What Everybody Ought to Know About Posing for Portraits
'puki body' - by Annetta82
“Do you have any tips on posing for portraits?”
This question hit my inbox earlier in the week and I shot the reader back a few links to tutorials that we’ve written on the topic of posing for portraits. I thought that the list of posts might be useful to others too so have included it here:
- Posing Tips for Portraits – Posing Shoulders
- Which Way Should Your Subject Lean?
- Portrait Photography’s Power Posing Part I: The Components
- Portrait Photography’s Power Posing – Part II: The Poses
- Posing Tips – Waistlines, Thighs and Bust lines
- A Posing Technique from A Girl With a Pearl Earring
- How to Pose Hands in Portraits
- Where is Your Subject Looking and Why Does it Matter?
- 4 Tips for Natural Looking Portraits
What posing tips would you give someone starting out in Portrait Photography?
27 Responses to “What Everybody Ought to Know About Posing for Portraits” - Add Yours
January 17th, 2009 at 1:38 am
Oh I’ve always wanted tips on getting subjects to pose better. Sometimes they are just un-natural looking. Need to spice up my subjects! lol
Those little posing doll things are kind of creepy.
January 17th, 2009 at 2:31 am
Yup those dolls are rather freekay. Thanks for the tips !!
January 17th, 2009 at 2:36 am
@tyler I agree about creepy .
I think may photographers overdo the posing. I know some photographers that pose to the point of unnatural with every shot. But, a basic understanding is important.
I’m also not a fan of wedding photographs with the couple posed in the foreground and the bride party 100 miles in the background staring at the them, it kills me. Of course, every photographer has their own methods and styles and knows what works for them.
I rather capture moments. That involves being engaged in the session – not dominating it.
Rosh
http://www.newmediaphotographer.com
January 17th, 2009 at 3:08 am
Thanks for all those wonderful tips… Keep them coming please…
January 17th, 2009 at 5:41 am
Just get a job at Sears Portrait Studio or some other such cookie cutter corporate photography place… you shoot your “six sellables” and have to follow strict posing guidelines, all the while dreaming up tons of poses you would love to do but can’t.
Note: I still have nightmares about working there.
January 18th, 2009 at 3:59 am
Just got this link from my hubby – awesome!!!! I have been offered to do senior portraits this year, so these tutorials sure will help me out a lot. Thank you for making them available to self-starters like me
January 18th, 2009 at 4:05 am
Thanks so much for compiling the list – I’ve been looking at all of them randomly, so this really helps me know I’ve seen them all! I’ve never thought I really enjoyed taking “portraits,” but I am always taking photos of my family, so need to change me attitude and perspective about what I take!
January 21st, 2009 at 9:38 am
I couldn’t work in a photo factory either Tanya. I like taking my time and letting the client behave naturally. Some posing is often needed, but never demanded. Its useful to know the art of posing and tips like we have here will always be useful.
January 21st, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Great tips for mixing up older subjects’ poses, but I think curious and light attention with the subject on the edge of giggles and laughter and focussed on your lens (or just above it) are very frameable shots at those early ages. Get a favorite toy or prop, suprise them and draw it up to your camera. It’s hard to go wrong when you make it fun to smile for the camera.
January 23rd, 2009 at 3:40 am
“What posing tips would you give someone starting out in Portrait Photography?”
Two ‘rules’:
1. If it bends, bend it.
2. If there are two of them, make them different.
And then some essential reading
January 23rd, 2009 at 3:41 am
Seems that link was stripped of from my comment… here’s the url
http://jzportraits.home.att.net/
January 23rd, 2009 at 8:01 am
The Photo’s look very dated now Simo, but the information and techniques used are still valid even today. I keep meaning to make that baby poser.
January 25th, 2009 at 7:06 am
hey the dolls are cute!!
Thanks alot for this….huge help.
March 2nd, 2010 at 7:41 pm
I love the tips, just starting out myself at a portrait studio in the mall – I’ve never even taken a class but have always loved photography as a hobby. I’m doing my homework now! X)
Does anyone know what the name of that weird little doll is? I really want one.
March 5th, 2010 at 6:10 am
Thanks for all the great tips that you have published on your blog. There are a lot of suggestions that I think i will greatly benefit from.
Keep up the good work
February 4th, 2011 at 11:15 am
I love all the ideas on posing. Taking great photos is one thing, but getting the person in the photo to look their best is another. I normally tell people I work with that if there is one bit of discomfort in them, it’s the first thing that people are going to see in their photos. After that, and a bit of time to loosen up, and some silly jokes, they normally become comfortable and themselves again.
I’ve worked with models who have so many poses I couldn’t keep up with them, and then others who stand up straight like a deer in headlights. Having some ideas up your sleeve never hurt…..
June 5th, 2011 at 3:08 am
As it says ” when a part could bend, bend it a bit” in a posing, dont overdo things = Good shot. I heart DPS
September 12th, 2011 at 7:40 am
thanks for the poses! can you do one on poses in sports for teams and individuals?
September 12th, 2011 at 8:59 am
Hi
Love this article and super useful tutorials!
Tried to use some of the ideas here with a Model Shoot!
http://kerstenbeckphotoart.wordpress.com/2011/08/21/vintage-glam/
September 12th, 2011 at 8:30 pm
Love these tips…I need some self portrait tips so these might help, I’m a hopeless case! I like natural for others though. I agree, those dolls are creepy, but they are hilarious!
September 13th, 2011 at 1:54 am
The non-pose is best. I like images that reveal the natural humanity of the subject. Good portrait photographers need to be skilled in easing the subject into releasing who they really are.
September 13th, 2011 at 10:15 am
I myself really dislike posed pictures which is why I hate going to a professional photographer for passport pictures … Last time I was in a photo studio I looked at the pictures they hung up for advertising and I just wanted to leave, because the poses all looked rather painful with a forced smile as a result. My opinion: Go natural!
September 14th, 2011 at 1:09 am
why can’t i get my doll to pose like that… but great post
September 15th, 2011 at 10:20 am
I’m not sure anyone could beat this young lady at posing!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lendog64/5459228042/
September 16th, 2011 at 5:58 am
I tell people to try to laugh. I prefer when people are natural rather than posed or stiff
Laughing really works for the “smize” (yes – that is a Tyra Banks term)
September 17th, 2011 at 4:23 am
Never have hands coming around someones shoulder. Looks as if a hand is growing out of their shoulder.
September 18th, 2011 at 7:40 am
Great tips, will work my way through these when I can
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