Yesterday, I posted a picture from a photoshoot I worked on with a model called Tereza. Melanie from Grab the Lapels left a thought-provoking comment about the tendency towards uncomfortable poses in fashion photography, particularly for women.
Thinking of poses that work – and are interesting – is one of the things I tend to find most challenging about portrait photography and it’s something I’ve been working to improve on. Often, I get so distracted by the technical side of the camera: Is the focus absolutely on the eye? Is this the best aperture setting? How is the light looking? Is this the best composition for this particular shot?
For quite a long time, I used to find concentrating on the technical details as well as talking to the model AND giving them clear direction at the same time was all a bit too much for my brain to cope with! It’s one of the reasons I try and attend portrait workshops and training courses, such as the recent one-to-one training I had on natural light and off-camera flash portrait work. I’m always trying to learn and improve my photographic and creative abilities.
But Melanie’s comment prompted me to think more deeply about poses. Why would I ask someone to pose in a certain way? What am I trying to convey? What does it say about the person I’m photographing? What does it add? Does it take anything away from them? It made me realise the importance of going into a shoot with a very clear idea in my head of what I want to try and achieve.
I thought it would be interesting to post the photo from yesterday again, along with a few more photos from the same session with Tereza.
What do you think? Are there poses that you prefer? Are there any you dislike?
If you had to choose one word to describe the way you feel Tereza is portrayed in each image, which four words would you choose?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
PZF Photography 
I still like the original. People sometime kind of stretch themselves out that way and talk to you at the same time. It’s like an interesting moment you caught her in. I like it a lot. Very much looks like a good moment you caught her in… To me, that’s how I personally see it.
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Thank you Mitchell. I like the picture too but it’s been a really interesting exercise to go through. To think a bit more deeply about poses. Thanks for your contribution to the discussion.
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I like the third pose the best. In terms of one word description:
1 .Sassy
2. Aloof
3. Wistful
4. Disdainful
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Agree!
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Thanks Terry – great choice of words for each pose!
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I liked the second pose best, then the fourth. The first is an interesting use of negative space with the black dress and the black background.
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Thank you Jeni
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What I like most about the first one is the expressiveness of the model’s face and the lighting. The last one on the couch captures excellent angles without the model looking like she’s tipping over or being bent like a marionette. The couch has straight lines that parallel, but the model’s body has all of these natural angles that give the image a very human feel. Even her hair breaks up the couch’s hard angles. Nice job!
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Thank you so much. Your original comment really got me thinking and I’m very grateful to you for that. Cheers!
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Hi dear! Very nice photo session with the model Tereza. I’ve have to go with the following words: 1.Allure 2. Sensual 3. Fierce 4. Captivating
My fave pose is the 1st one. Honestly, I like them all.. in each picture she’s telling a different story/personality. Good job!
Miri💋
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Hi Miri! Thanks so much for your thoughts and for your choice of words! Much appreciated!
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