New things for the folks to try at home

So today’s blog is truly random. I am going to blog about something that is near and dear to my heart- 1960’s Mod Posing. What is this you ask? Well you see, in the mid to late 1960’s apparently there was some kind of artistic movement in the catalog world whereby models were asked to pose as if in some kind of stop action moment. Only if they were stopping an action, it was no kind of action that ever actually occurs on earth. Here are some examples:

Notice how uncomfortable she appears to be, yet with an air of supreme causalness.

She appears to be wiping her hands of the blood of her victim as she skulks away from the scene of the crime, but by the look of that shiny metallic bangle- it is in the future.

There are many examples on this page of the standard "slight knee bend". Very important for Mod posing. A straight leg is so 50's.

Once again, casually uncomfortable, but if you take the time to look, there is a lot going on here. We have slightly bent "Mod" knees, leaning for no reason, and the girl in the yellow is displaying the all important arm slightly akimbo. The arm must be only slightly akimbo because we are CASUAL.

I think this one is my favorite. It has so much to say. The standing girl is exhibiting the slightly bent knee, a twist, arms slightly raised as if to suggest, "I may say stop, but not yet." Or maybe just to give the illusion of speed. Look at the one sitting down. She is sort of bent over and looks ill or maybe constipated. This is good in Mod posing. And notice how both of them refuse to look at the camera in a way that suggests they know the camera is there, but they are pretending it is not. BRILLIANT!

If you want to try your own Mod posing, here is what I suggest:

1. Remember slight bending of any joint is appropriate
2. Consider appearing as though you might vomit but (and this is a very important but) you are feeling CASUAL about it
3. CASUAL, CASUAL, CASUAL
4. Might I suggest touching something (say a pillar) and leaning over, but not really appearing to use the pillar to lean on so much as you are using the pillar to touch and lean over for photographic purposes.
5. Twist at the waist. But only say, half way around. And not as if you are doing it with a sense of purpose (like say, to look behind you) more like you just like to stand kind of half twisted around.
6. Whatever you do, don’t look at the camera. DON’T DO IT!
7. When in doubt, BE CASUAL.

I have searched for a picture of my best friend and I doing our own Mod posing. I think there is only one in existence and it is not in a digital format. And it is not in my possession. Will try to get a scan of that for a future blog.

Hope this has been informative for you all.

Have a MOD MOD day.