Five of My Fave Posing Tips for Photographs
Growing up, I’d never felt comfortable in pictures. I didn’t know what to do with my hands or how to make myself look good. And I didn’t much care. I always preferred being on the other side of the camera anyway. What a terrible philosophy for a photographer.
In my quest to become a really good portrait photographer, one of the more important things I learned was how to pose people. Now, I’m a bit of an expert at it. Here are five ways you can pose for the camera to look better and more confident. These work for both men and women. Practice them and you’ll become expert at it!
Maintain good posture. Keep your spine straight and your pictures will always look better. If you need to bend to get closer to someone else in the picture, bend at your waist and not your shoulders. Unless you’re a high-fashion super model, bad posture will make your pose look sloppy.
Relax your hands. Believe it or not, hands can show tension and ruin an otherwise good portrait. Hands won’t typically look good stiff and straight, in a claw shape, or in a fist. Before the camera clicks, shake out your hands and just let them relax—let them fall naturally. Does anyone know if they still make GI Joe with Kung Fu Grip? Well, don’t do that.
Keep arms slightly bent. We live in a 3D world. However, pictures are only 2D. When your arms are pinned to your side, the camera sees your torso and arms as one big, boring block. Try bending your elbows a bit to allow a gap between your waist and arms. If it feels right, put your hand in your pocket, on your thigh, or on your hip.
Relax your shoulders. Just like you can show tension in your hands, your shoulders can also show tension. Shake ‘em out and let ‘em drop, but keep your good posture.
Stretch your chin out and down. Who likes a double chin? Nobody I know. This tip will avoid that unfortunate look. Think of your chin as a tray. Slide it out (not all the way, just part way) then tilt it down a bit while it’s still slid out. Don’t overdo it or you’ll feel strained.
I never promised that these tips would be easy to remember for every photo, so go ahead and practice them in the mirror. If you feel silly, just think about how much better your pics will look.
Let’s work it out together in a portrait session. Contact me