How to Pose Naturally for Pictures doesn’t come easy unless you are comfortable and relaxed. Unposed posing is a comfortable look and feel everyone loves. There are all kinds of tips on how to pose for pictures to look thinner, tips for looking good in pictures, photo pose ideas and the list goes on. The name of the game is to be you, relax and let the photographer catch natural poses!
How to Pose Naturally for Pictures
As a photographer I enjoy a combination of posing pictures and unposed pictures. Basically I tell my clients to pretend I’m not there… but keep smiling! I always tell the adults in the session if you are comfortable it will translate on camera and in your final pictures! I of course will find myself tweaking their positioning along the way.
Here are a few prompts I tell my clients when we are taking pictures to get a natural poses:
- Everyone look at me! Adults keep looking I’ll work on the kids.
- I bring along a couple of noise makers and a camera creature I have to get the attention of the kids, which of course helps the adults relax too!
- Big smiles – I want to see teeth!
- Give me a real laugh – which means I try to make them laugh…
- Intimate touches on waist and hands all translate into a natural pose
- Ok everyone find a nose on someones face and look at it!
- I might even say “What is up Daddy’s nose?!” this gets giggles and a relaxed unposed picture.
- For couples I tell them to relax their bodies and faces. A lot of my favorite images are when people are caught off guard while I’m snapping pictures and they don’t even know I was taking their picture!
The skinny to it all is I work on getting them comfortable with me so by the end of shoot we are all friends (if we weren’t before)…relaxed and talking as if we hadn’t seen each other in a long time and catching up.
In general I have realized people don’t really like having their picture taken. They are anxious about a lot of things…i.e how they look, how the kids will act, getting this over with and the list goes on!
Here are a few tips I have for Unposed Posing so that they look more natural in their pictures.
A) I work fast! I get right into it…Shooting and talking at the same time.
B) I make jokes “ok everyone in for a Cuddle Puddle” or tell personal stories! No one likes dead silence so I try to keep conversation going!
C) I get down on the kids level…eye level and humor level. While Im shooting I ask the kids questions
- How is your summer going?
- Have you been swimming?
- What is your favorite show, my daughter LOVES Paw Patrol etc.
- Get personal and get them out of their anxious sometimes misbehaving state.
D) My Camera creature is a knitted Elmo. Great for all ages because he’s bright red and has huge eyes. I will say – “Ok, everyone look at Elmo” “Elmo loves smiles” The littles love it because its so cool to see Elmo and I have found for older kids and adults its an ice breaker. I mean, I don’t use my Elmo Camera creature at weddings but when there are kids and anxious parents its a great way to have a laugh.
E) When people are sitting I try my hardest to get them to put their legs around the side, I do not want the soles of your shoes or feet. My only exception is when I am photographing a lifestyle newborn session!
F) Otherwise I prefer “bookend legs” with kiddos in the middle.
G) When posing couples I like them to touch naturally.
H) What I tend to do most is shoot when people don’t know I’m shooting. I catch some of my most naturally posed and beautiful shots this way.
Just remember if all else fails you can do as Cole’s Classroom says here – demonstrate the pose you are wanting your client to create!
My name is Sarah Brown with Sadie Brown Photography. My passion is capturing special moments in my clients’ lives. Couples in Love, Moms-to-be, Little Ones, Family Portraits… you name it! I received my Bachelor’s in Photography from Kutztown University in 2003. I didn’t have one digital or photoshop class in college therefore, retaught myself the new way in 2015 and LOVE IT!! I have a 2 year old daughter, a son on the way and am happily married living in Chester County PA.
Julie says
Love your work Sarah and I am not at all biased as your mother in law. The pics you take of our family have been so special. You are such a dear creative woman. I loved reading your article on how to get people to be natural. You have the gift of gab to make them comfortable. Keep on snapping Sadie Brown!! Love you!
Sarah Brown says
Awe thank you!! Just seeing this!! Love you too!!!