How do you pose someone who isn’t a model? It’s not hard at all!
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Casey:
Kobo:
Niki:
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Nikon Zf:
50mm f1.8 S:
Video filmed with
(at the studio)
Lumix S9:
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#portraitphotography #modeling #photoshoot
00:00 – Intro
00:38 – Tip 5 (yes they’re in reverse order)
01:19 – Tip 4
02:58 – Tip 3
03:42 – Tip 2
06:25 – Tip 1
Comments
32 responses to “5 EASY Tips To Pose People Who Aren't Models”
A tip for starting out: If you're lucky enough, photograph someone you love and who loves you. They are already relaxed around you, and you can immediately see what works and what doesn't in all facets of your pictures. Lighting, posing, backgrounds and so on. You as a photographer are more relaxed too.
Go for it!!!
If pocket can fit whole hand, it should. Thumbs framing testicles (even in case of woman portraits) are not something that we should have in our photos. Hands like you know are important, and apart of face, arre most expressive body parts. If they don't serve a purpose, it's best to hide them, otherwise they'll distract attention. Thumbs sticking out of the pocket create tension in arm and pants material, rise shoulders higher. Hand deep in the pocket, reduce tension gives more confident look, doesnt create distraction and relax whole arm and shoulder.
You're shooting with a 50mm 1.8, what is your focus point in this case? And which focus method? (center, wide, …) thanks!
Thank you for this video! I'm an amateur photographer and find tour tips extremely useful. Especially number 4, you could receive genuine emotions from model and as a photographer will have more fun, I guess.
I came across your content trying to learn about posing. excellent video from this eloquent gentlemen and photofriend.
Ricky Bobby didn't know what to do with his hands either!
Casey is definitely a Model!!!!
Great tips, and lots I wouldn't have thought of.
She is very pretty not model I should say.
These are excellent tips. Back in the day, using film, which was expensive, after chatting for a while and getting them relaxed, I'd start the shoot with no film in the camera (I didn't let the model know this) and only put a film in when I saw that they had relaxed and I could see the kind of results I wanted. Of course, digital has changed all this, but it's always good to have some tricks up your sleve for those awkward shoots (specifically general protraits or inexperienced models) ❤😊
Go Yankees!
it is so nice to see 105 2.5 still in action. a legendary glass
Great tips! Thanks
People are not my usual subject so I've only shot 3 portraits that I really loved over the last 10+ years. The first one was a friend who was a professional model. She saw me aim a camera at her and instantly did something that looked good. She was 95% of the reason that image worked so this highly resonates with me.
I am a professional photographer for years. The action based prompts is such a game changer, thank you for this. Its very inspiring!
Taking the pressure off the model is really important. Sometimes switching the focus to being you trying different things like "I'm looking to get the light right" shifts the attention away from them and turns them into someone helping you solve something. They are involved in helping you. Sweet.
Thanks for creating this. It would have been nice if you used a subject that actually didn't know how to pose ie not a photographer. Would have felt more real.
Great helpful tips, as someone who is an amateur getting into portrait photography, this is really useful and well explained. I shall be doing my best to uses these on the workshop I am attending next week
It doesn't hurt that your friend looks like a model
Tell a female who has never posed before, that she is not posing for you, she is posing "for the camera" and you are just operating the camera for her best photos… so she is really posing for herself… and I always ask what their comfort level is before and while we are shooting… and I've had a large percentage of women who just came in for portrait and glamour shots to move on to lingerie, partial and even full nudes in their first ever photo shoot with anyone… you always show them how great their images are coming out and that incentives them to do more than they ever thought they would… what woman wouldn't (secretly) want to be a Playboy Centerfold?
Great stuff!
Absolutely show the photos.. because what YOU think are good shots the model might hate, and the other way around. The session should be a win/win and working together at this level is the least we can do.
Okay, but… she's a model 😅 great practical tips in this one 👌
Thank you for making this video. I’ve been shooting ~25k photos a year for over 20 years. But my photography obsession has been very photojournalism oriented. So it’s VERY awkward for me to transition from not at all wanting to influence what someone does in a photo to explicitly directing them. Combine that dynamic with learning to control studio strobes for the first time and it’s me that is projecting anxiety and fear, not the model. Your kind and gentle vibe is a great inspiration. Thanks again.
Thank you!
omg what a nightmare, video started in hindi for me, i speak urdu and do not understand hindi words
I think it's 100% important to make people feel comfortable and respect their boundaries and consent. I've also found that when people let me fix their hair or collar because they can't see it themselves it builds trust and helps them know I'm there to make them look good.
Casey looks absolutely great as a model.
Great videos. Maybe you could make video about how to direct pose subject for new photographer? Or maybe how to posing children. Thanks
I always like to: 1) break up the session into pieces, have conversations, pause and listen to what they have to say. You get to know them better, you made a new friend, and their stories inspire new poses and stories in my head to capture; 2) I always strike the pose I want them to do. I won't do it right, we both will laugh, crack a joke about myself, and say something like, "You'd do it way better than me lol but you know what I mean." 3) I like to play chill music. I've caught people dancing to it in the past and I grab some awesome candid shots. Plus, they'll relax more when they're listening to music they enjoy.
Some of these comments… Almost everyone who is not trained to it feels self-conscious about their appearance and whether they'll come off looking foolish irrespective of whether society views them as good-looking or not (a) and (b) a person who's spent a lot of time behind the camera is not easily able to translate that to posing easily in front of the camera. Try photographing your photographer mates and see whether it's suddenly effortless.