Mastering Arms for the Perfect Photograph

Adding to your many charms,

You possess two lovely arms.

They must be properly used,

So their worth is not abused;

For assets of utility

Can prove a liability.

Whenever you are engaged in modeling photography... come armed with a working knowledge of what you can do with your arms!

Physically, arms . . .

... support the body in whole or in part,

... support an object,

... touch an object supported by other means ... may be concealed to give prominence

to other parts of the body ... balance the body.

Artistically, arms . . .

... express emotion,

... add design or balance to the composition,

... direct attention where desired ... add interest or story to the picture ... add character to the model.

Remember, also, that a pre-requisite of appropriate arm movement for the camera is a general knowledge of how the lens appraises arms. In order to appreciate its viewpoint - go to your mirror. Put your face ten inches away from the glass. Hold each hand up beside your face, palms toward the glass, thumbs touching the lobe of each ear. Compare the length of your hands, from the wrist to finger tips, with the length of your face, from the bottom of your chin up to your hairline. They are approximately the same size.

Now, move your right hand about five inches toward the mirror and your left hand about five inches away. Close one eye and compare the difference in the apparent size of your hands. With but few inches difference, the hand that moved toward the mirror will appear much larger than your face, while the hand that moved away will appear much smaller. The hands, in comparison to each other, will show even a greater difference.

The camera sees things in relatively the same manner. Movement to or away from the camera can play havoc with your proportions, or if you know how to use it, can help you. Your natural question then is, 'what can I do when I can't actually see myself, and I don't know just how far I can move without distortion?' The answer is easy. First, listen to your director and think before you respond. Secondly, when you are expected to suggest poses yourself, mentally set your boundaries and keep parts from straying to or away from the camera. Feel yourself sandwiched between two parallel panes of glass. These imaginary panes of glass will enable you to move your arms sideways as your body faces the camera, or forward and back as your body is in a side view.

To establish an indelible awareness that will serve you well in all your modeling photography, take the time to make your own cardboard and pin model of an arm. The arm will consist of three parts; the upper arm, the forearm and the hand. Start manipulating the elbow first, then the wrist. Reproduce the arrangements you have originated before your mirror.

Suggesting poses . . .

with ease and assurance, before the camera, results from concentrated observation and actual practice. Observation can be started by clipping forty to fifty full length pictures from magazines and spreading them before you on a large table. Sort into two stacks.

1) Continued-line arms (straight and flowing) lines

2) Broken-line arms (acute, obtuse and right angles)

Where the arms are in different positions, cut the figure in half so that you can put each arm in its correct pile. While you are sorting them notice ...

... how long the arms look in the continued-line pile,

... the masculine look of those at right angles, ... the graceful obtuse-angled arms,

... how every forearm reaching toward the camera is foreshortened,

... the position of the elbow in relation to the waistline,

... how the arm becomes shorter when the forearm meets the upper arm at a very acute angle,

... the expressive qualities of the arms in each pose,

... the different patterns of the traps formed by the arms in relation to each other and the body;

triangles, rectangles, squares, trapezoids, etc.

Whenever you are involved in modeling photography, become aware of your arms and you will be a better model.

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