Five standing poses that work for everyone
Most people freeze when a camera points at them. Their arms hang, their weight sits evenly on both feet, and they face the lens square on. These five poses fix that in a few seconds, and none of them needs practice.
1. The weight shift
Ask your subject to put their weight on the back leg and bend the front knee a little. The hips tilt, the shoulders follow, and the body forms a gentle S curve. It is the base for almost every other standing pose.
2. Hands with a job
Arms look awkward when they have nothing to do. Give them a task: a hand in a pocket with the thumb out, fingers holding a jacket lapel, or both hands around a coffee cup. A hand at rest on something always reads as natural.
3. The turn
Turn the body about forty-five degrees away from the camera, then turn the face back toward it. The pose slims the body, shows the line of the jaw and adds depth to a flat background.
4. The lean
Find a wall, a tree or a lamp post. Leaning with one shoulder on it lets the person relax at once. Keep a little gap between the arm and the body so the outline stays clean.
5. The walk
If someone still looks stiff, ask them to walk slowly toward you and look past the camera. Shoot a burst. Somewhere in the middle of a step you will find a frame with natural movement and a real expression.
Directing, not describing
Show the pose yourself instead of explaining it. People copy what they see faster than what they hear, and seeing you do it makes it feel less silly.