Posing and Body Language: Part 2
Last month I talked about couples. Now, let’s look at body language and posing for individuals. Unlike couples, individuals have no one to play off of other than the photographer/camera. So when posing alone, you may need to work a little harder to project the mood your photographer hopes to capture.
Part 1: Individuals
There are several ways that body language can affect how we feel about a photo. Unless I’m doing something emotive and artistic, I usually aim to have clients appear confident and/or approachable in their portraits. These are two of the most pleasing qualities, in my opinion, and can make your photo more appealing. Let’s look at which body language characteristics make you look more confident and approachable in photos.
confidence
Even if you’re nervous in front of the camera, you can easily fool it into thinking you’re more confident than you feel. Appearing confident can be achieved by maintaining good, open posture and keeping relaxed.
Sit or stand up straight – Good posture is relatively easy. It can be as simple as keeping a straight spine, upright head, and poised arms and legs. In a confident pose, you’re going to take up more space around you. For example, positioning your shoulders back so you open up your chest, gently placing your hands on your waist, or keeping shoulders down so your neck is nice and long.
Relax – I say this a lot because it is so important. Looking relaxed isn’t always simple, but adds credibility to the whole look. When you’re relaxed, you look self-assured. Your arms are in a comfortable position or loose at your sides. Your hands are unclenched, your shoulders are stress-free and not scrunched up to your ears. Remember though that relaxing should not mean slouching or slumping. You want to sit or stand in a comfortable position while maintaining good posture.
Connect – Look directly into the camera lens, keep your expression relaxed—pleasantly smiling, but not overly smiling. Keep from appearing frightened and wide-eyed by relaxing your eyebrows and ever-so-slightly squinting your eyes to show engagement.
approachability
Looking approachable is akin to being friendly and likeable. It may take a little acting to pull it off well.
Above all, a smile (with teeth showing) is the best way to look friendly! To appear authentic when you smile, your mouth and eyes must work together. You’ve probably heard of smiling with your eyes. You do this when your eyes light up, get twinkly, and show smile-lines. Think of something happy to keep your smile genuine.
Look into the lens like it’s an old friend. Pretend your friends who’ll see this photo are just behind that lens. Well, they are!
Face the camera. You’ll look approachable when you seem engaged and open. Your body should be facing the camera (you can turn your body slightly to the side for a nicer pose), arms comfortably held to the side. Leaning forward, toward camera just a bit will help you appear even more engaged.
Keep your arms from blocking your body and your hands viewable. Crossing your arms or clasping your hands in front of your pelvis can make you seem unapproachable. It’s become common to see people do this in photos, but these are NOT open, friendly poses. If you truly feel the need to cross your arms, however, be sure at least your hands are showing. Hiding your hands in the folds of your arms or behind your back can be a subconscious que to people that you are keeping something from them, which can make you seem suspicious. Really!
Relax and maintain good posture. Just like with confident body language, looking relaxed makes other people feel at ease and makes you look approachable.
Want to try more best practices for yourself? These 5 posing tips will help you look more confident in photos.
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Image: Senior portrait of Katie Carmichael