What Every Photographer Needs to Know About Posing
Hello and welcome to the podcast! I’m your host, Sandra Coan, and I’m so thrilled you are here today because I want to talk to you about something that is SUPER important, that EVERY photographer needs to know how to do, but we haven’t talked about EVER before on my podcast and that is posing.
Now, a lot of photographers tend to treat posing like it’s a dirty word. Like, we all want our work to look candid and spontaneous and “natural”... and because of that a lot of photographers choose not to pose, wanting to capture “real” and “authentic” moments instead.
However, I am of the belief that knowing how to pose someone is an essential skill for any photographer who works with people, regardless of the age of those people and regardless of the genre of photography you specialize in.
I say that because I think that there is a misconception that posing is only for newborns, and/or that posing is only used in traditional studio settings.
But that is not the case.
If you are a photographer and you work with people, you need to know how to pose those people.
It’s one of the secrets of finding success as a photographer.
If you work with newborns, you need to know how to place them in poses that will keep them comfortable and safe while showing off their cute newborness.
If you work with babies and kids, you need to know how to place, direct and guide them into flattering positions while also allowing them to have fun and show you their personality.
And if you work with teens and adults, you need to know how to guide them into flattering poses so that they look their best.
And I personally feel that working with adults is the hardest…. So if you work with adults you really need to hone your posing game!
Most adults have some level of what I call “photo trauma”.
Over the years they’ve been photographed by people who either aren’t professionals or are professionals but don’t fully understand the art of posing, and those experiences have left them feeling like they’re not photogenic.
They’ll sit in front of you and point out all of their flaws. Or they’ll let you know that they feel awkward or uncomfortable.
I can not tell you how many times the first thing a client says to me when I stand them in front of my camera is “I’m not sure what to do.”
And that’s where poses come in. Your clients are looking for you to give them direction, and they are trusting that you are going to create a flattering image of them.
It’s our job, as photographers, to help people see themselves as the people who love them do.
Posing helps us do that.
It gives you and your clients confidence, it ensures that you are going to get the kind of images that you want out of a session, and it helps you stay focused and on time.
When you have a posing plan, your session has a clear beginning and a clear end. When you have a posing plan, you’ll know when you’ve captured everything you need to capture to create a robust gallery so you know when you're done.
Knowing how to pose and direct people also gives you authority.
It communicates to your client that you know what you’re doing and they can trust you. And that helps them relax and enjoy their time working with you.
Now maybe you’re thinking, wait a minute Sandra, you talk all the time about how you don’t pose babies and now you’re talking to me about the importance of posing? What gives?
Let me clarify.
I 100% pose my newborns, but I stay away from unnatural positions in my posing.
So if the pose is not a position that is natural for a baby to be in, I don’t do it.
That means you will never see froggy posing, or taco posing, or any posing that requires multiple assistants and composites to create.
And I’m VERY passionate about that. I have a lot of very strong opinions which I’ll get into more once we get into the newborn section of the program.
I do position the babies I work with into flattering, and comfortable poses.
And honestly, that’s the goal with all my posing- I want it to look effortless and natural.
My goal is to create classic images that are going to stand the test of time.
I believe that a great portrait tells us something about who the subject is. It lets us see inside of them and share something about who they are at that moment in their life- and that is true of family portraits as well.
They tell us about who that family is at the moment. Just like a portrait of an individual tells us about who that individual is.
And like I said, creating that kind of portrait requires skill.
Now, another reason I am so passionate about posing is that it also helps you create consistency in your portfolio, which is super important and something people don’t often talk about when it comes to posing.
Having a set of go-to poses helps you establish a signature look and signature style.
Potential clients, your fans that follow you, will begin to associate your poses with your work and this is one way to create work that is instantly recognizable. The goal of every photographer should be to create work that people know is YOUR work, without being told. You want people who are scrolling through Instagram to see your image and know it’s yours before reading who took it! Having go-to poses will help you do that.
Having go-to poses also helps set expectations with your client. As they begin to associate certain poses, a certain style, with you, that consistency builds trust. They know what they are going to get if they book you. And then when they do come to you and their photos look like the photos they’ve seen on your feed or in your portfolio, they're happy! No surprises! They get what they’ve paid for!
Posing is important and it matters.
Which is why it’s such a HUGE part of my certification program. To earn certification, photographers need to show mastery in lighting and posing (and we have a ton of detailed lessons inside the program to help them get to that point. I also work with them one-on-one to help them define a lighting style and a posing style and build a curated and consistent portfolio.
Now, enrollment for the certification program is currently closed, but we will be opening it again at the end of the year, so be sure to get on the waitlist so you are the first to know when it opens. I’ll share the link in the show notes!
BUT, until certification opens, here are some things you can do to up your posing game.
Pay attention to the hands of the people you are photographing! Hands communicate so much emotion! They can show nurturing, caring, and love. But they also show stress and unease. If you notice that your client’s hands look stiff, ask them to separate their fingers and bend them in a natural resting posing. This will make your entire image feel more relaxed!
Play around with “posing your clients” to create candid-looking images! Eye contact is a formal portrait, and candids usually involve the subject looking somewhere other than the camera so you can totally create candids. I often do this by asking my clients to look down toward their elbow and laugh. Even a fake laugh looks great in an image!
Keep a list of at least five of your favorite poses and use them at every session! I call this your Fab Five; it will keep you from freezing up during your session, and it will give your portfolio consistent which is good for your brand and business
Don’t forget to leave us a shiny 5-star review on whatever platform you listen on, and I’ll be back next week with a brand new episode!
