The position of the hands greatly influences, more than you can imagine, the quality of the portraits. It is surprising, but when we work with an inexperienced model, there is often a confusion of “What do I do with my hands? Where do I put them? Something as simple and obvious as hands can spoil the whole portrait, no matter how pretty or handsome our subject is.
And it is that many times we do not realize it until the end of the session, or when we are already reviewing the photos on the computer and it is already late Ahhhh, what a frustration!
But wait, it can be even worse: sometimes we are not satisfied with the portrait and we don’t even know why. We know that something is wrong but we are not aware that it is the hands.
In today’s article I bring you some brief but very effective tips so that you don’t fall into this common mistake, that of underestimating the power of your subject’s two hands.
Tips for photographing portraits with hands correctly
The best way to get a proper and correct hand posture is to assign some mission or objective to the hands within the photo. They cannot appear in the photo like that for no reason, they have to fulfill some purpose, convey a message, draw attention to something, etc. They can hold a glass, lean against the subject’s face, draw the viewer’s attention to something in the composition, or extend parallel to the body to reflect tranquility and peace. The point is that they have to contribute something. You know, what doesn’t add up subtracts. So make sure that the subject’s hands reinforce some idea.
Before each shot, look at the position of the hands. Ask the subject to keep their hands loose, relaxed, and with their fingers slightly apart. To a bad one if the subject is a little nervous and is not able to relax their hands (which is normal) try to compose photos in which their hands do not appear at all. This trick can be useful at the beginning of the session, then your subject will relax little by little and you will be able to include your hands within the frame calmly.
There are times when it is best to keep our model’s hands busy. Have him hold an object, an orange for example, a folder or book, a glass with a drink… Oh, and very important, make it look natural please.
Try not to point your fingers directly at the camera lens, unless you want it that way on purpose (as in the photo). If you are going to photograph a man’s hands, ask him to close his fist slightly, this will give the hand greater roundness and three-dimensionality. In the case of female portraits, it is advisable that the fist is less closed.
When a person crosses their arms for a photographic pose, it is important that they do not clasp their arms too tightly against their chest, as this will make it appear as if they are cold and looking for warmth. On the other hand, you should very slightly separate your crossed arms from your chest (without being too noticeable) because otherwise very tight arms may seem fatter than normal.
Important rule: If you are going to include the hand in a portrait, make it appear whole. Do not let only part of the hand come out. Either we include it in its entirety or better leave it hidden.
Paying attention to these details is essential for successful portrait photography. At first it will be difficult for you to notice, but over time you will gain practice and you will learn to detect, almost instinctively, those incorrect postures for the hands.
I hope you have enjoyed this reading.