The Beginner's
Guide to Posing
An introduction to unleashing your inner ethereal.
I've heard it many times.โ
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"I would love to have photos like that, but I'd have no idea how to pose."
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"That looks amazing, but it could never be me."
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Sometimes, fear of the unknown stands in the way of an unforgettable experience. I understand. If you've had either limited or negative exposure to the front of a camera, posing for photos can feel intimidating.
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Years ago, when I was starting out, I modeled for other photographers to help hone my craft. Not every photographer was a good person. Not every experience was positive.
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But I did learn a lot, and I've taken every lesson with me into the work I do today - some helpful how-to's, and some hard line hell no's.โโโ
My job is to provide a safe space for you to explore, express and create.โ
And it matters a lot to me. I want you to feel completely comfortable and absolutely love both your images and your experience. That's why I've created this introduction to posing.โ
Know that on the day of your session, I will get you in your best light. I will find the good angles. I will help you pose, answer your questions and I promise you'll have fun. But if you're like me, a little prep beforehand helps you feel more at ease.
This guide will give you some tips to help you show up for your session feeling ready to go.โ
To begin with...
Unclench your jaw! It's easy to overlook but it makes a big difference in both feeling and appearing more relaxed.
Now roll your shoulders up and back. That's another place we hold tension.
Relaxing the muscles in our shoulders and being mindful of posture helps us into those soft, fluid poses we so often associate with ethereal portraits.
Engage your core.
This goes hand in hand with posture.
It's not about 'sucking it in' or trying to look 'skinny'. Engaging your core will help you stabilize for poses that involve stretching and extending.
Follow your body line.
If you're like me, you have dance moves only your mirror will ever see. When I'm out of my element, free movement suddenly feels daunting. My arms and legs feel heavy and awkward.
Following your body line is a beautiful way to warm up and get comfortable moving.
Simply fold forward, allowing your arms to hang comfortably. Engage your core. Then slowly unfold upwards, bringing your hands up along your torso and neck, reaching up to the sky.
Essentially, this pose is a big, luxurious stretch (actually, a lot of great poses are) - it's one of my favorites, and looks beautiful on camera.
Another way to follow your body line is to stretch one arm all the way out to the side, in front of you or above your head.
With your other hand, trace your extended arm from your shoulder all the way out to your fingertips. Lean into the extension, like you're trying to reach something just out of grasp.
A lot of times, for beginner poses, it's as simple as leaning into a stretch. There's a reason for that.
When we feel unsafe or uncertain, it's easy for our muscles to subconsciously tighten up. When we're relaxed, our muscles are more relaxed as well.
That's why these simple stretches translate as peaceful and at ease - we subconsciously understand that we only make these movements in a safe environment.
You don't need an elaborate list of poses to look relaxed and ethereal!
If your clothes will allow for it, a fun way to add some motion to your images is a good old-fashioned skirt toss.
Embrace the fact that you won't be able to move your hands very far before the skirt returns to its original resting place. That's ok.
Instead, just relax your hands and allow the skirt to drop. We'll cover some easy relaxed hand postures next!
Easy as 1, 2, 3.
Relaxed hand positions don't need to be difficult or overthought!
Hold your hands in front of you, palms up. Gently curve your fingers upwards, slightly. Stack your ring finger over your pinky, and your middle finger over your ring finger. Leave your index fingers pointing slightly up.
Voila! Told you it was easy!
Spidey Senses.
Yes, it kind of looks like web slinging. But this simple hand position is elegant and graceful, and it's easy to pull off.
Start the same as before, with open palms face up and fingers slightly curved. Curl your ring and middle finger in toward your palm just a little bit more than your other fingers.
Experiment with combinations of these two hand positions, or try your own!
I hope this guide has given you some useful tips to feel relaxed and prepared for your ethereal portrait session.
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