Posing can often seem like such an easy thing to do until you get in front of a camera. Then all of a sudden you're wondering how on earth you stand properly, where do I put my
hands? Do I look at the camera or do I look away?
We've created this little guide to give you some advice on how to hold yourself and what you can do to make posing a little easier.
1) Tip number one - Find somewhere to sit.
This might sound obvious but if your trying to pose in an empty space with nothing to interact with, it can be hard to think of a pose. This is something we very rarely do in every day life. If we have to stop in the middle of a street we usually wind up leaning against a wall or quickly get our phones out and start flicking through Instagram.
On a photo shoot, if you find somewhere to sit you will instinctively fall into a pose. By placing yourself on something like a stair set you can then use the different levels of the steps to rest your feet and create a space for you to place your arms.
2) Tip Number Two - Position yourself in relation to the camera.
This tip is in regard to how you hold your body in relation to the camera. The principle is simple, things closer to the camera will appear bigger than things further away. If you are putting your weight into your hips and directing it towards the camera, your hips will appear bigger in the image. If you direct your hips away from the camera they will appear smaller.
3) Tip number 3 - Finding something to lean on.
This tip is great for head shots. If you can find something to lean on when taking a head shot you will then be able to use your arms in a more natural way. Leaning on hands, crossing them over or resting them against your head are all great ways to create a natural, great looking pose.
4) Tip number four - Hands on hips!
This is an essential tip we tell all our models.
We say hands on hips but really its about creating space between your arms and body and legs. If we keep our hands against our sides, feet together and stand to attention, all we are doing is adding weight to our body and making ourselves look more boxy. By bringing our hands up on to our hips we create space between our arm and body. This carves out our figure, its gives us better posture and also encourages our body to lean into that hip, which in turn adds to the pose!
5) Tip number five - Expressions!
Last but not least. Expressions. It's so important to try different expressions. You may think you have a great "look" but its very rare someone wants 50 photos with the exact same face in it and a model agency definitely won't want to see the same face 50 times. Try out different face! Practise in the mirror if you have to. The best thing is to try silly faces, try serious ones and if all else fails, bring a friend along to your shoot who can make you laugh when you're struggling to crack a real smile!
These are just a few tips to think of on your next photo shoot but we'll be sure to add to the list in future blogs! If you feel like trying out some of these poses and getting yourself some killer images why not enquire about some of our shoots below.