How to pose for a professional photograph

Most people have two main concerns before being photographed. One, what to wear and two, how to pose. I wrote about what to wear in this article [LINK]. Today I am going to talk about how to pose for a professional headshot.

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pose1

/p??z/ verb

verb: pose; 3rd person present: poses; past tense: posed; past participle: posed; gerund or present participle: posing

assume a particular position in order to be photographed, painted, or drawn.

"the prime minister posed for photographers”

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Pose implies formality & I am not by any means a formal photographer. However, your facial expressions & how you position your body are key elements to the success of your professional photos. Posing is embraced as a valuable tool in creating a successful portrait.

Whilst this may be the first time you have been photographed, I have been taking photographs for years. Using my experience, I will guide & direct you throughout your photoshoot. I will advise you how to stand, what to do with your hands & where to look. I will guide you into poses that compliment your features. During our pre-shoot consultation, we will have chatted about your business, your brand values & how you want to be perceived in your professional portrait.

I will pose a CEO of a FinTech company wanting to portray power & authority very differently to a phycologist wanting to be seen as friendly & supportive.

Regardless of who you are or what traits you want to portray in your photo, here are some key tips on how to pose for a professional headshot.

Posture is key

Good posture is key to looking confident in your photograph. Keep your back straight & your shoulders back & relaxed. Try not to overdo it otherwise you will look stiff. Avoid slouching or hunching your shoulders.

During a shoot, you will often hear me shout “shoulders”. I say it more frequently than the classic photographers line of “smile for the camera!” When feeling apprehensive, most people’s natural reaction is to tense their shoulders. Tense shoulders make you look stiff & rigid. The tension shows in your face & throughout your whole body.

Stay as relaxed as possible, regardless of how unnatural a position may feel. Good posture will help you look professional in your photographs.

Chin Chin

Keep an eye on your chin. Lift it too high & you end up looking down at the camera. The length of your neck will be emphasised & your face will look small in comparison. And no one wants to see up your nose! 

Drop your chin too low & you gain a double chin. Not a good look. You want to keep a space between your chin and your neck. During a shoot, I will guide & direct you, suggesting you lift or drop you chin slightly as necessary.

Avoid standing straight to the camera

Standing facing the camera gives a slightly ‘mug-shot’ feel to a photograph & emphasises the width of your body. Think angles. Angles are flattering to all body shapes. 

Try standing 45 degrees to the camera & shift your weight onto your rear foot. Many people are conscious about looking large in photos. By shifting you weight onto the foot furthest from the lens you are slimming the part of your body closest to the camera. Leaning very slightly forward from the waist takes that weight even further back.

This shifting should be very slight & subtle. You never want to be 100 percent facing the camera. A slight angle, as well as being flattering, creates an open, friendly & approachable impression.

Lean

Sometimes the awkwardness people feel in posing for corporate portraits is simply because they are standing in the middle of a room/park/open space doing ‘nothing’.

Leaning against something; a wall, a door frame, a fence, or even a tabletop, will help relax your body & make you feel more comfortable. The main tip is to only slightly lean. Don’t lean with too much weight as this will encourage your shoulders to hunch up close to your head & your body will start to tense & close up.

Sit

People often feel more comfortable sitting down when posing for their business headshot. When sitting it is important to still be conscious of your posture as sitting can make you slouch. As with standing, turning the body to one side whilst keeping your shoulders open creates a flattering angle to your headshot. 

When sitting down, your legs may appear in the photo & so you want to make sure your clothing below the waist is appropriate for your professional photos.

Relax your hands

Your hands won’t appear in many of your corporate headshots but what you do with them can affect the outcome of your photos. Don’t make fists with your hands, even if they are out of shot. If one part of your body is tense, it affects the rest of your body. Let your hands drop naturally to your side & try to keep them relaxed.

When simply ‘standing’, hands can be tricky for many people. They don’t know what to do with them.

A classic headshot pose is to cross your arms. When doing this, keep your arms loose & your hands relaxed to avoid looking stiff & rigid.

You could put your hands in your pockets. When placing your hands in your pockets, have at least one finger on each hand or your thumbs showing. It’s important that the informal feel this creates to your photo aligns with your brand.

Brush your hands against your face, your chin, or your hair. Hold a coffee cup, a tablet, or a notebook. Having something to do with our hands helps loosen the tension & makes us feel more comfortable. If we feel comfortable, we look comfortable.

Communicate with your eyes

We use our eyes as a way of communicating all the time, whether we realise it or not.

People are often uncomfortable giving eye contact due to shyness or anxiety. Sometimes actions like avoiding eye contact can show a person has something to hide. In Western countries, like the UK, eye contact is a sign of respect for the person you are talking to. Our eyes reflect honesty, warmth & integrity whilst strong eye contact projects confidence & authority.

Use your eyes to communicate in your photos. They offer a glimpse of your personality & should be engaging in every photo.

To smile or not to smile?

People are attracted to smiles. A smile makes you look friendly & approachable & is more likely to result in a positive response from the viewer.

I understand though. It’s difficult to smile naturally, on-demand. A forced smile lacks authenticity.

A genuine smile extends from your mouth to your eyes. You know when someone is truly happy because you see the twinkle in their eye.

To give your best smile, you need to feel some kind of emotion. If you aren't happy in the moment, try to create some emotion. Think about something you’re proud of, a happy memory, or how you will feel when you achieve your dreams.

Another tip is to put the tip of your tongue on the back of your top teeth. This relaxes your face & helps avoid a wide & goofy grin.

As a photographer, I also have various tricks I use to help clients relax & give a genuine smile. My jokes are terrible & I have an awful habit of walking into things mid-shoot which usually produces laughter!

Successful posing for portrait photography is mostly about feeling comfortable. Try & stay natural as you pose. These poses flatter your body when you feel comfortable in them. Bending into uncomfortable positions will look just as awkward, if not more so, as simply standing facing the camera does. If you do nothing else, be conscious of your posture, relax your shoulders, look at the camera & smile!

How to pose for a professional headshot: Top Tips

1. Posture is key
2. Be careful how you position you chin
3. Avoid “straight to camera”
4. Lean in
5. Sit down
6. Be aware of your hands
7. Communicate with your eyes.
8. Smile!