23 Apr Strike a pose: Tips on how to look your best in your professional portraits
If you have booked your professional portraits, you probably have thought about your hair, your makeup and your outfit. But have you thought about how you’ll pose?
If you have hired a photographer for your professional portraits, know this: We have ways of making you not only look your best but helping you to relax and feel comfortable – and even have fun — during your session.
That said, there are a few things you can practice before your professional portraits, so you will be even more confident in front of the camera.
Chins are in
Moving your chin, and arranging it in a certain way, can help you take a better picture. Don’t believe me? Try it in a mirror or snap a selfie or two while playing with moving your chin up and down. In professional portraits, I like to see clients angling their chins downward – but not too much – while moving the head slightly forward.
Sit up straight
You can never underestimate the value of great posture in professional portraits, so practice pulling in your back and squaring your shoulders so you don’t hunch or slouch – regardless of if you are sitting or standing.
Adopting a confident posture says that you are in command, powerful and professional and it’ll appear in pictures that way as well.
Lean on me
Sometimes, using your surroundings to pose can add a different angle or touch to your professional portraits. Leaning on a wall or railing can add interest, as can sitting on a chair or bench.
While doing this, however, you’ll want to listen to your photographer so you aren’t hunching over or creating unnatural lines with your posture.
Hands and arms, oh my!
Even if you have had your professional portraits taken more than once, it can be hard to know exactly what to do with your hands and arms. If you are having your picture taken from the waist up or even a full body shot, sometimes the tendency is to cross your arms. There are different schools of thoughts on whether crossing your arms gives a closed off look vs. a power stance, however, if you have a warm, inviting smile, it can work.
Some other options are: Putting hands in your pockets or putting one or both hands on the hips or folding your hands in front of you.
The bottom line is this: Try to relax, laugh, talk to your photographer and enjoy your professional portraits. It’ll come across that way in the images. h
Shellee Fisher Photography & Design
If you need stunning and visually interesting professional portraits, contact me today. I’d love to meet you. Image is Everything & Imagery Sells.