Top 3 Tips to pose like a Model

Maybe some are born with it, maybe it’s Maybelline, or maybe we just have a photographer who’s passion is to showcase your gorgeous self in every pose and understands the significance of the skill to elicit confidence, beauty and elegance that capture your unique beauty to create unique fine art portraiture.

You may be thinking “But Sarah Jane, I’m not elegant or even confident about being photographed!” But do you want to know a not so talked about secret? Feeling nervous about posing, what you’re wearing, if your hair and makeup look great are all fears we have when we step in front of the camera. Yes girl, even me! A professional wedding and portrait photographer. A professional who’s passion is to show women and the world how beautiful they are through creative and artistic portrait photography. Our desire is that we want to not only feel our best for a portrait session, but that we also want to kill IT, and leave the set with a hair toss and feeling as glamorous as  Selina or Beyoncé. 

I am going to share with you my top 3 posing strategies to get you feeling confident and glamorous before you even step foot onto your shoot.

#1 – Confidence is sexy, it shows in and off camera – whether you’re taking a selfie or being photographed by professionals. But how does that translate from an idea and desire to reality? Some of us are natural posers and can pick up on posing trends easily, but the rest of us have got our share of homework to do! My biggest tip in confidence is mindset, and practice. Be kind and body positive. I can’t stress this enough! Lovely you are absolutely beautiful the way you are – you are on the always-uphill climb of growth and awareness, and wherever you are at on your journey of health and self-care, you can absolutely feel glamorous in portraits. Own your unique beauty and remind yourself you are worthy! You’ve got this, and absolutely have everything it takes to show up and leave the set with a hair toss and feeling as glamorous as Selina or Beyonce. What you feed your mind you will come to believe as truth, so make sure you are telling yourself how absolutely beautiful, perfect and unique you were created just by being you. 

#2 – Smile vs Smolder. There’s a lot of sexiness to go around ladies, and while I absolutely love getting those editorial glamor shots that are more bold and serious, I love getting that gorgeous smile of yours as well! Models obviously make the smile vs. smolder thing look like cake, but your photographer knows just how to elicit either naturally, and he or she is there to make the process not only enjoyable, but easy for you! Some tips for practicing the smolder look – gently tilt your head back, relax your lips and allow them to naturally separate. You can also try pursing them slightly with that natural separation and gently exhale through your pursed lips. Now when I say slightly pursed lips, just barely do this. We’re not doing duck lips (although that can make a cute photo!), we’re just softly pursing that way we get that effortless model smolder.  

#3 – Don’t scrunch up or slouch, in fact think long, tall, lengthened thoughts (even if you’re below average height like me!). This is the BIGGEST thing I see in my clients and even in myself when I am being photographed that does not flatter any body type. We somehow have this idea that if we scrunch our bodies, slouch, and fold in, we will somehow photograph smaller or look leaner than we feel. But darling, it doesn’t work that way! We’re capturing your unique beauty.  Stand tall. Drop and draw your shoulders back, lift your chin and own the beautiful skin you are in. If there’s something you feel insecure about, such as your arms, tummy, etc – communicate with your photographer. We are portrait artists, and want you to love your portrait as much as we do!