I want to see what any photographers go-to poses are. Whether you see them as standard poses for anyone, male or female poses you love and any unorthodox poses that stuck with you after a shoot.
I am interested in seeing and hearing your stories from directing models that came out great thanks to your poses.
As a portrait photographer in freelance myself, I have had great fun in the process of shooting people and seeing how to express a story from directing a model, as well as, anyone with no experience. I mainly shoot on white or black backgrounds so I’d love to see work with background environments too.
Hi there,
Photography is more than interesting hobby and profession. Photographs are captured to save the memories of some particular event or environment. There is a great variety of poses. I like natural poses in which there is best coverage of the scenes or the persons for whom it is all done. There is high scope of photography and I have seen young generation (both male and female) is more capable and versatile in photographic poses than actors, models etc.
Heh, I’ve heard other people say that too. They often dial it back, though, when I point out that a low angle will enlarge their nostrils (if not offer a view right up them), and reduce their eyes.
I tend to get better portraits when I give the subject a small action instead of asking them to simply “pose.” Having them shift their weight, turn away and come back toward the camera, adjust a sleeve, or lean against something usually creates a more natural expression. I also pay close attention to the hands because they can make an otherwise strong pose feel awkward.
For studio portraits, changing the subject’s relationship with the background can make a big difference too. A clean white or black setup can feel completely different when you alter the distance, angle, or light direction. I’ve found spaces such as:lovestudiosnyc.com , useful for this kind of experimentation because a flexible Manhattan studio environment gives you room to move beyond a single static setup. The best pose is often the one that develops naturally from the person, the lighting, and the story you’re trying to capture.
I tend to prefer poses that feel like an extension of the person rather than something overly “posed.” A slight turn of the shoulders, relaxed hands, and having the subject look away from the camera can create a much more natural expression.
One thing that has worked well for me is giving the model a simple action instead of saying “pose.” Walking slowly, adjusting a jacket, sitting down, or interacting with something in the environment often produces better moments to capture.
For environmental portraits, I also like using the surroundings to frame the subject rather than relying entirely on body position. It can make the portrait feel more like a story than just a posed photo.
