Photographing a tall person

[arkady n.]

Hello all

I would like to get some ideas, and perhaps some examples, on how to photograph a tall person in such a way as to show (and emphasize) his above-average height. This includes where to place him in a frame, cropping, POV, camera movements, etc.

I have 135mm and 202mm lenses.

Looking forward to your responses and hopefully some photos.

Thank you in advance

[BrianShaw]

Standing next to something of known height, perhaps.

[vijayn]

Like a height scale... do you want frontal and profile views too? (Sorry, couldn't resist after Brian's post).

[Bob Salomon]

Stop and Shop super markets used to have me photograph a fellow who was close to 8' tall who dressed in a robe and crown and would roam the aisles at store openings.

We always would shoot him standing next to a shelf display and a woman with a shopping cart.

Because he was so tall we would shoot at our normal eye level so as not to exagerate his height so the difference in height between him, the customer and the shelving was very apparent.

[Bob Salomon]

Oh yes, lens choice.

Whichever lens allowed me to have him fill the frame from his shoes to the top of the crown. That varied with the scene.

[Michael Graves]

Use a shorter lens than normal...for example a 240 on an 8x10. But make sure it has coverage for some lensboard rise. Position the camera with the lens at knee level to the subject (while standing, of course). Use the rising front to keep perspective in play. They will appear anatomically correct (subjectively speaking, of course) but also appear to "loom" in the image. As others have already pointed out, another object or person as a point of reference helps immensely. Put my wife next to them and ANYONE would look taller.

[Ole Tjugen]

Look closely next time a basketball player is interviewed on TV. Most of the time the cameraman holds the camera lens close to eye level; unless the cameraman is unusually tall the basketballplayer will loom sufficiently to see that he's very tall!

I've learned this the hard way - I'm tall enough that I have to bend my knees to make "normal height" people look "normal". That was a problem when I shot fashion models for a (part-time) living - they have absolutely no wish to look short!

[Bob Bell]

A trick with use for sports photos is to shoot at knee level so they look bigger than life. Also, if shooting outside putting the horizon at their feet will give a way bigger than life effect.

I usually do this with a 28-70/2.8 or 70-200/2.8 in 35mm land so I guess either of your lenses could do the trick.

[Don Hutton]

Use the 135mm with front fall and angle the camera up - he'll look like a giant (except his head of course, which will look like it came of an ant)...

[steve simmons]

If you want to treat the person with dignity keep the camera level and use front rise. Use whatever lens will get the head and feet in as Bob suggested. And, as has been suggested, use something of a known or relatively known height in the photo as a reference.

steve simmons

[Paul Metcalf]

Serious photos only? If not, what about sitting in a very small car with a sun roof and his head sticking out the top? Laying down on side with 5 (ten?) people standing behind in a line to show his "length." Maybe a full toe to head shot of someone small standing next to him and only showing his lower half (from chest down if that's the case). Standing under a basketball hoop and net reaching up and holding the net (flat footed). At the local airport, the entrance to the parking garage is only 6' 6" (if I recall correctly), so standing under a low clearance sign with his head at angle to fit. If he really wants to show off his height, I think you can take liberty in staging the pictures to add some character.

[Robert Hughes]

Just pull that ol' forced perspective trick, like the Gandalf/Frodo scenes in "Lord of the Rings"...

[C. D. Keth]

How subtle or overt do you want to be? You can always shoot someone from the neck or so for a subtle effect. On the opposite side, you could put the camera right on the floor with a 58 as close as you can get and still frome him head-to-toe.

Maybe use a normal lens rather than something long and get slightly lower than eye level. That will have an effect but won't be too overt.

[Colin Robertson]

Seems like lots of us immediately think of going low and shooting up, as if our tall person was some kind of monument. Now, I haven't tried this but why not go the other way? Get the camera up a ladder to tall-guys head level. Show the rest of the world HIS perspective. You know, "from up here the people look like ants"? Something that would look new to us short arses.
For maximum emphasis use as wide a lens as you've got to make Tall-guys head loom in the shot, and his feet look miles-away-down-there.

[Stephan.in.Belgium]

Cut their knees off, the tall buggers.

[scrichton]

my girlfriend gets called tiny gayle so place him next to her. Even I look like a giant next to her. Either that or another good location would be in a tree nursery with a very wide angle lens to give the trees a mature appearance when looking up from below.

[Gordon Moat]

Your 135mm should work well, allowing you to get closer to your subject. Then set-up lower than waist level, and adjust the rise on the front standard to get all your subject in the frame.

If you angle the entire camera, or tilt the rear standard, you can slightly alter the appearance of your subject. This would be easier with a wider lens (shorter focal length), for example:

http://www.bigtimeoperator.com/Jazz2005/E800_WL_TGIF2005-09.jpg

This was done with a 20mm on a 35mm camera. The camera position was lower than waist level, with the camera tilted upwards to capture the entire subject. Due to the much closer camera to subject distance that this 20mm allows, the effect is more distorted than with a longer lens. A 75mm on a 4x5 could be used to a similar effect.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio (http://www.allgstudio.com)