The Profile Silhouette

How to set up The Profile Silhouette

1. Set the frame before anyone moves. The Profile Silhouette wants a full-length frame that includes feet and a little ground, with 1 person already close enough to touch. A side profile against bright light shows the bump's shape. Elegant and artistic with very little direction.
2. Get them into the standing shape, then say this once and stop directing: "Turn to the side, one hand under the bump, and lift your chin a little."
3. While they hold it, make one flatter change and shoot again. Expose for the bright background and keep a small gap between the arms and body.
4. If the first frame feels stiff, do not rebuild the group. Try this next: Partner faces her in profile.

Who it suits

The Profile Silhouette is a maternity pose. The bump needs a reason to be in the frame. It suits 1 person and a standing shape. It is intermediate: you need a bit more space or balance than a standing hug, so shoot an easier frame first. Include the whole body so the bump sits in a person, not a cropped belly.

Where to shoot and how to light it

Shoot The Profile Silhouette outside. A path, lawn, beach, step or open field is enough. Pick a background quieter than the people: one tree or a plain horizon beats a busy street. Keep the group in outdoor light, which the next section covers.

For The Profile Silhouette, use open shade or late-day sun. Direct noon light squints eyes and blows out light clothing, especially on a standing pose where people cannot tilt a hat into place. If the sun is behind the group, expose for the faces and let the background go bright.

The usual miss on The Profile Silhouette is a gap, a straight line of heads, or a face waiting for the next instruction. Expose for the bright background and keep a small gap between the arms and body. Then take the frame before anyone resets.

Variations

• Partner faces her in profile
• Arms raised overhead
• Hair blowing in the wind