When it comes to photographing human who want to feel spectacular it can be incredibly overwhelming to try and do so many different things. In the 5 years that I have had the privilege of making humans feel phenomenal, I have honed in on 5 different looks/experiences that really make my clients swoon and I am going to share those with you in a 5 Part Series. In each post, I will feature my favorite “location/look” etc. and then go through 5 of my favorite poses to do with said location/look to give you all the inspo you need for your next session! Today’s is……..YOU GUESSED IT BY THE COVER PHOTO - WHITE SHEETS.
WHITE SHEET SESSIONS
I know, I know, the White Sheet sessions sounds kind of obvious, but have you ever truly experienced rolling around nekid in some cool, crisp white sheets?? (If not, I highly recommend giving it a go). There’s a reason why the White Sheet Sessions are considered a classic! These sessions are great regardless of your preferred shooting style. Whether you shoot in a dark and moody way or have a more light and airy feel, the White Sheet Session will definitely make your client swoon!
The Marilyn - Have your client lay in the fetal position and then arch the small of their back. Hop up on your step ladder and shoot down, having them rest their shoulders back onto the bed to look up at you. They can look cheeky, sexy, sensual, or dreamy! I then transition from this pose to lying on their side. I have my client shift their shoulders to face me with their top knee bent to lift the booty up a wee. The top arm can come down to hold the sheet around the chest or to hide the bits to imply nudity. This starting position allows you to then have your client roll around to get a multitude of different images.
Hidden Gems- I love this pose to give some allure and mystery to the image as though the viewer is waking up next to the subject. Shoot with a wide open aperture (I usually do 2.8 or lower!) to soften the depth of field to make the image more intimate, especially if you put some of the sheet in the foreground. You can have your client show a variety of different facial expressions that match their mood: saucy, come hither, giggly, soft, etc.
Touch ya self - If you’ve done a shoot with me or watched any of my videos, the touching of the body is one of the most integral parts to an experience with me. To me, touching the body allows the client to reconnect with their skin, their softness, their external gift wrapping if you will which helps to foster a better relationship for self acceptance. For this, I start with the client lying on their back (diagonal on the bed for the way the light falls in my studio) and to give them the most space (I use a double bed). I ask them to stretch their arms overhead to give their lower back a nice little break to start and then advise them to move their hands down, feeling their hair, their face, their chin, their neck, their chest and making sure to spend a wee bit of extra time on the tum (it tends to get neglected). During this process, I shoot continuously to provide a variety of photos that my client will love. Sometimes you get giggles, a sensual look, a softness, a sexiness, depending on what they came to you to experience! It is in the movement that you will see how the image looks more “like them” than just a static pose.
Booty Up - Oh my lanta. This is also known as the back breaker, but it is one of my favorite poses to do when clients want to venture towards the sexual side of things. Butts are one part of our body we never TRULY get to see, so when we get to see it….like this, it can shock the hell out of us. At my Vegas workshop, I photographed all the attendees and showed them the “epic ass shot” - because everyone needs at least one good shot of their booty! For the pose, I will usually position people on their knees at the headboard facing the end of the bed. I will guide them to rest their shins and feet up on the headboard and imagine pushing their butt back as hard as the can. If there is no headboard I will ask for permission to let me help them keep their hips in place. While they do that, I gently encourage them to arch in their lower back, dropping their chest and head onto the bed and to grab onto the sheets with their hands out in front to create tension. This pose will give you great butt shots, but ALSO amazing face shots AND I think it makes the client feel a little saucy while doing it. Also, the dismount is so delightful because it hurts like a b*. DISCLAIMER: make sure your client wants sexy photos first AND that they don’t have a back, knee or shoulder injury before continuing this pose.
On The Knees - This pose can go from soft and sweet to sexy and spicy real quick. For this pose, I will usually put my clients in the middle of the bed and advise them to sit on their heels with their feet together, knees shoulder width apart. Now, to avoid a vajazzle shot, I simply arrange the sheets in front of the client to give them the freedom to show as much or as little as they desire. If your client wants to show their hoo-ha and you are totally down with that, then take it up a notch and ditch the sheet! For this pose, I will start by posing them in a structured safe way holding the sheet to cover the bits they desire and walking around to create a few different images to tell the story. Once we are done that bit, then it’s time to let loose and once again get the touch on. For this pose, I tell my clients to just shift their weight from hip to hip and move their hands around their body, their face, and flip their hair. My trademark saying of “You’ll never see the ‘bad' ones” usually comes out here, to give them a bit more freedom to let loose and get in touch with themselves!
With each of these poses, you can probably yield approximately 10-15 usable images to create an entire gallery. Get creative with your lighting to make it feel like a warm, sunny afternoon or a cool, moody evening. While white sheets are the most “classic” I would say, I also use a variety of different colors depending on what my client’s vibe is. Personally I opt for white, teal, or gold satin but play around with different ones to suit you, the vibe of your studio and your clients! When it comes to a “sheet” session, the beautiful thing is you don’t even need to worry about wardrobe - it usually looks best when naked to be honest!
