25. Studio Portrait Photography 1: Posing Your Models

This lesson is all about advising you on how to make a great portrait photo. This lesson covers lighting, posing, and other considerations, starting with...

It's Where You Stand

Basic Tips on Posing:

1. A sitter is not a prop. Do not treat your sitter like a prop. You don't want a bland, empty expression, you want to present a character, brimming with life, charm, personality - something! Talk to your models and get them to reveal their true character. Catch them off guard, shoot without warning. Wait till they stop posing - no one looks real when they try to pose for the camera. See if you can't create a story in a single picture.

Johnny Eager Robert Taylor, by Clarence Bull, 1942

- Just look how one raised eyebrow can create a story

Portrait of Ezra Pound, by Richard Avedon, 1958

Portrait of Jill Bennett, by Brian Duffy, 1961

Portrait of Man Ray, by David Bailey, 1965

Portrait of Mick Jagger, by Jane Brown, 1977

2. Hands can be problematic. If the hands look uncomfortable, and your model's not sure what to do with them, it can become a distraction. Try to have the pinky side facing the camera. Try to avoid the palms showing as they're big and bright (depending on the lighting).

Portrait of Georgia O'Keeffe, by Alfred Stieglitz, 1918

Portrait of Georgia O'Keeffe, by Alfred Stieglitz, 1920

Portrait of Bjork, by Jane Brown, 1995

3. Watch out for foreshortening that can distort the sitter's proportions, especially with elbows and knees.

4. Your sitter needs good posture - not too stiff or rigid, but no slouching! Balance comfort with confidence.

5. Don't overly control your models. Consider an informal approach. Get a conversation going, help loosen up your subjects, make them forget they're being photographed, so you can get something genuine - photos like these don't happen by just giving instructions:

Vicomtesse Jacqueline de Ribes with Raymundo de Larrain, NY, by Richard Avedon, 1961

Portrait of Tom & Courtenay, by Brian Duffy, 1960

Rep. Adam Clayton Powell, congressman for NYC, by Richard Avedon, 1964

6. Don't be afraid to experiment. Your photo need not be conventional, realistic, or anything. Go wild, have your sitter jump around. Don't worry about looking silly. 

Twiggy, with hair by Ara Gallant, Paris, by Richard Avedon, 1968

Imagine how silly Twiggy must've felt tossing her hair around during this shoot, but wow, what a photo!

Here are some inspiring poses to get you going: