Posing
Posing can be a tricky business. Have you ever been on a portrait shoot and it doesn’t quite feel right, everything looks a bit forced and you can’t get the subject to look natural? Well it falls on you as the photographer to make those decisions and have the confidence to direct and adjust even the small variations that can make so much difference and enable you to get the shot you’ve been looking for.
Here’s a simple guide to some posing basics, that will hopefully allow you to make informed decisions and help out your subjects with their poses!
Here’s a simple guide to some posing basics, that will hopefully allow you to make informed decisions and help out your subjects with their poses!
7 posing techniques
A lot of photographers have the job of shooting with everyday people and we need to make them look like models. So how do you do that when the subjects have no experience posing or controlling their face for the camera? Here are seven tips to make your portrait subjects feel like models.
pose the hair
We don't generally think of hair as a part of the body we can control, but you really can! If you are shooting a subject with long hair, then bad hair is going to be the first thing anyone notices about your photo. There are no rules as to what looks "best" across the board. Everyone will look different with their hair a different way.
Let's assume you're doing a basic portrait session without makeup artists and hair stylists. The first thing to remember is that hair sitting on the shoulders looks terrible. If the hair sits on their shoulders, then it looks wild and you need to do something with it. There are five different things that they can do with their hair.
Let's assume you're doing a basic portrait session without makeup artists and hair stylists. The first thing to remember is that hair sitting on the shoulders looks terrible. If the hair sits on their shoulders, then it looks wild and you need to do something with it. There are five different things that they can do with their hair.
- Hair on the shoulders.
- Hair all behind the shoulders
- Hair all in front
- Hair all on one side.
- Hair all on the other side.
- Hair up.
Generally you want their part facing the camera so more of their face is included. For this tutorial, I chose hair up (#6) so we can more easily see the posing instructions without distraction. Many women see ponytails as the "day-off" hair style, but it actually lends itself very nicely in portraits and headshots since you have clean view of their face.
pull the chin (or ears) forward
When someone stands in their normal relaxed stance, or even stands up straight to have nice posture, there is a little bit of flab right underneath their chin. No matter how skinny they are, you will see this. If you tell people to bring their chin forward, which sounds like the sensible thing to do, they will point their chin at you, which brings their face up and ends with you shooting up their nostrils. (Not attractive.) Instead, tell your model to bring their ears forward.
This demonstrates the before and after of telling them to bring their ears forward.
Same before and after from the side. Sometimes I call this "turtling," because they feel like a turtle coming out of their shell. It is a bit uncomfortable or unnatural, but the results are always worth it.
Same technique from a male subject. He was very fit and athletic, but our natural stance is not very photogenic.
Lift the arm
When people stand naturally, another thing they do is stand with their arms flat at their sides. This causes several problems. First, it makes them look awkward and uncomfortable in the photo. Secondly, their arm presses against their torso. This squishes the arm out and makes it look larger than it actually is.
You can correct that by having them just lift their arm an inch or two so it is "floating" and not pressed against them. Alternatively, you can pose their hand so the arm is in a different position, such as putting their hand on the hip. In the image above, the red line is the size of the arm when standing unposed. The exact same red line was moved over to the second photo so you can see how much smaller the arm becomes when not pressed against the body
You can correct that by having them just lift their arm an inch or two so it is "floating" and not pressed against them. Alternatively, you can pose their hand so the arm is in a different position, such as putting their hand on the hip. In the image above, the red line is the size of the arm when standing unposed. The exact same red line was moved over to the second photo so you can see how much smaller the arm becomes when not pressed against the body
leave visual space by the waist
Everyone loves looking thin. One of the things you can do to trim down your subject is by giving them their "natural" waist, without any additives. What I mean by that is visually isolating the skinny part of the torso so they look as thin as they are. I had my model put her hands on her hips. The first photo shows no further posing. The arm in the back has no space between it and the torso, so it visually extends her mid-section. By having her pull the arm a little forward, you can see the space, so the waist doesn't have anything adding visual bulk.
The red line shows the visual width of the subject from the first photo. It is replicated in the second photo to show how much width the arm actually adds. This rule does not just apply to arms. Anything that will be in the background of your subject and make them look larger can be an offender. A few examples are other people, tree trunks, or light poles.
The red line shows the visual width of the subject from the first photo. It is replicated in the second photo to show how much width the arm actually adds. This rule does not just apply to arms. Anything that will be in the background of your subject and make them look larger can be an offender. A few examples are other people, tree trunks, or light poles.
Turn the shoulders
This is a very simple tip, but important. If your subject stares at the camera head-on, they look bigger. This can be good when shooting a football player or CEO of a big company, but it is bad when shooting beauty or portraits. By having your subject turn, they are showing a slimmer profile of themselves to the camera, and look slimmer.
The red line shows the full width of the model when standing straight forward. A small turn to the side gives a photo that is still the subject facing the camera, but in a slimmer profile.
The red line shows the full width of the model when standing straight forward. A small turn to the side gives a photo that is still the subject facing the camera, but in a slimmer profile.
Don't show the whites of the eyes
When you want a far off, dreamy look and choose to have your subject look off camera, do not tell them to "look over there." Give them an object behind you to focus on so you can control their eyeline.
You can see the majority of the white of her eye, which is a bad thing. You want to see the iris, the colored part. I had her look out the window next to the door. That small change in eyeline brings back her eyes, gets rid of the white part, and gives a more attractive portrait.
You can see the majority of the white of her eye, which is a bad thing. You want to see the iris, the colored part. I had her look out the window next to the door. That small change in eyeline brings back her eyes, gets rid of the white part, and gives a more attractive portrait.
Don't let the nose break the face
This one is a bit more complex, but still important. When you don't want your subject facing forward, you have them turn to the side. Assuming you don't want a full profile where you only see one side of the face, they will be at a quarter turn with both eyes in frame. If you draw an imaginary line down the side of their face, this line is the line that cannot be crossed by their nose.
If they turn too far and the nose crosses this line, it "breaks" the natural curve of the face. It creates the "pinocchio" effect and extends the length of their nose. You can avoid this by having them turn back toward you slightly, until you can see a little bit of space between the end of their nose, and the side of their face. You don't want to break that line or it makes them look like they have disproportionate facial features.
If they turn too far and the nose crosses this line, it "breaks" the natural curve of the face. It creates the "pinocchio" effect and extends the length of their nose. You can avoid this by having them turn back toward you slightly, until you can see a little bit of space between the end of their nose, and the side of their face. You don't want to break that line or it makes them look like they have disproportionate facial features.
bring it all together
Here's a checklist you can follow for your next shoot.
- Hair is behind one shoulder, in front of the other
- Chin is forward to create a strong jawline
- Arm is lifted from the torso
- Waist doesn't have any visual extenders
- Shoulders are turned
- Iris is seen over the whites
- Nose doesn't break the line of the face
How To Portray the Subject
It’s essential to do a bit of thinking before you dive straight into the shoot, wielding your camera and hoping for the best. Consider how you might want to portray the person you’re photographing and have a conversation with them about how they might want to come across in the photographs.
Do you want shots that look strong and tall, bright and optimistic, delicate and sweet or scared and uncertain? Understanding what you’re aiming for will strongly influence the following decisions about poses to try out.
Do you want shots that look strong and tall, bright and optimistic, delicate and sweet or scared and uncertain? Understanding what you’re aiming for will strongly influence the following decisions about poses to try out.
There are far too many potential poses to go through here, but I’ll whizz through a few here to give you a flavour of how they might be useful!
Head On
Photographing someone straight on is probably the most direct way to communicate your subject to your audience. It portrays a feeling of confidence and assurance and allows the viewer to really engage with the subject as nothing is hidden from sight.
It’s important to ensure there is plenty of interest with the shot, focus in on the eyes and blur out the background, as otherwise it ends up looking like a corporate head shot!
It’s important to ensure there is plenty of interest with the shot, focus in on the eyes and blur out the background, as otherwise it ends up looking like a corporate head shot!
PROFILE
A really interesting way to shoot a portrait that can actually tell you more about the person than you’d originally think. A good option if the subject is shy or nervous about the shoot which may well help build their confidence. It's also very useful in it’s own right as a creative tool, as it’s not how the majority of portrait photographers would shoot. Again, it’s important to be creative to avoid it looking like a police mug shot.
Looking Back Over The Shoulder
This will give a relaxed and easy going feel to the shot. Often used in fashion shoots, it’s something that’s probably slightly more natural for women, but can work for male models if you’re going for that steely look. Be careful to get this right though, as it can quickly start looking like a jovial parody!
It's also important to make sure the neck isn't twisted too far around. When we say looking over the shoulder, we actually mean part way over the shoulder.
It's also important to make sure the neck isn't twisted too far around. When we say looking over the shoulder, we actually mean part way over the shoulder.
Seated
This is an extremely good option if you’re looking to get a relaxed looking shot, as most people appear far more at ease when sitting down as they know what to do with their limbs! Don’t feel restricted to using conventional chairs and sitting poses, there are many things that can be sat on in many different ways, so be creative!
Leaning
The leaning pose is very good for portraying a casual sense of confidence and ease. Have your subject either lean side on or with their back to the wall. This can then be shot head on, but also looks good in a profile position as it highlights to angle of the lean.
Lying Down
This is a great way of portraying a relaxed and playful atmosphere with the subject either on their front or back. You have the option of shooting from ground level or from above, which can create a dramatic view of the subject!
What To Do With Hands!
This can be a real dilemma for subjects as they’re often thinking about their face and body structure. Not knowing what to do with your hands can portray an unwanted nervousness. Dictating what the hands are doing will add another point of interest and structure to your shots, so it’s important to have them in the right place!
Having crossed arms can add a sense of confidence and security and works well for men in particular. Relaxed arms down by the side can make the hands look slightly lost, but you might just want to keep them out of the way!
Hands in pockets or hands on hips again gives them something to do and would both look fairly relaxed and intentional. Hands touching the face can say an awful lot. Just try it yourself and see what expressions you can form with the involvement of your hands on your face, grumpy, tired, surprised, angry! You could also use hands to hide elements of the face for added secrecy.
For women, open arms portray a welcoming sense, but having hands covering the body can add a feeling of proximity and sensuality to the shot. For kids, give them props, such as a favorite cuddly toy or a story book to keep their hands busy.
Having crossed arms can add a sense of confidence and security and works well for men in particular. Relaxed arms down by the side can make the hands look slightly lost, but you might just want to keep them out of the way!
Hands in pockets or hands on hips again gives them something to do and would both look fairly relaxed and intentional. Hands touching the face can say an awful lot. Just try it yourself and see what expressions you can form with the involvement of your hands on your face, grumpy, tired, surprised, angry! You could also use hands to hide elements of the face for added secrecy.
For women, open arms portray a welcoming sense, but having hands covering the body can add a feeling of proximity and sensuality to the shot. For kids, give them props, such as a favorite cuddly toy or a story book to keep their hands busy.
Natural Is Best
I find that often, natural is best. Something that feels awkward and unnatural will often come across that way in the shots, so it’s important you maintain the conversation with the subject to see how they’re feeling about the poses.
The best portrait photographers somehow manage to portray a person in an image, they tell you so much about them by allowing the model to be themselves and capturing the essence of who they are in a single frame.
I may be a way off that just yet, but it’s certainly possible to allow a subject to act naturally in order to capture some of who they are without trying to recreate it with elaborate poses!
The best portrait photographers somehow manage to portray a person in an image, they tell you so much about them by allowing the model to be themselves and capturing the essence of who they are in a single frame.
I may be a way off that just yet, but it’s certainly possible to allow a subject to act naturally in order to capture some of who they are without trying to recreate it with elaborate poses!