If you’re a model or photographer, you're in the middle of the shoot, and you're stuck. You’re thinking: How can I get a better model pose? How can I make this picture shine. This is something I have struggled with in my own work, having repetitive or simple posing, so I thought I would write a guide to help out new photographers and models that are in a similar spot. Here are my tips for more natural poses that can help you get unstuck during a photoshoot. I’ve also included a list of model poses you can try out. This list will act as a starting point or give you some options that can help take you on your way to better modeling, whether you’re a photographer or a model.

7 Model Poses And Tips

Getting better at models poses is a great technique that photographers can utilize when they work with models, subjects, talent or clients. The ability to give direction on set and having your vision for how you want your subjects to pose can keep your photoshoot nimble and moving in a forward direction.

Understanding better model poses also keeps people satisfied with your photography and the general vibe of the shoot. You need to understand that posing models isn’t cut and dry. It’s more of an art and a science that are mixed together. Even still, it’s important to get a few takeaways that you can use when taking photos that will help your ability to create a more successful image and allow you to remain confident in your ability to pose models.

Below I’ve listed some of my general tips and also followed them up with specific posing scenarios that you can try out during your next photoshoot.
I’ve written about some of these tips in other news, stories, and social media posts that have been featured on the internet and on my blog.
If you would like to get in touch with me about your posing or have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly through email.

Model Poses: General Tips

1.It's All About the Model Hands

Hands are my old archenemy. For some reason hands seem to be what can make or break a great image. Stiff hands often look, well, stiff, while loose hand might look goofy or awkward depending on the photo. It's going to sound silly, but learn the best angles for your hands and other people’s hands!

Take self-portraits, study classical paintings, and look at your own hands constantly. While we all have beautiful hands, sometimes our social anxiety, awkwardness, or skills tend to make our hands tighten up or do weird things (myself included) when being photographed.

Pay attention to hands next time you’re on a photoshoot with a model.

2.Use a Prop or Object

The types of model poses you can do is increased when you add objects or props into a photoshoot. Examples of this are found in famous fashion photos, or with photographers like Tim Walker or Annie Leibovitz. These are photographers who employ gigantic props to add atmosphere to the scene, or use animals to interact with. You can do this too, but on a smaller scale for your own shoots. Have your models interact with bikes, sun glasses, bottles of water, different objects to keep them busy and add interest to the image.

3.Don't Try To Model

Number three is short, sweet, and to the point. This is a big one I often see with new photographers or models, they try to force poses that they believe are correct.
Sometimes the best model poses come naturally. Next time you're on a shoot, have the model relax and be themselves. You might find that the pictures become more authentic and real.

4.Mood Board

Mood boards are visual images clustered together that show your model or your photographer what type of atmosphere or mood you’re looking for on a shoot. They can include poses, hair, makeup, or really anything else that you have in mind. Have a specific pose that you’re dying to do? Mood boards can help present your idea and act as a visual aid. I’ve had several models ask me if they can do a particular pose they see on a mood board. While these don’t always work due to logistics or the location, it never hurts to try, and it can establish a better working relationship between your team members. If you’re the model, you’ll also be happy that someone came prepared, and if you’re the photographer you should be open to your model’s input. If you have a pose you would like to try out, mood boards are there to help as a visual aid through a number of images that are brought together.

5.Study Model Poses

Study poses! Look at your favorite photographers. Look at the poses. Look at how much depth is involved in the poses and the way the light hits the pose. Think about what would have come before or after the image to make it appear that way. Study photographers you admire in your niche and a little above your level (so to speak), and then work your way up. Editorial photographers like Mert and Marcus or Alexi Lubomirski often employ creative poses that will keep you inspired at the very least. Get creative and try to imitate (without blatant plagiarism of course) one of the greats!

6.Create a Model Scene

Pretend you’re in a play. You need to act out a character or situation to make the scene come to life. The same things applies in photography. The model or the photographer can create something to act out (after all you’re on a shoot) to liven up the poses or get the creativity going. Be a fierce queen, a warrior, a flower child, pretend to be a cat even, in order to make your poses and even the mood of the shoot different. I’ve found this be helpful when you run out of steam or ideas on a photoshoot.

7.Ask Your Model For A Pose

When you have established a good working relationship with your model, you should be able to simply ask them for some poses that they have in their back pocket. This is a really easy way to get better model poses that is often overlooked by photographers in the industry who are too concerned with getting the perfect image or have an exact idea of what they think they want in their heads and are less willing to go with the flow of the photoshoot. Often, your model will know what they want to do and how they want to pose. This will help the shoot move a little faster. After all, that is a large component of having a great model on set, is their experience in posing should be second to none.

Keep that in mind next time you’re on a shoot and want to try some new or creative model poses.

Different Types of Model Poses: The Specifics

Although your best bet is simply to go out and shoot photos, you can always always try to wing your poses. That said, it’s a good idea to have some poses available as the photographer or the model so that you can shoot better and deliver images quickly to your intended client.

Below, I’ve listed a few examples of poses that could work well for both men and women models.
You can also add onto these and develop your own ideas, I think this is just a general starting place for model poses.
If you click here and jump down, you can also see a list of poses that are specifically curated for female models.

Siting Poses For Models

1. Sitting Poses (Female and Male)

Sitting model poses involve any type of pose that uses a chair, stool, bench or anything similar at the location. When models sit, it provides an easy way for them to use their body in new ways depending on the type of seating arrangement. You can see the photo on my right has an example of someone simply using their weight as a way to balance from the chair while the image below that has someone leaning or sitting against a wall.

Female models who are posing should try to position their legs at different angles and playfully incorporate ideas for sitting poses.
On the other hand, males usually have a tried and try method where sitting needs to be confident or relaxed.

2. Crouching Poses (Female)

Female models can use crouching or moving around in sort of a half bent way to exhibit different types of posing that is a little more atypical. You as the model can move over objects or around the room in a very fluid manner so that you give your photographer different perspectives or angles on what they can do when taking the final photograph.

When photographing anyone who is sitting down, you should aim to also take some shots on the model’s plane or perspective.
You don’t want to always look down at your model in a way that may seem inferior or unflattering depending on the situation.

3. Vehicles For Poses (Male or Female)

Cars and bikes can be used for both genders to add interest to a photographic scene and more variety to your model poses.
Using interesting transportation also allows the talent to be occupied they are posing with their entire body.

Standing Poses For Models

4. Motion

Have your models walk around and use the location in new ways. This can add key interest to an image or spark your next idea while you’re posing or directing on set. Try and have models be active and use motion or activity for a kick to their routine, movement and rhythm.

5. Walls (Males)

This male pose is a classic and for good reason. We see it all the time in fashion editorials and online magazines. Often, a male model will show off in a proud or sophisticated model pose against a wall or studio backdrop. This poses will work great for men to emphasize strength and stability.

6. Triangles (Female)

For posing female models, they have the great benefit of their arms being able to work in a variety of ways that present triangles. Creating triangles is an easy way of getting female models to look great and not be still while posing. Keeping feet and arms apart will also show curves and look better for the final images.

7. Props (Females and Males)

As mentioned above, we all love props on set that can help you also interact with your environment.
Using objects or props during photoshoots is a great way to ensure that the shoot is interesting and adds variety to your work.

Here are some ideas that can be used as props on set:

Magazines
Clothing
Instruments
Lights
Nature

8. Confident Feet (Male)

When you’re not sure how to pose a model have them lean on something. Guys can’t look bad having a great center of gravity and putting one foot right in front of the other. Make your feet confident! This type of foot-thinking-forward poses is universally accepted as great. It can also be situated differently to the side of crisscross. Try this out next time you’re on a shoot with a male model.

Having subjects also put their hands in their pockets or cross their arms is a great way to ease your hands or eliminate any awkward incidents that could happen when you have a straight forward pose.

Model Poses For The Floor

9. Yoga (Female)

Yoga is a winner for models. When you’re left with just the floor, try that out for posing. While this won’t work very well with male models, female models have the ability to lie out and have fun with their environment. Think of floor poses as a yoga class or a workout studio. Anything that will show off your features in a flattering way will work great on the floor including plants, stretching or balancing. Of course this also depends on the type of mood and shoot you’re putting together. If you don’t know if a pose is working or not, you can also talk to your model about how they’re doing and make sure to check-in with them every once and awhile. Move on to something simple now and then to even things out for your talent.

Model Poses For The Face

10. Model Stare (Males and Females)

This classic model pose or face incorporates the signature look found in fashion magazines. It’s the I’m-too-cool-for-school style that separates models from portraits or family shoots. This look works for both males and females and is something you can tell your models to even practice at home.

11. Hands and Face (Female)

Having your female models use their fingers to make playful faces or wrap around the corners of their face can add interest, mystery, and emotion to any shoot. Have your female models interact more with their face for a graceful style or one that can become silly and fun at a moment’s notice.

12. The Chin (Male)

Posing male models is all about looking confident and put together.

Bring out their jawline, and have your male models express themselves through their eyes and head mannerisms. This approach can sometimes go a long way to adding more points of interest to a photograph. Next time you’re on a shoot, try it out and see what happens.

Ideas For Female Models Poses

This section of the model’s guide deals with female poses and ideas you can use for posing female models on your next photoshoot. If you’d like just a little more inspiration for your shoot or you’re a model who wants some new ideas than this is a great way to add more options during a photoshoot. I’ve included several female model poses below and I hope you enjoy these ideas for use in your next production.

Model Preparation

For a model female or male, posing is a skill that should organically come about after practice and experience. Modeling is basically making a series of poses work well together and having that come about seamlessly. Often the better the model you are, the better you are at posing. If you’re an aspiring or established model, you should look closely at magazines, mood boards, locations and outfits for female model pose inspiration so that you’re prepared come shoot day.

This would give you the best chance of having female (or male) model poses available in the back of your hand. Of course, the photographer can also help you out or the other way around. At the very least, you should have a general idea of the kinds of poses you would like to try out.

Great female models can make any sort of pose fit well in any given circumstance. Sometimes there are obviously exceptions to this rule, and you can’t force something that won’t work on a practical level. There are also considerations that come into play with restrictive clothing, dress, or taking part in a photoshoot where people are moving.

Sportwear shoots or shoots that involve athletics such as yoga, running, swimming, and climbing are certainly going to have parameters that you’ll need to be aware of and follow when you’re planning out your poses. In other photoshoots like ecommerce shoots, you may be asked to simply stand in one spot and make micro-adjustments that fit the general theme that the photographer is aiming to create.

For the benefit of your time, we’ll simply cover normal poses that you may encounter. These include female sitting, standing, and walking poses that I typically depend on when conducting any test shoot or portrait shoot. When posing female models, the most important step is to communicate with the individual you’re photographing.

Communication is the best way to access great poses and establish a mutual level of respect between the model and the photographer. That way, you’re both on the same page and have the same expectations when it comes down to female model poses and posing your subject.

Photographer Preparation

If you’re the photographer for the shoot, you’ll want to do your due diligence and look at different female model poses or ideas that you can incorporate into your next photoshoot. These might take the form of poses that the model has shot previously, work from other photographers or models, and your own portfolio. This will give both of you a good idea of what to expect when the shoot starts and again, you can communicate with your model as to what you would like to do as an overall theme or mood for the day.

Another reason to make planning a part of your to-do list is that it will allow you to illustrate through images you find or other visuals, what kind of poses you want to test. Having a clear idea and visual imagery is a great way to stay professional and makes you seem more credible in the eyes of the model and your team even if you’re not entirely sure what the final product will look like after production and editing is taken into consideration.

Female Model Posting Tips

When I work with any sort of model or person, I understand that posing takes two. You should make sure that you give input to your female model verbally or through body language about the types of poses you would like to do and ensure that they’re one’s that you’re both comfortable photographing on set in that instance. Treat your models like normal people who you’re collaborating with on your photoshoot and your fifty percent of the way to success. Ultimately, communication is once again key to amazing images when working with anyone in a creative collaboratively environment.

If you need ideas for female poses including standing or sitting variations, I have included an additional list of poses for your benefit that can help you get started during your photoshoot. These can be incorporated in several different situations so do not just limit them to fashion photography and posing female models.

As stated earlier in this guide, my recommendation would be to use mood boards and images on your smart phone to increase the likelihood that your female or male model will understand and visualize the photos that you have buzzing around in your brain. If all else fails, you can also resort to communicating physically by showing the model how you would like them to pose by imitating the action with your own body.

This might feel a little uncomfortable at first since you’re used to being a photographer, but I guarantee it will help alleviate some of your stress and will be beneficial for having your model understand your vision behind the camera and into model posing territory.

More Female Model Poses

1. Using Walls

Walls are my best friend. They make a great place for female models to get creative during a shoot and can be incorporated into any standing pose with relative ease. Add some tension or push away from walls to add interest to your photos and subject.

2. Using Knees

A classic sitting pose is one where your knees are hunched up and your sitting looking at the camera as a female model. Have the model focus on the inner camera eye and really give it their all through their body movements and abilities while still remaining calm.

3. Using Pockets

Show off the features of a garment, dress or attire by having your female model take advantage of pockets. Pockets are also a great way to hide hands which we’ve mentioned earlier in this guide. Sometimes using pockets can be tricky if you’re just starting out so practice makes perfect.

4. Lying Down

Lying down is an easy pose for models but can be difficult as a photographer. Have your model move their feet away from you as they spin or sprawl in various movements. Resting can also be an alluring or interesting pose depending on the type of shoot and your experience.

5. Walk Toward the Photographer

Taking a stroll toward the photographer is a very natural pose if you can even call it a pose exactly. This should be something that’s natural for most female subjects and shouldn’t be a problem for any experienced female model. This is something that you can also do in a more open and candid fashion to create some interesting in-between photographs.

6. Look Back at Photographer

A classic female standing pose for generations has been the look over the shoulder one. This is a killer in the social media and photography community, where your female or male model walks away from the camera or photographer and looks back at them in real time. It’s often done in a way to simply ask the viewer to follow along in the image or take a journey with your model. When done right this is very effective at making a striking image.

7. One Knee Up

Another sitting pose that incorporates the knees. This one has the model put one leg up and the other leg to the side or underneath the original leg. It should feel fairly natural and smooth while giving the photograph some extra depth to the portrait that wouldn’t exist if the knees were on the same plane or perspective.

8. Female Curve Pose

A pose that is a standard for a reason. You should make an S or J curve with your body in order to shape yourself in a more interesting position that flaunts the female model’s characteristics. Depending on your level of experience as a model, this is something that is easier said than done and I understand that the way you do this pose will depend on everyone’s particular characteristics. Try this one out on your next photoshoot and see how you like this pose.

9. Female Face Pose

An easy female pose is one where you have your model sit down and simply shape their hands around their face. This is a typical portrait technique that can add interest to the face and neck during a photoshoot. It allows for a lot of different options, especially when you add in natural emotions and characters into the mix of what the face can do! The human face is truly amazingly expressive so test out what you can do or what your subject is capable of presenting to the world. Another consideration is that you can move your torso or shoulders for even more variety to this female model pose.

10. Female Hips Pose

You’re bound to run into this female model pose in editorials or fashion shoots. Put your hands on your hips. It’s that easy. this classic pose makes great space or triangles (as mentioned earlier in this guide) to help you create breathing room for the photoshoot and the viewer of the image.

11. A Jump Pose

Going out and jumping is something fun to break the ice. Let female models jump, let their personality shine and have fun while they’re posing and acting out on location with your team. If you’re the model, you should jump, run, play, act, and somersault through space to create more interest to an image and be more creatively carefree with your movements.

12. Stomach Poses

A summer pose for female models is one where you’re hanging out lying down. This can be paired with switching sides, the classic S or J curve pose and anything with a drink or picnic scene. Please pay attention if you’re not comfortable in this pose as it can get difficult depending on your individual model or who you are as a model.

13. Chair Pose Take 2

The chair or stool pose is an easy one for studio photographers to help pose female models and also a fun way to test lighting while in the studio.
This is a good way to let your models relax. Make sure if you’re the model to stabilize your torso and keep your legs or feet free to do the work.

14. Pretending To Drink Water

Drinking is actually a great activity to add interest to your female model shoot. It looks natural and it’s something that people do all the time so it’s naturally interesting to the viewer. This can work with any type of drink or container. Make sure to not block the face and keep considerations for the type of drink that you’re adding into your scene.

15. The One Shoulder

When a female model hunches their shoulders to the back or to the side, it can add a dramatic sense of confidence to an image. Otherwise you just have a female model who is sort of just standing still and not doing much under a lot of conditions. Hunching is sure fire way to spice things up.

16. Crouch Pose

A crouch needs to be used sparingly. The crouch pose is a neat way to add a little punk element to your photoshoot when done correctly. Add it to your female model poses database when the need arises. Although it has the capacity for being a little gawky, when done right, it can tell a more provoking story for the audience.

17. The Camera Stare

All photographers are familiar with the Blue Steel or camera stare that model’s give when they want to act serious or are putting on their best professional model impression. This is not exactly a female model pose, it’s almost a way of life for many photographers. Make sure your subject is looking at the camera and giving you their best model expression. Tips don’t really work for this one other than having your model blink a few times to ensure they don’t blink on the actual click of the shutter. In commercial terms this might be called a headshot photo or portrait photograph.

18. Glass Poses

If you have a mirror or a pane of glass lying around the house then it’s the perfect time to break out your camera. Have a model stand in front or behind glass for some amazing in-camera elements and interest to any portrait shoot. You can also use small pieces of mirror or glass in front of your lens to add a little bit of fuzzy haze to the unretouched image. Make sure you do this in a completely safe manner, as dangerous conditions can arise when you use glass or any type of sharp material at home.

19. Use Props

This has been mentioned earlier in our guide but it’s worth mentioning again specifically for female models. Whether its speakers or bikes or instruments, give your female model something to interact with on your photoshoot that will be appropriate for the finished catalog of images. Don’t forgot, you can also ask your model to bring some props with her if she’s interested in displaying more of her personality with the world. This is a great way to make your images more natural and can lead to all sorts of different posing ideas for female models. Remember this guide is really a starting point so get creative with how you use these ideas in your work.

20. Clothing

Fashion photography means clothing and that means fashion poses. You only need to scroll through countless fashion magazines for inspiration on this one and clothing can be limitless in it’s posing potential. I’ll try to have a breakdown of different ways you can utilize clothing in a different blog post that is specifically tailored (no pun intended) to certain circumstances. For now, remember that if you have an experienced female model they should be able to use any sort of clothing to their advantage to bring life and value to your photoshoot. That’s where picking good models for your shoots or practicing your craft as a model really comes into play. This is especially true in ecommerce photography where you may be trying on 100 different looks over the course of several days and rattling off micro-poses and expressions needs to become your bread and butter. Experiment with different poses and different clothing to see what you look best in and what will look best for your portfolio. Some models are more comfortable in certain outfits than others so as always, communicate with your subject about where their interests are oriented.

21. Active Poses

We had mentioned poses that require swimming and running earlier in this guide so active poses should come as no surprise for any female models. A lot of jobs you take will likely involve the sorts of flexible or natural actions that you do while hiking, biking, swimming or being a yogi in your own home. Don’t try to get too messy with active poses as normally what has worked well in the past will work well now. The same thing can be said for other types of poses but creativity should hinge a little bit more on the environment and less on your posing techniques for certain sports or activities where action is required. The hard part about these is looking good while being active and for that, endurance, strength and stamina are your best friends.

22. Two Models Posing

When you’ve exhausted your list of one model poses you can always up the stakes by photographing two individuals over the course of one shoot or photographing two models at the same time. When adding an additional female model or subject to your photoshoot, poses can get more complex, will require more coordination and certainly require collaboration for all involved subjects. It’s important that the amount of error when posing more than one subject is increased as you add more people into the mix. This rule is particularly true for fashion models while family shoots and portraits shoots benefit from having the bar typically set a little bit lower than a big budget production, campaign or editorial.

Whatever your particular scenario, get creative and have fun. If the talent is having a good time then it will make your life a whole lot easier despite the added difficulty that may or may not be involved for your particular skill level. Try to master the art of one model poses before jumping into the water for two model poses. Finally, you might feel a little more pressure when you’re modeling with two subjects but if you’re the photographer or the model remember that you should simply depend on your training and instincts to carry you through the photoshoot.

23. Photographer Pose

The final pose I’m going to teach you about is when you’re actually in the photograph as the photographer. This is a model pose that is very classic and goes back to painting where the artist would insert his image in to the visual piece to add more interest visually. This is something that I would not recommend you do very often but it is a great tool if you’re looking for something different to spice up your model poses.

Female Model Poses Conclusion

Posing female models is something that’s difficult at first but has the ability to get easier with practice. I hope this guide has left you with a pocketbook of ideas for your next shoot and can help you produce better images wherever you are in your career. This will serve as an easy introduction to photographing female models and practice and preparation can go far in helping you achieve the perfect pose or look for your shoot. Sometimes, even the weirdest poses can make for a wonderful image so experimentation and communication are the key to greatness.
I’ll be adding more content to this as I move forward in my own photographic career. I hope you go out and test these ideas next time you’re out on a photoshoot and remember to have fun posing models through the techniques we’ve discussed in this post.

*Pay Attention When Posing Feet Avery @ LA Models*