Prompted photography is somewhere in the middle of the posed-documentary spectrum, taking the best parts of both posed (traditional) and documentary (or photojournalistic) photography. These posing tips for flattering photos lean more towards the traditional posing side of the spectrum.
Posing tips for flattering photos of women and men
You can use this prompt working with individuals on their own, or within a group photo. The goal is to make slight adjustments to posture and positioning to flatter the features.
How to use this photo pose prompt
Make adjustments without drawing attention to features (avoid making your client feel self-conscious).
Always demonstrate what you want them to do, by becoming their mirror: use your body to show what you want done. If you want their left leg shifted, shift your right leg.
To adjust heads, you can use what I call Puppet Fingers: imagine you have little strings attached to their head. Show how you want them to move by tweak the “string” between forefinger and thumb, or four finger lift of the chin, guide face to gaze left, etc. You’re not actually touching them in this scenario. You’re imaginarily touching them (think orchestra conductor fingers). But it works: most people will instinctively follow your gestures.
With any of these posing strategies, you are not trying to force every single rule into one single pose! Pick and choose to enhance and flatter features where needed. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.
Check out these prompts for more fundamentals:
Posing anyone
- Straight posture is critical: have your subject imagine there is a string running through them from top to bottom, and someone is pulling up on the string. Roll shoulders back and down and then relax. Suck in stomach and then relax.
- Check if glasses are reflecting light (hiding eyes) and if they are, have your client pull their glasses forward slightly and tilt the lenses down by raising the temple tips (the bits behind their ears) up.
- Remove sunglasses and transition lenses (the kind that darken in sunlight) for outdoor photographs.
- Turn the body away from the primary light source (this slims the form). I.e. have the primary light fall on their side.
- Turn their face back into the light so that the short side (the cheek furthest from the camera) is lit with the primary light source. This is called short lighting and it carves out the face, giving it a slender, defined form, in comparison to broad lighting, where the light falls on the wider side of the face (the cheek closer to the camera).
- Have them rest their weight on the back foot (the one furthest from the camera). Shift weight to one side for a natural, relaxed feel.
- Features in comparison to the camera: closer = bigger, further away = smaller.
- Longer focal length flattens features that are pointed at the camera; shorter focal length exaggerates whatever’s closest to the lens.
Posing in feminine forms
- After turning body away slightly from lens, lean slightly forward at the waist, breathe in and lift (chest pushed towards lens).
- Chin pushed forward and down slightly to eliminate double-chin. Tell them to imagine they are holding an apple with their chin and neck.
- Tilt head towards the camera.
- Point the toe without weight on it (weight on back foot, see above). Pop the knee (bring it up across the other knee).
- Create an arm triangle: arms away from body with space in elbow to see through.
- Hang arms away from sides of body to slim larger upper arms (i.e. avoid pressing tight against side of body).
- Put hands on hips, then slide hands together toward the front of the belly, to accentuate a narrow waist.
- Let hands fall long and relaxed (think ballerina fingers).
Posing in masculine forms
- After turning body away slightly from lens, square the shoulders back towards the camera, and then hang (relaxed) from the shoulders (as if shoulders are a coat hanger). Lean towards the camera slightly to broaden shoulders. This gives the classic masculine V.
- Options for legs: weight on back leg, cross other in front above ankles. Feet planted, shoulder width apart. Lean-and-lift: lean against wall, raise one foot to lean on wall.
- Emphasize the jawline (push chin out and slightly down). Use shadow beneath the chin to define angles of the jaw.
- Tilt head away from the camera.
- Have him “squinch,” a term defined by Peter Hurley which means a half-squint (lower eyelids raise while the top don’t move).
- Give hands something to do. Cross arms across chest to show power.
Posing tips for flattering photos: creative extension
- Choose feminine and masculine posing tips not based on your client’s gender, but on what you want to convey in the photograph (e.g. pose a woman using the masculine tips, and visa versa). Tell a story with the pose.
