In the last blog, we looked at posing with your arms and hands. This time, we’ll look at the overall body shape whilst posing.
Generally, there are different pose shapes which work better for males and females, although with care you can incorporate them successfully to either gender.
For males, rectangular or triangular posing works well. You are looking to complement the natural shapes of the male form. The feelings this style of angular posing gives off is of strength, power, and dominance. It can also give an intimidating impression.
For females, an “S” or curved pose can be preferred as this complements the female form. The feeling the “S” or curved posing gives of is more gentle, sensual, and has a more approachable impression for the viewer.
Rectangular Pose
"S" Pose
Parallel to camera
Angled to camera
These forms can be used to contrast the stereotypical views of the opposite genders to give an impactful image.
Accompanying this information, is your position in relation to the camera.
If a person is having their photo taken, they will normally stand with their torso and shoulders parallel to the camera. This type of pose is fine, if you are wanting to give the perception of being static, confrontational and/or demanding of attention.
The main problem with this pose is, it is flat and can be uninteresting without additional features in the scene, such as directional lighting.
Turning your body to a side, can lead to a more dynamic pose. You may also feel the difference in yourself when being straight on or when angled to a camera.
If a person is having their photo taken, they will normally stand with their torso and shoulders parallel to the camera. This type of pose is fine, if you are wanting to give the perception of being static, confrontational and/or demanding of attention.
The main problem with this pose is, it is flat and can be uninteresting without additional features in the scene, such as directional lighting.
Turning your body to a side, can lead to a more dynamic pose. You may also feel the difference in yourself when being straight on or when angled to a camera.
The best advice for improving your posing, is by understanding how you appear to others when you are moving, posing, and feeling.
As mentioned before, using a mirror and going through different poses, expressing different emotions, will take some time to perfect. But, it will help you greatly when having your photo taken, either during a photo session or in a more casual setting.
The final blog in this series will look at using your eyes to deliver a message whilst modelling.