Creating More Dramatic Christmas Model Photos with AI Pose Swap
Wiki Article
As a photographer specializing in model photography with over 100+ commercial photoshoots under my belt, I have learned what separates good photos from great selling photos. Lighting and composition are important aspects of photographing models, but the most important factor is the pose. The pose is how a model carries themselves in a photograph, how the model uses gestures to create drama within the image, and how the model's body language conveys emotion. Now that it is the holiday season (Christmas), clients do not just want their commercial photos to be good, they want their commercial photographs to be dramatic and memorable.
The biggest challenge I face as a model photographer is the inconsistency of poses that I find while shooting models. Not even the most experienced or professional model can repeat the same pose twice. For example, when I explain to a model how I want them to stand for the photo (hands on hips with a slight tilt of the head looking directly at the camera), the model is able to accomplish the pose on the first attempt. After I take the photograph, the model has to change clothes and I ask the model to repeat the pose from the first outfit. The result is that the two poses are similar but they are not identical. The angle of the model's hands (a few degrees different), the angle of the model's head is different from when the photograph was taken.
The inconsistency in Models stance poses can create a bigger problem for Catalogs and Lookbook publications that require visual consistency throughout. Clients want to see each model in the same pose for all outfits, which allows buyers to focus on the outfits being promoted rather than being distracted by variations in poses.
Conventional methods for achieving a constant pose require the photographer to continue to shoot until a pose is found that matches the original pose for each outfit, which takes up to several hours of shooting time and depletes the model's energy.
A model's energy level is diminished after three hours of shooting; therefore, dramatic poses require a large amount of energy and control over their muscles to produce the desired outcome. The first Hour of Shot results may be as powerful as expected, however, by the third hour the results may be flat and uninspired, due to the fatigue of the model. The same holds true for an Outfit that is photographed in the Third Hour as it should be treated as equally important as that of an Outfit that is photographed in the First Hour of a shoot. It is necessary to produce consistently dramatic results without relying on the physical state of the model to be able to produce the same.
VISBOOM: AI Solution for Dramatic Pose Consistency
About three months ago, a fellow photographer introduced me to VISBOOM, which is an AI photo-editing cloud application. VISBOOM has a Pose Swap feature. When I heard about it, I was skeptical; how would an artificial intelligence be able to replace the artistic vision or instint of a photographer when it comes down to directing models on how to pose? Once I tested it directly on a client's Christmas campaign project, I became a believer.
The Pose Swap feature is a great addition for a photographer's workflow. I try to focus on getting one to two great "dramatic" poses at the start of a photo shoot. For the first 30 minutes of a photo shoot, I will spend time directing the model and posing him or her from multiple angles and expressing emotions through facial expressions and body language. I will then use these as the main poses for the campaign ad. These main poses are sometimes known as "hero shots."
Once I have the hero shots, I use them as the basis to photograph the remainder of the model's outfits. Since I capture the main poses with good lighting and no distractions, I will capture the remainder of the model's outfits in less dramatic and more relaxed poses. By doing so, I do not have to tire the model out by forcing him/her to do the same dramatic pose a number of times. I also keep the flow of the photo session moving smoothly by using all of the outfits combined with good lighting and lack of distractions. This helps to ensure that all clothing styles are photographed in an acceptable way for the customer.
In post-production, I use VISBOOM to swap all outfit photos to the dramatic master pose from earlier. The results are extraordinary, all outfits are displayed with identical, dramatic, and powerful poses. Perfect visual consistency without torturing the model with exhausting pose repetition.
Real Results: Efficiency and Quality Increased
Using my workflow, I improved a lot. My shooting time decreased by 40% compared to how I did things previously. Instead of six-hour shoots, now I can complete those same shoots in four hours. As far as the models go, they look much fresher since they aren’t repeating poses over and over again. That means the photos are more natural looking, their expressions are more authentic, and overall image quality is improved.
My clients are happy because I deliver results consistently. The look book for the Christmas campaign I created has an extremely strong visual identity, every outfit is photographed with the same signature pose providing for a very strong cohesive brand identity. This year’s campaign has a 35% higher conversion rate than last year’s campaign when using a more traditional approach.
From a business perspective, being able to work more efficiently with time allows me to take on additional projects. In the past, I could realistically only manage a maximum of two big projects per week because each session took me quite a while. Now I’m able to comfortably take on three to four projects at the same or even higher level of quality.
Strategy to Maximize Pose Swap for Christmas Campaigns
To maximize the pose swap feature in Christmas campaigns, here's the strategy I apply:
Master Pose in First 30-45 Min. In the first 30-45 minutes of the shooting session we will create 3-5 master poses that are appropriate for your model. This will include creating some dramatic, elegant, playful and powerful master poses. This will serve as the foundation for all of the outfits we will photograph today.
Taking Outfits in Comfortable Manners. Once we complete the master poses we will take individual images of your model in the outfits. At this stage we can take images at optimal lighting and angles, but no pressure to create a perfect pose. These images will be used as potential replacements for the master poses later.
By Using Time to Create Master Poses We have an opportunity to establish a "First Impression." After creating your Master Poses I will match up outfits to the appropriate master pose for their character or "feel." If you're wearing an Elegant outfit then you will receive an Elegant Master Pose. If you are wearing an Edgy outfit then you will receive a Powerful Master Pose. This makes for a highly impactful and harmonious result.
Although VISBOOM uses an AI data set to accurately produce realistic results, it still requires a photographer with a trained eye for quality control to maintain a natural, realistic look when creating Master Poses. The VISBOOM AI is advanced enough to produce high-quality results, however.
For model photographers serious about developing an efficient and consistent workflow, VISBOOM's pose swap feature represents a significant advancement in modern photography. The monthly subscription price of 350,000 IDR is a very small investment in comparison to the time and quality of work created, and therefore increased quality and client satisfaction, produced through this app. For any high-end Christmas Marketing or Commercial Photography project VISBOOM is an essential piece of equipment in the toolkit of any professional photographer.