Category Archives: Video included

• Headshot poses •
Keep the shots simple and try to reduce any distracting elements in the shot.
(Image from the video)

Your portraits need to be suitable for your subject…

When you want to do a portrait your subject will often not know what to do. Headshot poses are usually pretty simple. But the subject will look to you for direction. You will need to help them pick the right pose.

What inexperienced photogs forget is that male and female poses are different. So they tell their subject to pose how they do when feeling good. That may not be right for someone of the opposite sex to you.

Think about the gender of the subject in headshot poses

If you are a female, think carefully about your headshot poses for a male. Maleness tends to be angular, more aggressive in stance. Males are often better seen head on where their size seems a little more imposing. A hard, upright position indicates maleness. So does harder shadow lines on the face and angular light direction.

If you are a male photographer, you may think in male terms. Female headshot poses are better as more rounded poses than male shots. Inclined heads and slightly turned bodies are best – not looking directly at the camera. Find ways to pose your women subjects in a smaller more understated pose. Remember, shadows on a female face are more flattering when they are soft and give a more rounded appearance.

Circumstances may effect the headshot poses too

There are a lot of different reasons to take a headshot portrait. They may have particular poses attached to those circumstances. For example business poses still have a masculine and feminine aspect. However, they would tend to be more understated than a free posing session. The same might be said of guests at a wedding – and so on. So you need to consider why the headshot poses are being taken.

Clothing is important too. Headshot poses tend to include only the upper body. So if the clothing is distracting it can draw the eye away from your subjects face. Don’t try to get your subject to do a heavy make-up or high-quality hair do if you are trying for a natural shot. Let the inner person come out. Headshot poses are best done in as simple way as possible. There is going to be a high proportion of face in the shot. Overdoing other things will detract from that.

Setting the mood for your headshot poses

Here are a few extras for you…

• Relax. Sometimes you can get very uptight when shooting portraits. This will get your subject uptight too. So before you start shooting, take a deep breath, breath out slowly. Then spend a few moments talking to your subject to put them at ease.
• Jokes help to relax an uptight subject. If you tell a light-weight joke it will help set a light mood.
• Subjects often have a very uptight face to start with. Sometimes all the expression goes of their face. It is fun and will lighten things up if you tell them to pull a few faces – do it with them. That will help get a few giggles and they will have more expression after doing it.
• When doing the poses make sure you complement your subject. Headshot poses are best done with natural facial expressions. Reward those with a complement. “Lovely smile”, “Nice eyes”, “love that expression”, and so on. This builds a rapport with your subject. It helps them feel comfortable as they pose too.

How to Pose someone for Headshots

In this five minute “headshot poses” tutorial you are lead through a range of things to consider…
Tony Northrup

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Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)