How to Pose for Photos
Accentuate Facial Feature and the Body in Formal and Informal Photos
Nov 9, 2009
It doesn’t matter whether a woman loves having her picture taken or absolutely hates the idea of being photographed. With a little bit of practice, women can be ready to strike a pose whenever a camera is angled in their direction. Although these activities may bring back memories of standing in front of a mirror while in high school and striking poses, they can also allow women to discover their best features.
Look through a celebrity or fashion magazine and notice that certain actresses always take a similar stance, the left foot always pointing forward or the head nearly always turned to the right. This is a woman who knows how to pose in a way that accentuates her best features.
Tilting or Angling the Head in Photographs.
Model Carmen Electra, in How to Be Sexy with Sheryl Berk (Broadway Books, 2006) suggests ways to sit or stand in photographs. She also recommends looking in a mirror and checking out how something as simple as the way a woman angles her head can create the look she wants to project.
Stand in front of a mirror and look to the left and then the right. Smile and look right and then left. A woman’s best side is the side that she feels best projects the person she is. A woman shouldn’t feel that it’s necessary to hide a crooked tooth or mole if that is part of her individual look.
Next, tilt the chin down. Hold the angle while looking to the left and then the right. Look straight ahead and tilt the head to the left and then the right.
Basic Standing Posture for Women
Electra suggests standing tall while keeping the head and shoulders relaxed. Ears should be over the shoulders, which eliminates slouching! Roll shoulders backwards, but avoiding forcing them back so far that the chest sticks out. Rounded shoulders create a look of shyness.
Face feet forward and balance weight equally on both feet and allow arms to hang along the sides. Keep the chin parallel to the ground. Pull in the tummy, but not so much that it causes the pelvis to tilt upward.
When the basic posture feels natural, then change the look by moving the angle of the feet. Imagine standing on the face of a clock and angle the right foot to two o’clock. Place the left foot close to the right foot and keep it facing straight ahead to twelve o’clock. Center the left foot to the arch of the right foot. (Switch the position of right and left feet to stand at a different angle.)
Posing for Photographs While Seated
Avoid sitting straight on to the camera. Twist so that the body’s weight is resting more on one side than the other with the other hip angled toward the camera. Sit at a slight angle with legs uncrossed and knees together.
If crossing the legs, avoid doing so at the knee because the flesh of the calf will bulge when the knee presses into it. A woman should practice sitting so that from the knees down the legs are parallel to each other. Position the lower leg at a slight diagonal to maintain an elegant look. Keep the back elongated, chin parallel to the ground, and shoulders back and relaxed.
Even in informal pictures, a woman can pose her body in a way that looks natural and confident. With practice, she can learn how to hold her head in a position that accentuates her face as well as how to stand and sit in ways that appear inviting.
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