awkward limb angles in fashion photography

I wonder where it all started, that models pose with their feet "pigeon toed"? I see it all the time, and while I realize that there is nothing "natural" about most fashion poses, this is the thing that baffles me when I see it translated into wedding and portraiture poses as well. I honestly don't get it, nor do I understand the appeal of those poses that look like the girl is sitting on the toilet. Awkward....so why do I care to mention it, right? Just thinking out loud today, I suppose.

suecassidy wrote in post #12169898
I wonder where it all started, that models pose with their feet "pigeon toed"? I see it all the time, and while I realize that there is nothing "natural" about most fashion poses, this is the thing that baffles me when I see it translated into wedding and portraiture poses as well. I honestly don't get it, nor do I understand the appeal of those poses that look like the girl is sitting on the toilet. Awkward....so why do I care to mention it, right? Just thinking out loud today, I suppose.

It's been around a bit longer than most trendy poses. I've asked that same question of my 24-year-old daughter, who has been enamoured of it for about seven or eight years. She swears it's "natural," but funny there weren't any women or girls sitting and standing like that when I was in school.

I'm 23 and it is a horrible, horrible trend in my eyes. Girls think it's cute, like jumping in a photo.

It's not. It's awful. Two trends that need to have fire set to them.

http://fashionindie.co​m …et-you-into-vogue-part-1/

Why is the software inserting asterisks for the number two? *4 or *3 or 45 or 1* or 4*?

mikekelley wrote in post #12179441
I'm 23 and it is a horrible, horrible trend in my eyes. Girls think it's cute, like jumping in a photo.

It's not. It's awful. Two trends that need to have fire set to them.

where do i subscribe to your news letter

you've come to the right place my friend

mikekelley wrote in post #12179441
I'm 23 and it is a horrible, horrible trend in my eyes. Girls think it's cute, like jumping in a photo.

It's not. It's awful. Two trends that need to have fire set to them.

I like this comment!

Part of it is simply to slow down the page turn. If you can stop it, even for 1 second, you have done your job extremely well. The subconscious brain will see something wrong and want to see what it is. Then the concious brain sees what is on the page and you get a "brand impression". Its all part of the psycology of selling. I have no doubt that someone has spent millions of dollars and found out awkward poses catch more attention.... now it is just the "norm" and we dont even really question it anymore.

Mark1 wrote in post #12231061
Part of it is simply to slow down the page turn. If you can stop it, even for 1 second, you have done your job extremely well. The subconscious brain will see something wrong and want to see what it is. Then the concious brain sees what is on the page and you get a "brand impression". Its all part of the psycology of selling. I have no doubt that someone has spent millions of dollars and found out awkward poses catch more attention.... now it is just the "norm" and we dont even really question it anymore.

So if everyone is doing the crazy contorted unnatural poses a normal pose is the one that will stop the page turning

I think it comes with the mentality that a lot of fashion photographers have..."on a female, if you can bend it then bend it!"

Whenever I have done a fashion shoot with a female, I too have had them go into crazy poses. Why? Because its much more interesting than having a model in nice clothes staring at you blankly...though I have gotten some great shots like that. The thing to remember though is that its a fashion shot. It's not about the model or the photographer's skills. Its about the clothes and accessories. I think a fashion pic stops being fashion when I stop noticing how nice the clothes look and start focusing more on the model.

I'm just going to agree with Mark1 and say that its eye catching. A model in a crazy pose may make a person stop and analyze the photos for a few seconds longer instead of just flipping past it.

That's also a portrait philosophy. Portrait photographers just make the bends in natural directions.

I think the directions given to a model on a fashion shoot is "can you hyper extend that any more?"

I agree that they should not be a manikin but dont think the pose should be the focusing point.

I'll take awkward limbs any day, I just got a request to help someone's portfolio and several of the poses she wants specifically includes the Jersey Shore lip pucker.

i think i know what u are talking about. some look like zombie or scarecrow poses to me