If you’re a portrait photographer, you know that getting your model to assume an interesting yet authentic pose is often a challenge. Depending on their level of experience and comfort, your model may struggle to open up and pose in a way that reflects well on camera.
Fortunately, there are lots of ideas you can suggest, and many are much simpler and easier to accomplish than they look.
Creative portrait poses should be something that every photographer has a mental list of. This can help you encourage models to come out of their shells while still maintaining a unique look and feel for your photography brand. Here are ten creative ideas to get you started:
1. Be playful with reflections
If you want a simple but highly effective way to elevate a portrait session, bring some mirrors into the mix. Strictly speaking, this may not be a pose, but it is an element that will automatically introduce some necessary drama to a portrait shoot.
With multiple reflections to draw from, you can invite your model to interact with versions of themselves in a completely new way. This can coax out some more elaborate poses and facial expressions and help both of you to start thinking outside of the box.
2. Keep the hands busy
Another super effective yet not-so-complex idea for infusing more intrigue into your portrait shoots is to play around with the positioning of the hands.
Nine times out of ten, when a portrait lacks creativity or oomph, it’s because the pose doesn’t incorporate enough movement from the rest of the body. Don’t let this happen to your model. Encourage them to use their hands in different ways to accentuate their face more naturally.
3. Ask your model to take on a persona
Sometimes, the thing your model’s pose needs to hit the next level of creativity is simply their perception of themselves. In these instances, the embodiment of a certain persona or archetype can help. Think Marilyn Monroe, Michelle Obama, Audrey Hepburn, Beyoncé, or whoever else suits the theme.
Depending on the nature of the client or model in question, have an ongoing discussion about what kind of persona or emotion the model is aiming to encapsulate. Use what they find to inform their poses for more creative, interesting results.
4. Experiment with lights
Light and shadow can completely transform the way a person’s features and body appear. Using various forms of ambient and direct light, as well as varying strengths of each, can help your model appear much more dramatic and intense, adding to the theater of the pose.
When it comes to portrait photography, having as many different options in terms of light source is crucial. Invest in an assortment so that you have a range of options to choose from.
5. Shuffle up your background choices
While your model’s background may not be the pose itself, the two are inextricably linked—on a visual and conceptual level. If you can transport your model to a different environment via the use of an unusual background, it can create a space where unique poses flow more freely.
You can use a green screen to produce limitlessly interesting and engaging backgrounds. If you don’t have one, you can always hit the streets and draw inspiration from the real world around you.
6. Invest in a rotation of interesting props
Props can revolutionize portrait photography. You want your model to interact with themselves and their features in fresh ways, so give them things to engage with. Props can be everything from everyday objects to drapes to balloons, so get creative!
From leaning against objects to holding them or using them near their face, interesting props are a simple yet super fun way to amplify the creativity of a portrait or pose.
7. Use a projector
Projectors really don’t get enough credit for how affordable, useful, and creatively full of potential they are. By projecting interesting imagery, colors, and shadows onto your model’s face (nothing too detail-oriented, or their features may be lost), you can instantly ramp up the drama of a creative portrait.
Not only can the customized images or colors make the portrait more dynamic, but they can also create opportunities for your model to interact with them. By switching up their gaze and facial expressions, you can gain more control over the outcome of the portrait.
8. The self-embrace
This is an excellent pose for portraits when you want to display a sense of vulnerability or self-reflection, both of which are common themes in many creative photography studios. Get your model to hold themselves in various ways to unveil a new aspect of their personality.
There are plenty of poses to try, from a gentle hug that mimics a caress to arms tightly crossed against the chest.
9. View from above
If your model is comfortably lying on the floor or you’re shooting underwater, a view from above facing down can produce both creative and flattering results. If they have long hair, it can be artfully strewn around them. If they have dramatic eye makeup on, it can highlight those colors and designs.
This unique angle isn’t used enough in contemporary portraits, but it’s time for that to change. Keep a range of interesting fabrics and carpets handy for a makeshift, comfortable backdrop.
10. 90-degrees
Most portraits feature the model’s shoulders set at a 45-degree (or thereabouts angle) to the camera. However, a strictly 90-degree angle is a super chic and fun way to exemplify the profile of your model’s face. It is also a fun pose that references a lot of unusual and iconic 70s-style portraits.
Try photographing both close-up and at a distance to experiment with different ways of seeing your model. Throw in some unusual props, and you’ve got an immediately striking portrait to play with.
Adding Creativity To Your Portraits Made Easy
There are many characteristics of a great portrait to consider during a shoot, and creativity is one of them. Using your experience and these ideas, helping your model pose can result in exceptional shots that they will love and that you’ll want to use in your portrait portfolio.
Just remember that everyone has a different look, and even the same poses will vary from person to person—and that’s part of what makes them so interesting to photograph!
