Top 15 Photo Posing Techniques

Study fashion magazines and catalogues for posing ideas!
Be natural and let your personality shine through!
Poses should typically be soft and fluid – not stiff and please, no poses showing your arm pits
Know your body
Practice in the mirror
- Are your clothes falling naturally and smoothly?
- What’s your best angle?
- How is your posture?
- What is your facial expression? Don’t use a big smile for every pose. Try a small smile, a laugh or a pout to give some facial variety.
Breathe naturally – don’t hold your breath!
Basic poses
- Basic Model Stance
- Sports Stance (legs wide)
- Broken Line (head cocked to the side)
- Curved Line (like the letter “c”)
- Vertical Line (straight)
Copy a pose from a magazine and make small changes to it! Reposition an arm or leg, turn the head; bend, stretch or twist the body, etc. Try several and find the pose that you are most comfortable with.
PRACTICE makes perfect! The more you practice the more confidence you will develop where the poses will feel natural.

Listen to what the photographer tells you! He/she can see you through the camera. You can’t!
Don’t always look straight at the camera. Instead, use a variety of head and eye positions.
Rest most of your weight on one foot or the other instead of evenly on both feet. Doing so makes poses look less artificial and gives a slimming effect in most poses.
Keep your chin up to avoid a double chin look
Be sure to keep your hair off your face!
In full body shots, keep a 45 degree angle to the camera