless gowns to be the most flattering on me.




here is me in normal life, no bridal gown or veil.

[Regalon]

I think my issue was that I did not want to go formal with her yet the style of dress and size of the bride (5'2 220) made it difficult and almost demaned me shooting a certain way.... ahhh well it is always good to be learning. I think some turned out ok... I just should have been more prepared on the front end thinking about the issue it would have been.

[Regalon]

And thankyou for your candor.