Tips & Tricks
How to Pose Friends for Portraits
Photography Talk
When you see portraits like the one above, it's hard not to be impressed.
Well, that's because it was taken by a professional with tons of skills and knowledge. The professional model helps, too.
But what if you're an amateur photographer with non-model friends as your subjects. How do you make awesome portraits then?
Well, it still takes a good amount of skill, knowledge, and effort.
But you certainly don't need a supermodel posing for the camera to get an awesome shot.
In the video above, Mango Street offers up a few simple tips for posing your friends for portraits.
Below, I outline each tip for easy reference.
Let's get started!
Use Straight Lines and S-Curves
YouTube Screenshot/Mango Street
A simple strategy for evoking a certain feeling in your portraits is to utilize different kinds of lines.
Straight lines tend to be harsher, with a more masculine feel.
S-Curves, meanwhile, tend to be softer and more feminine.
YouTube Screenshot/Mango Street
Using the same model but with different types of lines, you can see how they impact the look and feel of the image.
On the left, the straight lines create a look that's a little more angular, if not jagged. Note how the presentation of the elbows and the arms bent upward create a nice frame for the subject's face. Combined with the straight-on view of the subject, it makes for a very strong portrait.
On the right, you can see how incorporating curved lines helps to soften the portrait.
In this case, the bends of her arms and the twisting of her torso make the subject appear to be much more free and unencumbered.
Learn More:
Direct Instead of Pose
YouTube Screenshot/Mango Street
The reason why amateur portraits often look so stiff and posed is because the photographer spends the entire time physically posing their subject.
A better way to do things is to take a hands-off approach, and simply offer suggestions to the subject for how they should be structured for the shot.
This might involve telling the subject to stand or sit or how to place their arms or hands. But beyond that, try to refrain from giving strict instructions.
YouTube Screenshot/Mango Street
In fact, you might get the best look if you give your subject a character to play or an emotion to portray...
YouTube Screenshot/Mango Street
You can also crack a joke, tell a story or ask the subject about a memory to help them get into character.
As you can see in the images above, taking this approach results in more genuine, candid images that have a vibrancy and an emotion to them.
Learn More:
Capture Motion
YouTube Screenshot/Mango Street
Another excellent way to capture more authentic images is to put your subject in motion.
Not only does their movement force them to think less about being in front of the camera, but it also helps loosen up their body and take on a more natural form.
Add to that the fact that things like their hair, limbs, and clothing are in movement, and you have a recipe for a more engaging picture.
YouTube Screenshot/Mango Street
And this doesn't have to be massive movements that cause motion blur in the shot, either.
As you can see above, simply having the model flip her hair adds a dynamic to the image that would be impossible to get in a traditional posed portrait.
You can have the subject walk, jump, swing their arms or any number of other actions to create something similar.
Just use a fast shutter speed and click away so you can get a series of images as the subject is moving around.
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Final Thoughts
Whether you're just starting out with your first camera or you're a seasoned pro just looking for a little inspiration for your portraits, these tips will help you create something that's much more eye-catching and unique.
They're simple portrait photography tips, but certainly effective.
No one ever said that photography is easy, but that doesn't mean you have to implement complex strategies to improve your photos, either!
Give these tricks a try and see how they improve the quality of your portraits.
