A WORD UPON POSING.
By CHARLES STILLMAN TAYLOR.

HERE are many photographers of skill who stoutly affirm that the art of posing cannot very well be taught; that this very desirable facility is not to be acquired, either with the aid of personal instruction or through the medium of printed text. That this viewpoint is altogether wrong, a little knowledge of the subject will quickly prove and as quickly banish the glamor of mystery which many amateurs associate with the skillful posing of the human figure. Despite the opinions of many able camera workers, who declare that posing is a matter of inborn good taste, or a gift, I shall endeavor to point out, that the pose is really nothing more than a method of expression, quite the same as writing or speaking and that, by observing certain fundamental forms, it is quite as possible to cultivate a knowledge of how to pose, as it is to become proficient with the pen, or to acquire a pleasant and expressive manner of speaking. At the beginning it may be well to remark that the object of a portrait is to first portray the likeness of the model, then to bring into being the characteristics of that individual, and lastly, to so arrange the figure within the picture plane, that the effect may be pleasing to the eye. This arrangement of the figure to fit a space is the mission of the pose, while the arrangement of the lines and masses of a figure, together with the distribution of light and shade, is known as composition. Thus you see a portrait should possess three elements: likeness to the original model, an agreeable arrangement of the figure within the picture space, and a harmonious distribution of light and shadow, which will bring out or emphasize the character, beauty or grace of the model.

In nature as in art, we find that the different forms of objects have a deep significance to us and that different forms bring different sensations to our minds. Nearly everyone can appreciate the greater beauty of an oval when compared to a

square, and see that a curved line is far more beautiful than a straight one. And this is so, because the curved line appeals more strongly to our imagination and by reason of its greater variety, the circular line creates in our mind a greater number of suggestions or ideas. As a curved line gives us the greater pleasure, so does a vertical line give us the idea of support or stability; a horizontal line the idea of repose; while lines drawn at an angle from the perpendicular, suggest life and action. This brings us to the expression of beauty in lines, and in his "Analysis of Beauty," a rare work published in the year 1752-the artist Hogarth speaks thus of a flowing line. "The serpentine line, by its waving and winding in different ways at the same time, leads the eye in a pleasing manner along the continuity of its variety, which line with the triangle, gives the most expressive of figures, signifying not only beauty and grace, but the whole order of form." This line is often called by painters, the "line of beauty." Raphael was an exponent of this serpentine line and in the reproduction of his Parnassus the grace and elegance of this line of beauty can be observed.

Much of the failure that comes to discourage the photographer who takes up portraiture in a serious way, is due to the ability which the camera has, of clearly delineating both the undesirable as well as the desirable feature of a view. This is one of the greatest obstacles the amateur portrait photographer has to overcome, and too much care cannot be taken to preserve the simplicity of a portrait; that the eye may not be attracted by an overabundance of unimportant detail, but that the interest may at once be drawn to the personality of the model itself. While in the majority of portraits, the center of expression is usually in the head or face, the other members of the body play a very important part also. The attitude of the body should be given due attention and not ignored as a means to express character and individuality. In every picture there can be but one object upon which our interest is centered and to this objective point all lines should lead, that the eye may not stray along a confused tangle of conflicting lines, but be rather led, without an effort, to the point of greatest interest. It is not at all necessary, as many seem so inclined to believe, to throw all but the principal object of interest out of

focus, but it is important to so subordinate the lesser details or accessories of the portrait, that they may not draw attention away from, and so conflict with the principal point of interest. A reasonable amount of detail is a necessary part of a portrait, for without some support the composition would be lacking in variety, and thus simplicity if carried to excess, will produce monotony and dullness, and so defeat our ends. Variety may be well considered as being one of the principal sources of beauty and, unless carried too far, it is a very important factor in photography, because by the introduction of several forms, lines or shadows, we give relief to the eye and so furnish entertainment for the mind.

Repetition is likewise an important aid, and by thus introducing repetition to oppose variety, we echo, as it were, the major chord. Yet in our desire for variety we must ever bear in mind, that a pleasant and well balanced composition cannot be had unless there is harmony between the several parts of a photograph, or in other words, we must have variety with unity. Alison in his essay on "Taste" speaks thus pertinently of harmony. "Beautiful forms must necessarily be composed both of uniformity and variety, and this union will be perfect when the proportion of variety does not encroach upon the beauty of unity."

This may be also said of uniformity and symmetry, which if carried to extremes, results in monotony and weariness. In our oval we find a good example of variety in unity, while the outline of a square expresses the opposite sensation, unity without variety.

Stability or support is yet another important element of the pose, expressing the idea of strength and rest. One of the most graceful as well as the most simple expression of support. is found in the forms of a triangle, where each line is found to support or balance that of another. This pyramidical form of design we find in many famous paintings and in portraiture The pyramid or triangle form in its many variations and modification is of the greatest assistance to the photographer. If we have lines running in but one direction, the effect is noticeably weak and one sided, and to remedy this awkwardness, other lines running in an opposite direction are introduced for the sake of balancing.

As the photographer's chief aim is to decorate a space, the worker should keep in mind those essential underlying principles which have just been mentioned. In the composition of the figure, two methods are at the photographer's command. One method is known as the "decorative line," a form of arrangement which is very popular with many modern painters. This method wherein the line of decoration is both the beginning and the end of the composition, is seen in all its beauty in the works of the Japanese painters, and as a medium for the expression of the worker's individuality, the decorative design, has, perhaps, more scope for freedom of execution, through the more conventional forms of composition.

The other method of arrangement is the better known conventional composition and numberless examples may be seen in the many works of master painters of both the old and the modern schools of painting. In this method the figures are designed to conform with certain fixed principles and while many artists and art critics believe this order of design lacks the freedom of the decorative composition, this conventional design has long been regarded as the foundation of art. This order of form in figure composition is based upon the circular and the triangle line and their numerous variations and from the significance which these lines bear in the arrangement of objects, various art writers have divided these designs into circular and pyramidical compositions.

Circular composition is of value where several figures are grouped within the picture space and by its simplicity and pleasant sweep, a great deal of character is given to the composition. The circle with its variations, such as a circle within a rectangle, oval, elipse, and so on, are not so widely used in photographic compositions as other forms. In outdoor portraiture the circular line is of great assistance in combining the landscape with that of the figure, thereby producing a union and balance of masses and shadows, upon which the pictorial effect of the group so largely depends.

The triangle or pyramid is especially adapted to the pose of a single figure and for this reason has been much used by the photographer. The pyramid is capable of many variations. and may be lengthened or shortened at its base, or sides, inverted and changed in many ways.

The vertical figure in composition can be oftentimes made to express a great deal, but in amateur photography the successful handling of the vertical is not so often seen as other positions of the figure. The vertical line is unquestionably a very attractive line in the portrayal of art, and the greatest drawback to its successful representation is found in the spaces unoccupied by the figure. By a vertical is usually meant, a standing one, where the model occupies considerably more picture space than if the same figure was sitting or reclining. The greatest objection to this vertical line, is that the two oblong spaces upon either side of the subject, show an emptiness or blackness, not at all in unity with the figure. In the full length portraits of women this point is not so strongly marked, as the angular line of the skirt breaks into the regularity of this side space. But in the portraiture of men, the full length figure presents a much more difficult problem, as masculine apparel is not so well adapted for this purpose. To preserve the unity of the vertical figure, the empty side spaces must be broken of their regularity and if this is accomplished by letting the figure encroach upon these side spaces, the unity of the composition is complete.

But whatever form of composition is selected to express our idea of a pictorial photograph, the worker should by no means attempt to closely follow any contour of design, but by keeping fresh in memory those principles already given, should aim to so treat each figure in his composition, that beauty, grace, and character may be represented in the pose. The means employed should not be made too evident, but neither should too much care be devoted to its concealment, which unless very ably done, shows the trouble we have taken to "conceal the art for art's sake." While a multiplicity of directions might be given for posing the body, the head, the hands, and so on, yet it is evident that any set of rules can be of but little if any real benefit, for unless the worker understands the underlying principles of the subject, he can only follow blindly such methods of procedure, imitating the effect without knowing the cause. With this point of view in mind, I shall merely mention the important considerations of the subject and simply suggest to the reader, the points which should be kept in mind when an attempt is made to pose the model.