How to Pose for a Picture: 50 Tips From Daria Koso
Are you tired of being disappointed with the way you look in photos? Would you like to know how to pose for photos the right way? As a professional photographer with over 12 years of experience, I’m going to share 50 game-changing tips for how to pose at your next photo shoot like a professional model.
My classic poses are especially suitable for women, but I’ve got key poses that will work wonders for men, too. So, if you want to say goodbye forever to mediocre pictures and start looking sensational in every photo, keep reading.
1. Your Mood Matters
If you feel uncomfortable during your photo sessions, it will show in your body language. So, whether you’re a performer in need of actor headshots or a fashion blogger wanting branding photography, try to be in a good mood and ready to create some magic.
2. Use Proper Posture
In standing poses, bring your shoulders back and lower them for a longer neck and a more confident look.
3. Push Your Chest Out
Push your chest out to make your breasts appear larger.
4. Adjust Your Chin
One of the common concerns people have about their poses for photos is fear that everyone will see their double chin. To avoid a double chin or extra chin try raising your chin, pushing it a little forward, then bringing it down a notch. Instantly, your double chin will miraculously disappear.
5. Don’t Pose Straight-On
For professional photos, stand at a slight angle to the camera to produce a more flattering pose. Avoid standing squarely in front of the camera, with your body directly facing the lens. The result would be a rather flat, boring picture. You also don’t want to stand at a 90-degree profile angle to the camera. A profile shot is typically not a flattering pose for a headshot session. It tends to exaggerate certain features, such as the size of your nose.
6. Don’t Stand Like a Soldier
Although you want to have good posture, you don’t want to stand like you’re a soldier with your feet parallel to each other. Shifting your weight to one side or the other creates more flattering images for women.
7. Stand with One Foot Closer to the Camera
Make your body curvier by placing one leg a little bit forward and shifting your weight.
8. Turn Your Knee
Another option is to lean the knee of the front leg slightly inward toward the other leg.
9. Point Your Toes at the Camera
Make your legs look longer by pointing your toes directly at the camera. Your legs seem to lengthen because the line from your hip to toe is unbroken. However, if you turn your foot to one side, you break the line and destroy the illusion.
10. Cross Your Legs
You can also stand with your legs crossed, shifting your weight to one side. Remember to keep those toes aimed at the camera.
11. Take a Step
You can strike more dynamic poses by pretending to take a step with the leg closest to the camera.
12. Bend Your Knees
Keeping a slight bend in the knee of the front leg gives your body more curvature.
13. Hold in Your Stomach
There are subtle ways to improve the look of all the body shapes in which you find us imperfect humans. For example, if you tighten your core muscles and keep your stomach in, you’ll make your body slimmer. Meanwhile, if you push your bottom out, you’ll give more roundness to your figure.
14. Don’t Forget to Breathe
Try breathing through your mouth rather than your nose. It’s relaxing, and it will give your lips fullness for more effective photos.
15. Relax Your Face
Steady breathing will also help relax your face for more flattering portraits and a natural-looking headshot. If you’re feeling tense, inhale deeply, then breathe out.
16. Look Away for a Moment
To create an inviting portrait, try turning your head away from the camera, and then quickly turning it back toward the camera.
Models are often at a loss about what to do with their hands when posing. Sound familiar? Well, you can eliminate that all-too-common struggle by applying the next few tips that I use when giving a model direction for a beautiful photo.
17. Use Front Pockets
If your pants or skirt have front pockets, you can put your hands halfway inside them.
18. Use Belt Loops
If you don’t have front pockets, strike a cute pose by putting one or both thumbs through your belt loops.
19. Use Rear Pockets
Outfits with rear pockets can also give you somewhere to place your hands. Make sure to move your elbows outward so that your arms are visible.
20. Place Your Hand on Your Hip
No pockets? No problem. Placing a hand on the hip for women works wonders. Keep the other arm slightly bent.
21. Define Your Waistline
Give bulky outfits some definition by placing a hand on the smallest part of your waist to emphasize your body’s curvature.
22. Relax Your Free Hand
With one hand on your waist to give shape to bulky clothing, try relaxing the other hand on your leg.
23. Cross Both Arms
If you don’t know what to do with your arms, you can always cross them.
24. Show Your Fingers
If you cross your arms, make sure the camera can see all your fingers. If you tuck one hand underneath the opposing arm, your hand will disappear, making it look as if you’re missing a hand.
25. Cross Only One Arm
For a variation, cross your body with one hand and let your fingers rest on the opposing arm, which you can allow to hang loosely with the elbow slightly bent.
26. Palm Your Elbows
You can also cross your arms by gently cupping both elbows in the palms of your hands.
27. Strike a Thinking Pose for Your Business Headshot
You can cup only one elbow while bringing a hand to your face. It looks as though you’re thinking. And who doesn’t want to look intelligent? This pose is good for professional headshots, graduation photos, corporate portraits, and portrait photography in general.
28. Keep Your Fingers Loose
Posing with your arms works only if your fingers appear relaxed. If tension begins to build, take a break. Let your arms drop to your side, and take a few deep breaths.
29. Rest your Hands in Front of Your Body
Another cute pose with the hands is to just rest them in front of your body with the fingers slightly touching. Imagine you’re a ballerina, striking a delicate dancer-like posture.
30. Avoid Intertwining Your Fingers
Don’t interlace your fingers, or your hands will appear large. Plus, having 10 fingers intertwined isn’t flattering. The fingers will draw too much attention away from your face.
31. Ladies, Position Your Arms Away From Your Body
When posing at an angle, don’t keep your arms flat against your body. Your arms will look huge. You can prevent this by bringing your elbow slightly forward. Moving your elbow forward automatically moves your arm away from your body and creates a bit of space.
32. Guys, You Can Keep Your Arms Close
However, guys, you have different rules for how to pose for a picture. Pressing your arms against your sides makes your arms bigger. You can even cross your arms, tucking your hands behind your upper arms, and then use your hands to push outward against the arms for larger biceps. That’s a great way to enlarge your muscles without spending extra time in the gym.
33. Show Both Arms
Avoid putting both hands behind your back. It’s an instinctual pose if you’re a bit shy. But that pose will make it appear as if you don’t have arms.
34. Keep Your Shoulders Relaxed
If you’re nervous, you might unconsciously hunch your shoulders as if you’re trying to hide. But this will create an unflattering look, making your neck look shorter and thicker. So, keep those shoulders relaxed.
It’s often the little things that a model does that make compelling pictures. Simple props can be a huge help. Experienced photographers will always have props available, but you should also bring your own. I’ll share some of my favorite small actions you can mimic and a few items you can use to take a great candid photo.
35. Get Busy
Add life to candid poses by doing little ordinary things taken from your everyday routine. Whatever is part of your typical dressing and grooming ritual will often work well in front of the camera.
36. Use Clothing
Adjust your clothing or shoes. Imagine you’re at home looking in a mirror. Does your blouse need a tug here or there? Do you need to correct the strap on your shoe?
37. Play With Your Hair
Adjusting your hair works nicely for candid snaps. For example, you can gently lift your hair, giving it volume.
38. Avoid Pointing Your Elbows
Your mother probably told you never to point. Well, that goes double for elbows. Try never to point your elbow directly at the camera. It will make your elbows appear huge. And who needs that, especially in wedding photos?
39. Keep Light Finger Movement
Just play with your hair. For example, you could gently comb it with your fingers. But always use a light touch.
40. Use Your Jewelry
How many times per day do you find yourself adjusting your earrings? Now, you can use that familiar habit to improve your photo sessions.
41. Use One Earring at a Time
Don’t adjust both earrings simultaneously. The photo will be a bit bland. Instead, use two hands to adjust only one earring. Using two hands forces your torso to turn, giving the picture a sense of movement. Extra tip: Let your inner wrists touch each other as you make the adjustment.
42. You Can Use Pretend Jewelry
Adjust your other accessories. If you’re not wearing accessories, you can just pretend you’re fiddling with a necklace or other jewelry. It may feel a little silly the first time you try it, but it works. The photo will look natural to the viewer, not artificial at all.
43. Use Everyday Carry Items
Having a pocketbook, phone, or other everyday items can give you more options for fun poses. A good example is pretending to look through your pocketbook for your lipstick.
44. Use Extra Clothing Items
Additional clothing like a jacket can also prove useful. Whether you’re simply holding the item or adjusting it, you can add life to the shot.
45. Don’t Freeze Every Pose
Sometimes, a shot doesn’t look natural if the model stiffly holds a pose. Instead, try moving smoothly through the action for more dynamic images. Don’t worry about blurry photos. The photographer can compensate for your movement with the correct lighting and shutter speed to capture the right moment.
46. Address Your Concerns Around Lighting
Lighting is critical to getting that flattering glow. The wrong lighting will detract from your beauty. The best hair and makeup are useless if the lighting conditions are bad.
47. Prepare Your Lighting
If you’re taking selfies, take the time to find the most flattering angles with the best lighting before you press the button. Take this step whether you’re shooting outdoors in direct sunlight or inside a studio.
48. Smile
Show your personality by using your natural smile. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. People can detect a forced smile.
49. Keep it Real
When you have a genuine smile, small wrinkles appear near the eyes. That’s natural, so don’t worry. Remember, professional photos can be edited. So, first, you want to concentrate on taking a good photo with an organic smile. Then, if necessary, the wrinkles can be removed afterward.
50. Whip Your Hair
Add a sense of movement and joy. Make your hair fly by quickly turn your head to look back over one shoulder. This is a fun pose I incorporate into many of my photo sessions. Try it. I’ll bet you’ll have fun, too.
These 50 tips should give you the confidence to produce great vacation shots, keepsake family photos, and professional business images. Practice them regularly, and they’ll soon become your favorite poses.
I hope the message you get from my tips is not to be afraid of experimenting during your photo session. Don’t worry about making the perfect picture. Instead, relax, put your true personality on full display, and include the element of fun.
Remember, you’re beautiful, and each photo gives you a chance to show that to the world. Now, get in front of that camera, and make some magic.
Written by Daria Koso – Fashion Photographer
