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Sarah... a plus sized beauty! (With a few shared tips)

heatherfeatherheatherfeather Registered Users Posts: 2,738 Major grins
edited January 3, 2012 in People
Hi everyone!

I had a fun challenge yesterday. I have a friend that is a classic beauty in every sense... but the challenge was that she is easily 100lbs overweight. And she has all the baggage that goes with being overweight but most especially, she was feeling unlovely, unconfident and undesirable. My goal: To make her see how beautiful she really is, as she is. It really helped that she was willing to step out of the cookie cutter photos that most people want and took a risk to go for the dramatic. I am not saying that I am the master at shooting heavier people... that is for sure. But I have had some successes using some tricks I have worked out over the years.


We started indoors.

1. My goal: to get the essence of a classic painting through lighting and simplistic posing. Tricks I used: Soft light from quite a bit above her. Pose was crucial: She was faced about 11 o clock, and then I had her turn her head sharply and tip the top of her head toward me. (They always want to tip the top of their heads away... don't let them. It will make that double chin just scream for attention.) The point of the light and the pose was to hide her under chin area and define the jawline. Also, I shot this from quite a bit above her. I won't say I didn't help her along with a tiny bit of photoshop. But the meat of the photo was there and I have no issues with a 1 minute photoshop fix.
Sarah-Burdan-1235-Edit-XL.jpg

2. Here is another pose we did. I would have used a rim light for any other model, but for her, we were trying to minimize her bulk, and focus on the pretty places. Not sure if that was the correct thing to do, but it worked out because she loves this shot. I did some skin work and burning, but other than that, this is pretty much as you see. No warping or liquifying at all. Its all in the pose and light. Lighting was from above, top of head is tipped toward the camera, 1/4 turn and there you have it.
Sarah-Burdan-1204-Edit-XL.jpg

By now, some of you are probably saying that she doesn't look that heavy from these photos. Well..... here is a link to show you what we were working with. She has some real raw beauty, but it must be found.

3. For the next bit, we used the "hide under a big piece of fabric technique". (Yes, I did make up that inspiring technique name myself.) It worked really well to have the light colored fabric to blend in with the snowy background and again, minimize her bulk. The viewer can really pretend that the bit of her body you see is all there is of her.
Sarah-Burdan-1300-XL.jpg

4. For this one we used the "stretch it out" technique. One of the most important things for this shot was that I made sure that her armpit was covered and her neck stretched out and poked forward a bit. She has some good lines at her waist when her arm is raised. This is her favorite photo in the set.
Post work: I cleaned up some wrinkles at her shoulder and neck and lightly burned under her chin to give it just that much more definition.

Sarah-Burdan-1342-Edit-XL.jpg

5. That fabric helped so much to give these a bit of drama.
Sarah-Burdan-1344-Edit-L.jpg

6. Hide behind a tree. It also must be said that showing a lot of skin on a larger person is pretty tricky. That fabric covering the upper arms is a must. Show the good parts, hide the flaws and let that fabric drape.
Sarah-Burdan-1415-Edit-XL.jpg


Hope you all enjoyed these! She is truly a beautiful person, all the way through!

C + C = me +:D
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    bobpalbobpal Registered Users Posts: 47 Big grins
    edited December 17, 2011
    You did a wonderful job with this shoot. Thanks for sharing all these great ideas. She is lucky to have had you photograph her.
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    IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited December 17, 2011
    These are great. I agree wholeheartedly with her about #4. An absolute winner. I also like #5 a lot. #2 though . . . just looks weird to me. I keep looking back at it, and it strikes me as it did at first glance. It's like she only has one breast. I think it's the neckline in the "decolletage" area. It just doesn't look right to me. A crop just at the bottom of "Ambience" all but eliminates my issue.
    John :
    Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
    D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
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    heatherfeatherheatherfeather Registered Users Posts: 2,738 Major grins
    edited December 17, 2011
    John! That cracks me up! I can totally see what you mean. I suppose it is like one of those puzzles where you look at it one way and see a vase, and the other way you see two profiles.
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    BradfordBennBradfordBenn Registered Users Posts: 2,506 Major grins
    edited December 17, 2011
    Nicely done and well described. Lots of good tips in there. Thanks for sharing and the pictures are very flattering and if you hadn't said anything I am not sure I would have known you were doing some of these tricks.
    -=Bradford

    Pictures | Website | Blog | Twitter | Contact
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    Bryce WilsonBryce Wilson Registered Users Posts: 1,586 Major grins
    edited December 17, 2011
    Four is the absolute winner for me also. The others are nice too, but four just stands out soooo much.

    Thanks for taking the time to detail your tips and SOP on this shoot. It was a great read and valuable for future endeavors.

    This gal's hair is quite striking. I think I may have really liked number five if more of her hair was revealed around her head/face and then framed by the cloth.

    Nice stuff, I bet her self esteem has been strengthened quite a bit because of your work.
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    heatherfeatherheatherfeather Registered Users Posts: 2,738 Major grins
    edited December 17, 2011
    How about like this Bryce? I have a closeup too, but I had stopped it down a bit, so it isn't quite as striking.
    Sarah-Burdan-1355-XL.jpg

    As to her self esteem, this is what she wrote to me on Facebook:
    Heather - I just wanted to say thank you. I felt so beautiful today and was just in shock and really amazed at the pictures. Thank you thank you Thank You for a amazing gift of beauty. I can't express how excited and well giddy I felt knowing I looked pretty.
    It worked! :)
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    HackboneHackbone Registered Users Posts: 4,027 Major grins
    edited December 17, 2011
    Nice work, #2 will go into my I want to do file. Thanks.
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    AgnieszkaAgnieszka Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 3,263 Major grins
    edited December 18, 2011
    Gotta say girl! You outdid yourself with this set! It's hard enough to shoot in the snow (with SO much white), I am sure it wasn't very warm either ... and shooting a larger lady is always a challenge. You didn't try to hide her flaws in post processing, but attacked them on the spot. Respect! I think you did an amazing job ... I would have never thought she was as large as she actually was!

    Having said this (I love all the photos), I am not a big fan of #2 either ... I LOVE the light, and her face, but her chest ... I just don't get it. The fabric seems to be falling in a "weird" way .... hmmmm ....

    And I also have to say, I am usually not a big fan of red. I totally get that the color is supposed to be sexy and she definitely stands out of the background (!). You got the skin tones right too, BUT because of the saturated color you lose detail in the fabric (#4) + I don't like how red looks like in b&w (doesn't it somehow look dirty?). *I* always stay away from it. Especially from a bright red like this ...

    What am I "complaining" about though?? :o) The set is amazing, so is your friend. I am not surprised you made her feel fabulous about herself (again), there is beauty in every one of us! It's just about how we feel about ourselves - something I learned after hundreds of boudoir shoots. I've had larger and thinner girls, and honestly the photos didn't automatically come out better just because their scale showed a smaller number, but it all depended on how comfortable they felt in their own skin. Some h&m love + a sweet friend with a camera definitely did the trick here!

    Wonderful set!
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    heatherfeatherheatherfeather Registered Users Posts: 2,738 Major grins
    edited December 18, 2011
    Oh you so caught it! The actual color of her dress is closer to 7, 4 & 3... I did a color change to the dress in 5 & 6 so that it would match the scarf that we had pulled out. You are such an eagle eye!
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    reyvee61reyvee61 Registered Users Posts: 1,877 Major grins
    edited December 18, 2011
    All I can say is thank you for this post.......beautiful woman and lovely portraits as well...
    Yo soy Reynaldo
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    D3SshooterD3Sshooter Registered Users Posts: 1,187 Major grins
    edited December 18, 2011
    Very nice, I like 1 and 2 especially. The others outdoor are not really my taste, but besides that they are great.
    The only thing that I find disturbing is your watermark, it spoils the pictures (sorry). But the most importend thing is that you made somebody happy with the way they are...
    A photographer without a style, is like a pub without beer
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    divamumdivamum Registered Users Posts: 9,021 Major grins
    edited December 18, 2011
    bowdown.gifbowdown.gifbowdown.gif Gorgeous. They stand on their own merits without the "backstory", and are a fabulous technical achievement when you explain the thought and expertise that made them. Great job. She is indeed gorgeous.

    Fwiw, I love, love, LOVE the red. Nothing to do with sexy or not, I just love the contrast against the white ... plus it's my favorite colour anyway :)

    Thanks for sharing, and for the breakdown on how you found the right angles to bring out her natural beauty. iloveyou.gif
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    anonymouscubananonymouscuban Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 4,586 Major grins
    edited December 18, 2011
    Heather. Love these. You really knocked these out of the park. I'm with most on #2. I like the idea and lighting, but something looks odd. Love the red and just makes me say WOW even more. Shooting that red with all the white snow is not an easy task.

    As they say on the interwebs... you shot these "like a boss".
    "I'm not yelling. I'm Cuban. That's how we talk."

    Moderator of the People and Go Figure forums

    My Smug Site
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    novicesnappernovicesnapper Registered Users Posts: 445 Major grins
    edited December 18, 2011
    I agree with Divamum. The red just blew me away, excellent choice and #5, "it's our secret", made me grin lol. You can tell you're friend, some of us like curves. You did a bangup job to me, and she is a lovely lovely gal.
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    Mike JMike J Registered Users Posts: 1,029 Major grins
    edited December 18, 2011
    Heather - all I can say is that you accomplished your goal and then some. What great posing! Learned a lot. These are all great but I'm partial to #4
    Mike J

    Comments and constructive criticism always welcome.
    www.mikejulianaphotography.com
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    IcebearIcebear Registered Users Posts: 4,015 Major grins
    edited December 19, 2011
    I suppose it is like one of those puzzles where you look at it one way and see a vase, and the other way you see two profiles.

    Well, I took your suggestion and tried turning my monitor upside down and SHE FELL OUT OF THE DRESS! I had to turn it right side up real quick before my wife came in and caught me. :whew
    John :
    Natural selection is responsible for every living thing that exists.
    D3s, D500, D5300, and way more glass than the wife knows about.
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    zoomerzoomer Registered Users Posts: 3,688 Major grins
    edited December 19, 2011
    I like the setup in 3 and she looks great in 4.
    Really nice work on these, she looks very pretty.
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    FoquesFoques Registered Users Posts: 1,951 Major grins
    edited December 19, 2011
    #5 ylsuper.gifsuper:smo

    those eyes!!! that contrast!
    Arseny - the too honest guy.
    My Site
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    CowboydougCowboydoug Registered Users Posts: 401 Major grins
    edited December 20, 2011
    #5,,, Soooo nice... I would love to see it cropped tighter... Just her and the vail... What a nice shoot...
    I'm a Kidnapper... I take terrible pictures of people, then hold them for ransom.

    Cowboydoug
    Certified Journeyman Commercial Photographer
    www.iWasThereToo.com
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    FoquesFoques Registered Users Posts: 1,951 Major grins
    edited December 20, 2011
    Heather, how long did the shoot take? How did you / model stay warm? I'd imagine she should have been pretty cold..

    more so, did you expect to use the fabric, and planned on it or was it her idea?
    Arseny - the too honest guy.
    My Site
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    heatherfeatherheatherfeather Registered Users Posts: 2,738 Major grins
    edited December 20, 2011
    Hi Foques,
    So it was a warm day here in Alaska. We have had the strangest winter... it has been above 40 several times and we have had a lot of rain. (So strange.) But the day of the shoot is was about 35. I tried to get her to do warm up sessions indoors, but she was having so much fun (after seeing a couple of chimped shots) she wanted to keep going for it without a warmup break. We shot outdoors for about 45 minutes or so. We have a lot more photos and poses from that set, but I didn't want to be redundant with my sharing. She was chilly, (especially since she was visiting from Texas, haha) but warmed up just fine. I think there was a chance that I was colder than she was with my full set of snow gear & boots on. Body fat is warm stuff.

    I never really know what my clients are going to bring for clothing.... and the burgundy dress was a bit of a surprise. After shooting a few pics outside without the cloth, I knew it wasn't working and was wishing for a cape or something to hide her a bit more. I didn't have a cape on hand, but I did have the old curtain valance panel that you see in the pics. So I ran in and got dug through my cupboards and found it. It worked really well.

    All in all, we worked at the session for about 1 1/2 hours, and that includes clothing changes and makeup touchups, clomping through the snow and everything.
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    FoquesFoques Registered Users Posts: 1,951 Major grins
    edited December 20, 2011
    great info! thank you! :) I love how open you are about stating facts... and I didn't have to dance around touchy and feely stuff. :D

    Curtain idea is fantastic. I doubt I would ever think of it, and boy would I miss out.

    very inspiring photos!
    Arseny - the too honest guy.
    My Site
    My Facebook
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    kdogkdog Administrators Posts: 11,681 moderator
    edited December 20, 2011
    Definitely inspiring work, and I too appreciate the shared wisdom here, Heather. I'm certain your tips will come in handy at some point. nod.gif

    That's a pretty tough lady to shoot outdoors like this, even in your heat wave of a whopping 35F. eek7.gif
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    KinkajouKinkajou Registered Users Posts: 1,240 Major grins
    edited December 21, 2011

    As they say on the interwebs... you shot these "like a boss".

    +1

    I am adding a vote to #5 as a favorite.

    Thank you so much for your tips along the way, too. Very educational!
    Webpage

    Spread the love! Go comment on something!
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    rbtrbt Registered Users Posts: 171 Major grins
    edited December 23, 2011
    Fantastic set - wish I had your talent. #5 is my favorite.
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    ChaoslillithChaoslillith Registered Users Posts: 126 Major grins
    edited December 24, 2011
    Beautiful set. Sort of the winter siren in the snow or a lady of high station out beguiling men feel to it. Very beautiful and I love her eyes in the close up. I would have to say 4,5 and 6 are my favorites. They tell great stories. Thanks for sharing!
    Photography teaches us to observe again. Me.
    I am in AZ and would love to meet others from Phoenix.
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    VayCayMomVayCayMom Registered Users Posts: 1,870 Major grins
    edited December 25, 2011
    THIS is why YOU my dear are an artist. Spectacular work, and then when I looked at just the lump of clay.. even more impressive, thank you for the tips, awesome post.
    Trudy
    www.CottageInk.smugmug.com

    NIKON D700
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    Ed911Ed911 Registered Users Posts: 1,306 Major grins
    edited December 26, 2011
    Very nicely done...so much so that she doesn't look anything like herself. It looks like you reshaped her face...protrait pro...or similar...just wondering. Pretty good work, if you did all that in Photoshop. Five is my favorite...I could easily see this in a magazine ad. I really like the composition and post processing. I too didn't like number two...the seems to be artifacts around her neck, in the area under her chin...but that could be my crummy laptop screen.

    Take a close look at five...do you see the shadow on the left side of her face...you might want to think about softening the shadow line next to her eye...just a suggestion. When you first look at five, the eyes capture you and you miss the shadow detail.

    Went back and looked at number one...very nicely done...also one of my favorites. Posing, lighting, and presentation...really a beautiful shot.

    Got to say...that you did one of the best jobs that I've seen hiding her plus size. Great use of the sheet.
    Remember, no one may want you to take pictures, but they all want to see them.
    Educate yourself like you'll live forever and live like you'll die tomorrow.

    Ed
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    heatherfeatherheatherfeather Registered Users Posts: 2,738 Major grins
    edited December 27, 2011
    Hi Ed, I did very minimal photoshop on these... They are pretty much straight out of LR, except for the PS mentioned in the post. (mostly skin work). I don't even have portrait pro, so it isn't that for sure.

    To illustrate:

    Deep processed:
    Sarah-Burdan-1342-Edit-L.jpg

    Another very similar frame right out of LR:
    Sarah-Burdan-1341-L.jpg

    A two minute run through photoshop removed shoulder wrinkles, and burned in shadows under her chin.
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    Moving PicturesMoving Pictures Registered Users Posts: 384 Major grins
    edited December 27, 2011
    The lesson from this, methinks, is that for portait/studio/setup work, cloth is king.
    Newspaper photogs specialize in drive-by shootings.
    Forum for Canadian shooters: www.canphoto.net
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