This was where it all began. I originally posted this free posing prompts DIY on my wedding photography website, Icefeatherwind Photography, and the response was overwhelming. It showed me that there were a lot of other photographers out there who wanted quick and easy access to photo prompts in an easy-to-use field cards deck.

I am currently updating and improving these original cards, ready for launch as a V2 of the original (let’s face it, pretty basic) printed deck that so many photographers just like you wanted. I just can’t wait to show you the new design of these cards in all their glory.

For a limited time I’m continuing to offer the original prompts as the gallery-based App. So many people have downloaded the App from the original post, and I don’t want to leave anyone without this tool that they rely on in their photography.

Beta testers for the new App

When the new, improved new App is ready, I’m going to invite all the original users of version 1 to participate in beta testing the App, and getting it ready for the general public.

I’ll be offering the new App for FREE to every beta tester.

If you have provided your email in the original App, then you’re on the beta tester list already. I’ll be emailing you with more information. FAQ for beta testers here.

Ok, let’s go: here’s the original post, in all its glory!

Free posing prompt and portrait idea cards for photographers

Are you ready to DIY up a fun set of posing prompt cards for yourself? I love posing games; they’re a great way to relax everyone at a shoot and make sure everyone’s having fun. I’ve included a huge big bunch of prompts I’ve gathered over the years here, as well as general posing guidelines and ideas for fun portraits. You are welcome to use these for your own photography completely free, including the free posing prompt app (see the link below). Let’s get started!

What you’ll need

• A printer.
• A laminator.
• Eighty-five 67 x 99mm laminating pouches – usually they come in a box of 100.
• Seventeen A4 mailing labels (the kind with one-per-page, i.e. a whole page that’s one big sticky-backed sheet) – usually sold in a box of 100 too but some newsagents might let you buy them one at a time.
• At least eleven A4 coloured cards (or thick paper) for backing – one sheet per eight cards (there are 85 cards altogether but see note about colour coding below).
• Scissors.
• Hole punch.
• A ring of some kind to bunch your cards together.
• Backing template PDF
• Pose prompt cards PDF

How to colour-code the cards

I colour-coded my cards: red for general portrait ideas, orange for family pose ideas, yellow for kids and baby photo ideas, green for couple pose prompts and blue for wedding photo ideas (I have a thing for rainbows). Have a look at the prompt cards PDF and you’ll see how I’ve categorised each prompt idea. Now, obviously you can use “couple” ideas for weddings, and some cards are kind of general, or I’ve marked them as both families and weddings… so I am going to leave it up to you how you want to do your colour-coding. Just keep in mind when choosing your coloured card sheets that you can get up to eight cards from each sheet. There are 85 prompt cards so at a minimum you could use 11 sheets of backing card but there is not a perfect division of my categories into lots of 8. So, like, for example if there were 10 “kids” cards, you’d need two whole sheets of yellow backing card to cover that. I feel like I’m making this confusing. Just cut out your stickers, put them in logical piles, and count up how many bits of coloured card you need. You’ll be fine.

Could I use A4 laminating pouches instead?

Now, I am really going to strongly suggest that the 67mm x 99mm laminating pouches are essential to this being an easy-breezy DIY and not an endless slog of paper-crafting irritation and ARGH why are they all falling together in the laminator and OH GOD now I have to go print them all again and WHY DID I EVEN START THIS PROJECT and NOW MY BABY’S AWAKE FROM ALL THE SWEARING AT THE LAMINATOR. Please trust me. I love laminating stuff and I implore you to believe me that the tiny pouches are so much easier than trying to lay these cards out in an A4 laminating sheet and cutting them out one by one.

What to do

Step 1. Download the backing template and the free prompt cards PDFs.

Step 2. Print the prompt cards on your A4 mailing labels. Cut each sticker out around the outside and along the grey lines. Make sure you keep the front and the back of the card together so that you don’t get your example photos mixed up (it’s meant to have the prompt on one side of the finished card, the example on the other). Now’s a good time to count up how many coloured sheets you need for your chosen category system (see above).

Step 3. Print the backing template onto your coloured card/paper. Ignore the printer’s warning that content might get cut off. The lines are just guides for cutting along anyway. Print and cut out all your backing cards.

Step 4. Peel and stick each set of two stickers onto the front and back of each coloured card.

Step 5. Slip each completed card into a laminating pouch and laminate.

Step 6. Punch a hole in the top left corner of each card and thread onto your ring. All done!

Get out there and photograph!

I hope you enjoy this DIY! I’d love to see your free posing prompt cards and hear how you use the prompts. Drop me some social media love!

Thanks for coming here to get updated and join the new tribe

I want to provide huge value to you all with this new project, and I have a newborn baby and a toddler, so bear with me as I get this off the ground! I can’t wait to release the new cards and get the new App launched for you all.