Posing
The teacher knows the poses. The photographer's job is angle, timing and telling them what is not reading in two dimensions.
In short: The teacher knows the poses. The photographer's job is angle, timing and telling them what is not reading in two dimensions.
Almost every standing pose reads best side-on.
Level with the centre of the shape, not above it.
Frames from the second hold are always better than the first — muscles settle.
Fingers extended, eyes where they belong in the pose. Unfinished hands ruin an otherwise clean line.
The moment between two poses is more interesting than either.
For the about page: the teacher, not the practice.
Shooting from standing height down at a floor pose, which flattens everything. And asking for advanced poses cold — the injury risk is real and it shows in the face.
Shooting down at floor poses. Using a busy studio wall covered in certificates. And photographing at the end of a class, when the teacher is too tired to hold anything cleanly.
Begin with profile to camera, then move into camera at hip height once everyone is comfortable. Finish with seated close portrait, when expressions and movement are usually least self-conscious. The sequence matters more than copying a fixed shape: each pose should give the subject a simple action.
The 6 setups in this guide are enough for a varied gallery. Each setup can produce a full-length frame, a three-quarter portrait and a close detail without changing the idea. It is better to develop a few useful setups than rush through a long list that never settles.
Give the hands a job: adjust a cuff, hold fabric lightly, touch another person, carry a prop or let one arm move during a walk. Keep fingers relaxed and avoid pressing a palm flat against the body. Mariya directs these small changes during the session, so there is nothing to memorise.
Shooting from standing height down at a floor pose, which flattens everything. And asking for advanced poses cold — the injury risk is real and it shows in the face. The practical test is whether the position can breathe and move. If it only works while held rigidly, it will normally look arranged rather than observed.