When we first started out on Social Media, we had no idea how to pose for pictures and if we’re being completely honest, we didn’t even enjoy being in front of the camera - the thought of it just made us anxious. We felt awkward, didn’t know what to do, and had no idea how to spice up our content.
But, after learning how to position our arms and legs, what to do with our faces, and what angles work best for us we started to get the hang of it and actually enjoyed it! Now we travel around the world full-time making an income with our pictures and knowing how to pose has helped us to work with so many amazing brands.
Before we get into it, I want to make one thing clear: posing is not only about looking good in photos or about creating art, there is much more to it. It is about feeling good about yourself while understanding the shapes and forms you can create with your body to capture your beauty.
Your mindset is the foundation for a picture that leaves your viewers in awe! If you feel comfortable, you will almost certainly look comfortable. Rewire your brain and get into the right mindset because being positive and confident will ultimately determine the success and efficiency of your photoshoot.
Little tip: If you want to ‘look’ more confident the best way to achieve this is to ‘feel’ more confident. This will absolutely come with time, but in the meantime what is stopping you from taking super confident, powerful, and sexy portraits of yourself when no one's watching? Start by trying out these new poses at home first. Get comfortable doing them, and see which ones you like best or feel best doing! Once you feel more confident you can go out and about and create beautiful pictures all around the world!
So, what do you say? Grab your camera, a tripod and let’s start shooting!
Pose 1: Just sit down
Let’s start with a very easy one. The hardest part of posing is probably coordinating your arms and legs, making it look good with what you're wearing and still showing off the scenery. Say no more, because if you just sit down you avoid things getting complicated. Get comfortable, lean against something, cross your legs, look back or admire the scenery. There are so many options and it’s super easy. Our student @shellysphere did an amazing job capturing herself enjoying a pizza while sitting in front of the beautiful Riomaggiore!
Source - Instagram @shellysphere
Pose 2: The Twirl
The next pose is a great “in the moment shot”. Slowly twirl around, get silly and enjoy the process! What I love about it, is that they can look so pure and beautiful. They don't look staged and seem as if someone just took a snapshot of you while having a good time. Our student @saraveigaa nailed it while dancing in Rome!
Source - Instagram @saraveigaa
Pose 3: Have some fun!
If you like these fun poses then I have another one for you! If dancing is not for you, you could also play around with what’s around you! Splash some water, throw around some snow or play around with some sand. @laurapapeautor actually combined a little happy dance while running at the beach. Her picture looks absolutely beautiful and she is really giving us some good and happy vibes with this shot!
Source - Instagram @laurapapeautor
Pose 4: Play with your hair
Now, if you don't know what to do with your hands why don’t you just go through your hair! There are no rules as to what looks "best" across the board. Put one of your hands up to your hair, mess it around, run your fingers through it, and so on. @mybackpacksecret is doing a great job with this pose while walking along a beautiful beach in Panama. It looks super natural and absolutely effortless.
Source - Instagram @mybackpacksecret
Pose 4: Hold onto someone
If you are with someone while taking pictures, grab their hand and reach out to them like you are going to take them on an adventure! You can try it in different versions: standing up, sitting down, looking away, or straight into the camera. You will not only take your partner with you but also whoever is seeing this picture! Look at Em from @teachers.who.travel who is taking her partner through the beautiful Maliha Desert.
Source - Instagram @teachers.who.travel
Pose 5: Block the sun
It’s sunny outside and you can’t seem to keep your eyes open? No problem - you can just turn this into an opportunity and pose while blocking the sun! Place your hand out in front of your face between your face and the sun to get the shadow on your face. You can also create a fun shadow effect at the same time! @laurastravel_ is also rocking this pose again. She’s enjoying a sunny day in Bali and is blocking the sun with one of her arms.
Source - Instagram @laurastravel_
Pose 6: Show your back
If you are either camera shy and don’t want to show your face, or maybe you just want to share a beautiful view, why not just show us your back - just stand and look into the far. This is the perfect pose to drag the attention to the background, and you can do it while sitting down or while admiring your surroundings. And if you thought that all of these poses are only for girls, think again! Look at our student @alesandro_puglierin with this breathtaking shot in front of Lago di Fusine.
Source - Instagram @alesandro_puglierin
Pose 7: Show off your dress
Pose number 6 is similar to the dancing one but this time you are showing off your beautiful dress. Simply create movement in your dress or skirt by flicking it away from your body. It can take some time to get the perfect shot as you need to capture the movement in your outfit as well as figuring out what to do with your hand, but the results are always super cute. Look at Margarida from @allaboutwanderlust_ showing off her beautiful red dress in the middle of the rice-fields in Bali!
Source - Instagram @allaboutwanderlust_
Pose 7: Jump!
Jumping for joy is always a great posing option. And with the right angle you can even make it look like you’re high up in the sky! Or instead of jumping high up, why not jump into the pool or the ocean? Either way, we're sure that you will wow your viewers with these shots. @shellysphere is once again doing a great job at jumping through the streets of Bern. This is such a cute and happy shot!
Source - Instagram @shellysphere
Pose 8: Use props
Another great way to feel less awkward is to incorporate props. You can use literally anything you can think of - from flowers, to sunglasses, to coconuts, to fruits, drinks, or even a surfboard. It’s a great way to add something extra to your photos and take the focus off of you. Once you have your prop, use it in a natural way! For example, @saraveigaa is enjoying her pizza in front of the Pisa tower - I don't think there’s a better prop to give off an Italian vibe!
Source - Instagram @saraveigaa
And that’s it! I hope you were able to get inspired by these poses and are now ready to create new content! If I can give you one last piece of advice, it would be to remember why you’re doing what you’re doing when you feel uncomfortable or scared. This is your life and your dream. Do the opinions of others mean more to you than your dream life?
Also, unless you are that one in a million who is ridiculously photogenic from every angle, you are probably in the same boat as everyone else. You might have some flaws that you don’t like or some insecurities that hold you back from creating content for yourself - this is completely normal. So stop worrying about what others might think about you when they see you take pictures in public.
And if you want to learn more about posing, we have some exciting news for you! We just launched our newest course all about posing - you can sign up now! Note: If you are a member of our TPI course, then you already have access to the posing module.
Now go out, enjoy the process, and don’t forget to tag @clublifedesign in your pictures. We’d love to see your results!
Lots of love,
