Posing Guide: 21 Sample Poses to get you Started with Photographing Children

After our previous articles on posing female subjects and posing men (there are now more guides – see below this article for the complete series), let’s look at some starting points with photographing children. Little ones are definitely fun and very positive subjects to photograph! Getting those real and authentic emotions and showing through your pictures the joy of a childhood is a very warm and sincere feeling.

However dealing with kids sometimes can be quite challenging. You have to be ready that they often have their own thoughts on their mind and you need to be very patient and adapt to their natural behavior. Don’t assume that they will listen carefully and follow your instructions exactly. That’s why you most probably won’t be able to use these samples as posing cheat sheet. Use them rather as a reference for ideas and different scenarios for you photo shoot.

1. When photographing children, remember to shoot from their eye level! Concerning poses, though, let them be “as they are” and try to capture their natural expressions, emotions and behavior.

2. A sweet pose for kids. Get your subject to lie down on the ground and shoot from a very low angle.

3. Just another variant if your subject is lying on the ground.

4. Very sweet pose for photographing babies. Place the baby in a bed and cover it with a blanket. For best results, make sure that the colors of all the bedclothes go well together. White works well.

5. To make kids more relaxed, try to get them hug or play with their favorite teddy bear or any other toy of their choice.

6. Try taking pictures of kids in their everyday environment, for example, playing their favorite games, doing homework or as in this example, painting with watercolors. Keeping them busy in a familiar setting is a good way to get them to cooperate and to make those special poses you want.

7. It really is a good idea to set everything up so that the kid is busy with his own “things” and not even noticing your actions. Looking at a favorite picture book is just one example of how to keep them “posing” for you.

8. Be attentive and don’t miss the kids heavy laughing or loud shouting. Such situations always produce very emotional and thus rewarding shots! But, please, no staged cheese smiles! Avoid fake emotions at all costs.

9. Use some delicious food items as props. You might be able to capture very interesting moments photographing children eating some sweets, ice-cream, fruits etc.

10. Soap bubbles are simply a must-have accessory for children photography. First of all, children just love them and are really happy to blow some bubbles. Secondly, you can work creatively and find an accurate lighting settings to get beautifully illuminated bubbles as an outstanding visual hook in your photos.

11. When photographing outdoors, you can involve your subject in a hiding (actually reappearing) game. Get her to hide behind some object – a big tree for instance – and ask her to peek out of the hide-out. This is a nice moment to take a picture.

12. Playing in the sand is a very nice setting for photographing children. They can play and keep themselves busy while you just observe and take your shots while not disturbing them even one bit.

13. Try some action shots. Give your subjects a ball to play with. Then aim for an interesting perspective: Shoot from ground level while introducing the ball as a dominant foreground object.

14. When shooting children and family photos, never forget that pets are also family members. Involve them into your shots and you will notice how much joy and emotions that will create.

15. Children’s playground is a very good place for some outdoor shots, it provides endless variations for action shots.

16. If a boy or a girl is into some sports (basketball, football, tennis etc.) you can take a very special portrait of him or her with the corresponding props.

17. A very nice mother and baby pose. Mother laying on the ground with a kid on the chest. Alternatively, if the kid is still a toddler, she could hold him or her in both hands above her. And just a remark on this one and the following samples with a mother – in all of these samples the parent might as well be a father, a gender used here is only for an illustration purposes. And, of course, do involve both parents in a photo shoot, in any sample here one or both parents are more than welcome to “join into” the composition.

18. Very simple and natural pose: Mother holding her kid on the hip. Try different head positions.

19. A really touching pose. Just ask the child to hug its mother. Capture their natural emotions for a priceless photo.

20. An engaging, fun and easy pose, which is nevertheless rather uncommon and original. Ask the mother to lie down on the ground, then make the kid to sit on and hold on to the mother’s back.

And on a final note, first and foremost thing to keep in mind – kids move around very fast! It’s not only the physical movement in space, but also the head, eye direction and face expressions – everything changes constantly and instantly! That means you have to choose fast enough shutter speeds in order to avoid motion blurred images. Consider forcing one or two ISO stops above “normal” to gain faster shutter speeds. And always shoot in continuous shooting mode, taking several frames in a row. The blink of an eye just takes the blink of an eye. Secure the moments before and after, too. In the age of digital cameras this costs nothing, but it can be critical for securing the best shots.

Posing Guide: 21 Sample Poses to Get You Started with Photographing Men

Previously we’ve created posing guides with suggested sample poses to help you get started posing women (also see part 2 for posing women), posing children, posing couples, posing groups, and posing weddings, so today let’s look at some sample starting poses for photographing men.

Men are usually less comfortable with being photographed, so it’s important to set them at ease with posing in order to get good results.

It is always a good idea to prepare before the photoshoot.

Just one more piece of advice: Involve your subject in the process!

He will feel more confident knowing the plan, what he has to “do,” and what kind of outcome is expected. Showing this kind of posing cheat sheet to your model is indeed a very good way to prepare your subject for a photoshoot and make him feel more relaxed and confident at the same time.

So, let’s look at some sample poses for men

1. Very simple pose for a man’s portrait: An upper body shot with crossed arms.

Two things to take care of: Shoulders should be pulled back a little, stomach muscles kept in check.

2. Crossed arms work very well in full height shots as well. In addition, ask him to cross one leg in front of the other. But make sure the body weight is not supported equally on both legs; otherwise, that would look just awkward!

3. A recurring question from your subject might be “Where shall I put my hands?” The solution is actually quite simple. There are four places to keep in mind (mixed in any combination, utilizing both hands).

#1. Loosely by the side.

#2. On the hips.

#3. In the pockets.

#4. Both hands crossed on the chest.

And in addition, hands should always be relaxed, which means no muscle pressure, except when you are photographing a bodybuilder.

4. A casual pose for a man standing upright. Men indeed have a problem with placing their hands; by keeping them fully or partly in the side pockets, you have a sure way to achieve a natural and relaxed pose.

5. Just a slight variation on the previous pose. A piece of clothing over the shoulder, merely a thumb in the pocket, and legs crossed work very well.

6. For a sitting pose, putting the ankle of one leg onto the knee of the other looks relaxed and natural. Shoot slightly from above.

7. Leaning against a wall is just another variant for upright posing.

8. The sideways way of leaning against the same wall. Works very well for both casual and formal shots.

9. A very simple pose for a formal portrait. Items held in the hand (e.g. a laptop, books, or even tools) can work as indicators of the subject’s occupation.

10. Against common belief, it is absolutely fine to make shots of a man sitting partly on a desk. For formal portraits, such a pose might counteract rigidness.

11. A very simple pose for a portrait: A man sitting at a desk. To reveal the subject’s profession, place work-related items on the desk.

12. A slight variation of the previous pose. Very appropriate for formal portraits.

13. To show the work environment while removing the distance created by a foreground object like a desk, take your shot from the backside. The result will be formal but inviting at the same time.

14. A man supporting himself on a desk with arms crossed. Again, you could place work-related items on the desk to point to the subject’s profession.

15. Using a chair as a prop can make a portrait more engaging and interesting. Very suitable when introducing creative people in their work environment.

16. Sitting comfortably in a chair usually works for corporate and formal portraits.

17. An easy and natural pose with a man sitting on the ground. Try different shooting directions and angles.

18. Another variant of a man’s pose while sitting on the ground. Suitable for outdoor locations.

19. An easy and relaxed-looking pose for a sitting man.

20. Informal pose. The man is sitting on the ground resting his back against the wall or some object.

21. Finally, let your subject be the protagonist of your picture. Never be afraid to crop tightly around the model’s face.

That should offer a starting point. Again, remember that there are no absolutes; each sample pose might and should be adjusted depending on your shooting environment and scenario. There is no need to overdo anything.

In reality, all you need for good people portraits is simplicity:

Simple backgrounds, simple clothing, simple poses, and natural expressions.

Posing Guide: 21 Sample Poses to Get You Started with Photographing Women – Part I

This is the first in a series of Posing Guides with suggested starting poses for photographing different subjects. We are starting with the female posing guide.

Also in the series check out our posing guides for posing children, posing couples, posing groups and posing weddings.

Sample Poses to Get You Started with Photographing Women

If you ever run out of ideas, get stuck in creativity or simply need some guidance when shooting female subjects, you may use following posing samples as a “posing cheat sheet”. Many pro photographers use such a technique when preparing for and during the photo shoot.

The poses in this article are selected as an initial reference. I would advise you to look at the poses together with your subject, especially if she’s inexperienced. During a photo shoot, don’t hesitate to discuss with the subject which pose is or isn’t working in any particular situation. It’s usually very productive and you both will feel more confident in what you are doing.

OK, let’s start, one by one.

1. Very simple portrait pose to start with. Have the model look over her shoulder. Note how unusual and interesting a portrait might look, if shot simply from a different angle.

2. In portrait photography, hands are usually not visible or at least not dominant. However, you might get creative by asking the model to play around with her hands trying different positions around her head or face. Keep in mind, though: No flat palms, and the hands should only show their sides!

3. You might be familiar with composition rules like the rule of thirds. In a similar way, pleasing effects can be created by using diagonals. Also remember that you don’t need to always hold your camera on a perfectly even level. Don’t be afraid to tilt it, you might achieve some interesting and unusual perspectives.

4. A really nice and lovely pose with a model sitting. The knees have to touch each other. Shoot slightly from above.

5. Another open and inviting pose with the model lying on the ground. Get down and take your shot nearly from the ground level.

6. Just a variation for a pose with the model lying on the ground. Both hands might as well be resting on the ground. Works very well outdoors, on the grass or in a wild flower meadow, for example.

7. A basic easy pose, yet looks absolutely stunning. Get down and shoot nearly from a ground level. Then try to move gradually around the model while making shots. Also ask your model to change head and hand positions.

8. Another easy yet gorgeous pose for all body types. Try different hand and leg positioning. And remember to focus on the model’s eyes!

9. A really lovely pose. Works well in different surface settings: The model, for example, might lie on a bed, on the ground, in the grass, or on a sandy beach. Shoot from a very low angle and focus on the eyes.

10. Gorgeous and easy pose for a model sitting on the ground.

11. Another simple and friendly pose for a model sitting on the ground. Try different directions and angles.

12. A wonderful way to demonstrate the beauty of a model’s physique. Works very well as a silhouette when shooting against a bright background.

13. A simple and casual looking pose. Lots of variations are possible. Ask the model to twist her body, experiment with hand positioning and try different head turns.

14. Another very simple and elegant pose. The model is turned slightly to the side, hands in back pockets.

15. Leaning slightly forward can be a very attractive gesture. It is a subtle way to emphasize upper body shapes.

16. A sensual pose. By holding the hands above the head body curves are emphasized. Works with fit body types.

17. Endless variations are possible for posing in full height. This pose is just the starting point. Ask the model to slightly turn her body, change hand positioning, change head and eye directions etc.

18. A relaxed pose with the model standing upright and supporting her back against a wall. Remember that the model may use a wall not only to support her back, but also to put her hands on, or resting a leg against it.

19. Note that full height settings are very demanding and work well only with slim to athletic body types. Posing guidelines are simple: The body should be arched in an S shape, hands should be relaxed, while the weight finds support on just one leg.

20. An exquisite pose for slim to athletic models. Many variations are possible. In order to find the best posture, tell the model to slowly move her hands and twist her body constantly. When you see a good variant, ask your model to hold still and take some pictures. Repeat for a full set.

21. An absolutely romantic and delicate pose. Any kind of cloth (even a curtain) can be used. Note that the back doesn’t need to be completely bare. Sometimes as little as a bare shoulder could work pretty well.

So, there’s something for you to start with. Hope you will find at least couple of poses to work with in different shooting scenarios! Keep in mind that each of the initial sample poses is meant to be only a starting point. Each pose has endless variations! Just be creative and adjust the pose as needed (for example, try different shooting angles and ask your subject to change hand, head and leg positioning etc.)