Whether we realize it or not posing is integral to a photograph. It shapes the entire look of an image, therefore it should be carefully considered. Not knowing how to pose can make a shoot unsuccessful for both the model and the photographer. Yes, that’s right both working creatives need an understanding of how to best convey their emotions through their postures or the professional relationship will not be successful. It’s important to rely on one another for ideas, and helpful criticism. Models let your photographer know when they aren’t being clear enough on their vision, and photographers communicate with your models when they aren’t hitting the pose you envisioned. When we expect the other person to have all of the answers in regards posing we begin at a disadvantage. Photoshoots, for the most part, should be a collaborative experience, so models and photographers listen up because the right pose during the right circumstances can make all of the difference, especially when working in fashion or advertising.

The tips below are basic pose structures for female models.

First, there are your basic model poses. These are the poses that we see in clothing catalogs, brochures, and online stores. They are the fashion poses that make the products being sold look their best. Yes, we know that these poses are not groundbreaking or revolutionary, but they still can add value to a photograph when used. The poses are usually simple and relaxed and you should be able to reference them and execute them quickly during a shoot.

Basic Poses:

-The half step, hand to your hair with a side glance.

-The straightforward, head tilted down, hands in pockets look.

-The arm crossed across waistline, another hand by your face, gaze off to the side look.

-And the elegant looking downward glance.

These poses are all standing up and with them, a model’s focus can be in a variety of different directions. All of the different focus points for your model will create a different mood in the same photograph. 45 degrees left or right of the camera conveys elegance while staring directly into the camera is bold, and daring. Other options are up or down, over the photographer’s shoulder, or into the main source of light being used.

Seated Poses:

I tend to think that a lot of models and photographers alike shy away from these types of poses because of it’ often difficult to have these poses come out flattering. I’m here to remind you that a lot can be said from a seated pose. You can get two very different feelings from seated poses, either strong & distinguished or relaxed & vulnerable. At times seated poses can offer more than standing poses. Some subjects might even feel more comfortable executing a sitting pose.

-Here are some sitting pose examples:

-Sit back against a wall of some sort with your elbows balanced on your thighs.

-Sit in a chair, lean forward slightly with one elbow heavily balanced on the thigh, this conveys strength.

-Sit in a chair with legs crossed off to the side and back very straight to exude regalness.

-Draw your knees to your chest and curl your back to convey vulnerability.

-Photographers when you are thinking about how to make the seated poses a success ask yourself things like:

• Should the shot be from below, above, or equal height?
• The direction of the knees and feet are important.
• Avoid making the shot too crotch-focused. Use a hand or a leg was thrown casually in the foreground to avoid this.
• Always make sure the lighting is ready for a sitting pose, especially if you were just doing standing poses.

Beauty Poses:

These kinds of poses are some of the hardest to execute correctly. So much of the pose is dependent upon expression, perfect lighting, and flawless hair/make-up. Success is in the details.

-Poses like this could be the eyes closed, mouth slightly open to give a sexy mood to a shoot.

-Look straight at the camera with “smise” and lips slightly parted to convey confidence.

-Look slightly up at the camera with a serious expression on the face.

These poses depend on the model’s ability to achieve emotion through poses, and the photographer’s expertise in shooting from the perfect angle. Pay special attention to expression. No matter the emotion it is crucial to the photo. Jawlines create a lot more dimension and depth in a photo. Use shadow to highlight the jaw throughout different poses. Try to avoid shooting from a below angle as this typically enlarges nostrils and double chins. Hands can make or break an image. Make sure they are set appropriately but don’t look awkward, forces, and out of place.

Candid Poses:

Once you have a grasp and some practice with the basic poses feel free to begin experimenting. Try things like laughter, and new poses that once seemed too difficult. Try more interesting poses that include contortion, flexibility, and difficulty.

Here are some suggestions:

• “Popping” a knee, hip, or shoulder in a new direction, but never all at once.
• Extend some of your limbs and stretch out, this will feel unnatural but tends to look better.
• Squat, crouch, or stand on tip-toes.
• Laugh, play with your hair or simply shake your head around.

Movement Poses:

Finally, we have movement. Out of all of the kinds of poses discussed today, the movement is the most difficult to execute and capture in photography. Movement requires great timing by both model and photographer, you have to work together seamlessly. The movement really catches the eye and adds more dimension to an image. It’s often very difficult to achieve this on the first try.

Try things like:

• Dancing
• Running
• Jumping
• Walking
• Flipping
• Skipping

You get the idea…

While all of this is great and we hope you get to try moving photoshoots sooner rather than later we want to remind you to be aware of a few things. Always look out for strange facial expressions. When moving it’s difficult to keep a neutral face so both models and photographers should be aware of this. Fingers can get really weird so keep an eye on this buggers. Photographers you’ll only have a split second to capture the pose at it’s the best point so be ready.

Honestly, everyone, this is only the very beginning of posing. Once you have a foundation the possibilities are endless. We hope you found these tips helpful, and we can’t wait for you to keep creating work with some truly exceptional posing techniques.