Sacramento Senior Photography Posing Tips – My 7 Top Tips
I have had the opportunity to photograph many talented fashion models in Sacramento and throughout North America. It’s a common misconception that photogenic models take beautiful photographs naturally. In fact, without the right poses and modeling tips, the perfect photographs are a lot harder to come by. It’s important to understand that even the most beautiful people are not naturally photogenic. Being photogenic is about awareness of how your subjects put their best self forward, and knowing how to express their charisma for the camera.
1. Posing the Arms – A good rule to remember is: any body part that a person has two of should be positioned at different levels. When posing the arms, keep in mind that they should not be falling straight down at their sides, as this will make the arms appear larger and static. They also should not be held tightly against their body, as this will flatten the arms and seem to widen the arms and torso.
2. Focusing on Posture – good postures can dramatically improve your high school senior’s appearance in pictures. Most people have the tendency to slouch when they are comfortable. While your subject should be comfortable, you want them to maintain good posture. Have them breathe normally and relax their shoulders. Always remember to have your subject keep their back straight and their shoulders up. Slouching affects the mood of the photograph and enlarges the appearances of their stomach. In addition to their back and shoulders, have them flex their stomach muscles. Despite their weight or state of shape, their abdomen will appear more toned if they flex.
3. Sitting Position – When taking pictures of your high school senior sitting down, have them put their weight on the back of one thigh, rather than distributing their weight equally on both thighs. Ensure to avoid having their legs appear struck together, especially at a side angle. Have them bend one or both legs at the knees, at different heights to show more fluidity in the pose. As a general rule, if it bends, bend it.
4. Be Mindful of the Double chin – shoot at a slight downward angle for headshots. Shooting just above the eye level allows for the most natural, flattering photos. If the lens is lower, your shots risks showing a double chin.
5. Positioning the hands - Hands are one of the most overlooked aspects of posing a senior. The problem is the positioning of the hands, along with facial expressions, messy hair and bulges from tight outfits, once they are frozen in a photo they become impossible to ignore. If hands are poorly placed, they will ruin your senior photography session. When hands are posed near the face they can either emphasize or detract from the expression and mood of the person. Hands are used naturally to express feelings and emotion and can often give context to a pose or expression. Typically, when the hands are positioned above the high school senior’s waist, direct the fingers upward. Hands, specifically in women, look smaller with the little finger side of the hand to the camera. If the hands are positioned below the waist, direct the fingers downward with the thumb side of the hand facing the camera. With the palm or the broad back of the hand facing the camera, the viewer’s attention is drawn to the hands rather than the subject’s face.
6. Waistlin
es and Thighs – observe how red carpet celebrities pose. If your high school senior is a conscious of their waistline and want to appear narrower, get them to rotate their upper body at the waist. You’ll find that this gives the impression of a more slender appearance. Have your senior cross one leg over in the front of the other one. This also has the effect of narrowing the thigh region.
es and Thighs – observe how red carpet celebrities pose. If your high school senior is a conscious of their waistline and want to appear narrower, get them to rotate their upper body at the waist. You’ll find that this gives the impression of a more slender appearance. Have your senior cross one leg over in the front of the other one. This also has the effect of narrowing the thigh region.- Senior Photography
7. Look Away from the Camera– Your high school senior doesn’t always have to look straight into the camera. Have them look away to get variety shots. If you look though fashion magazines like Vogue, you’ll see many of them looking away instead of directly into the lens. You can produce great shots by giving your subject instruction to turning their head or tilting their neck in a different direction.
