A Head to Toe Guide to Posing for Portraits

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We've discussed posing before and if there's one sentence that could describe it, that would be that posing is a challenge for both photographer and client.

Portraiture is a genre of its own, but it includes a lot of subcategories. I believe the more specialized a photographer is, the better chances he has of building a faithful clientele and ultimately leading a successful business.

(Success Tip:Take better photos with this simple deck of cards)


(What is right, what is wrong with this portrait?)

By this theory, portrait photographers can be divided into many different categories. Some photographers specialize in corporate portraits, or portraits of power. They use very specific poses to highlight the idea of power, influence and professionalism.

(Portrait Trivia: What is the #1 focal length used by portrait photographers? See the lens here.)

Someone who takes maternity shots on the other hand will have a completely different type of clients and approach. The idea is that most photographers will reach a certain level where they get good at shooting portraits in general, but there comes a time when you must specialize in specific kind of photography. For that, you will need to learn the specific poses of your niche.

Obviously, there are certain common rules that all types of portrait shots must respect, and similarly there are common mistakes to be made. I suggest taking a few art classes that focus on human anatomy. If that doesn't work for you, buy a few books on posing and use a friend or a family member to practice. This is the most important way of learning to pose your clients and no matter how many videos you watch or books you read, if you don't apply what you learn, it's not going to stick.

In the mean time, here is a very useful video tutorial on posing that deals with multiple kinds of portraits. It's a little longer, but it's thorough. Enjoy!

Learn more about posing from these recommended books: