How to do Modeling Poses?

How to do Modeling PosesModeling in the beginning when you get in front of a camera can be very nerve racking. Often times people see pictures of models posing and they look very comfortable and it’s all easy and breezy and it looks like anybody can do it. However, the first few questions from an aspiring model are always:

  • What do I do with my hands?
  • What am I supposed to do with my arms?
  • How should my legs be?

This is where things such as practicing comes into play for all types of models as it helps you understand how it feels to strike certain poses. For example, if you are standing with your hand firmly on your hip, every limb in your body is stiff, and it’s going to look stiff on camera. Everything has to be very gentle and very light, you are not actually putting the weight where you think you’re putting the weight, like on your hand or on your feet.

Striking Modeling Poses with Photographers

Another oddity that models experience the first time they attend modeling jobs and get in front of a plain back ground is when a photographer says “Okay do something.” If you’ve never modeled or never practiced you are going to freeze, and think “I have no idea what to do.” That’s why when you’re testing and practicing modeling poses you’re actually learning how to do your job. In some cases you’re testing and you’re working with photographers who are sometimes learning their job too, they are practicing lighting and angles, so it’s a collaboration. However, the most important thing to take away from the experience is that you are actually learning what to do in front of the camera.

Hand, Head, and Feet Placement

Hands, head, (like where to put your head) and what to do with your feet are some of the most important things to having good modeling poses during a photo shoot. Everything that is an extension of you have to learn what to do with it in front of the camera. For hands it is a huge thing, if you are shooting in front of a plain background, your hands make a huge difference. It has to be very soft and that takes a long time to learn. Some people think it’s just about your face but NO they can see you hands if it looks stiff or tough. So you really have to model from your head to the tip of your toes. And know your angles.

Offer Options with Modeling

Another thing most models have learned is how to act at a photo shoot and to give your photographer as many options as he can use. If you go crazy and move around in the proper manner, he will capture a moment. It’s better to give him more options and have him tell you to hold back a bit than to just be cautious. Go full forward and practice before hand and see what angles work better for you. Also, know your body. If you have bigger hips or bigger legs position it in a way that you know will hopefully look the best. Just know that the camera sees everything. Try to position it in a way that looks more natural even though it may not feel natural.

Finding a good pose while modeling is all about energy and freedom. If someone says dance and you dance, you can practice dancing and you have a good time. A great image is not what you think it is, it can feel very uncomfortable but that can be the picture of the whole day. So it is about allowing yourself as the model not to worry about the end result of the picture, let the photographer worry about the end result of the pictures. Your job is to give as much as you can and sometimes a little over the top and let the photographer tell you to tone it down.

You do not have to worry about whether they get the shot or not and the pressure of worrying about that is usually what causes you to be stiff in front of the camera. So if you don’t worry about that and you let the photographer who is looking at you and sees you differently than you how see yourself if you let that happen and let it unfold naturally you are going to get better results and have better pictures.



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