PHOTOGRAPHY

Posing People to Look Good and Feel Confident in Photos- Part Two

Standing Poses for men

This is a four-part series. Find articles one, three and four at the end of this article.

When photographing men, what works for me is to start with this simple pose and then modify it into other poses.

For the most part, men want to look more masculine in photos. In photographing men, the idea is to create broad, strong-looking shoulders and a narrow waistline, like the letter V or triangle. One way to accomplish this is by standing at a slite angle. Keeping shoulders at an angle helps create dimension, and it’s flattering to the body. Let’s break down this pose.

✦Placing one foot slightly back at an angle. Giving space between the legs creates a triangle. ✦ Putting the weight on the back foot. ✦ Keeping the knees straight (or front knee somewhat bent). ✦ Slightly turning the torso towards the camera. ✦ Keeping the hips parallel to the ground (popping the hip out can look feminine).

Being mindful of the placement of the hands is essential. A good option is gently placing one entire hand (no fingers hanging out) in one pocket and letting the other hand hang by the side with soft fingers. (Placing hands-on hip or waits could look feminine).

Let’s compare the square pose vs. the side angle (v) pose.

Using Props

Using props is a great way to break the monotony from just standing there. The railing here is an excellent prop to help create leaning poses.

✦ Image one: Crossing one foot over the other, placing one elbow on the railing, leaning against the railing, and staying at an angle gives a feeling of relaxation. I like the model’s gentle placement of one hand over the other and still looking masculine.

✦ Image two: From that same pose, just pulling away from the railing and placing one hand on the railing and the other hand just hanging out of his pocket is a nice smooth transition. ✦ Image three: In this last image, uncrossing the feet, gently placing the whole hand in the pocket, and holding on to the railing is another modification.

Be careful not to over-pose when leaning on the railing. Typically a pose that is sexy for women makes men look silly, as seen in the sample below.

❌ First image: When photographing men, avoid overdoing poses. The model exaggerates his leaning on the railing pose (it’s a pretty funny pose).

✅ Second image: This second pose is so much better for men. It’s the same pose without exaggeration. It’s a relaxed pose and quite flattering.

This is another example of don’ts and do’s when posing men. Male poses are typically more relaxed. Cutesy poses don’t work well for men. What works best when photographing men is to keep the poses casual and not over the top.

Side note: Camera angles and lenses are essential elements that directly impact our pictures. For example, we know that whatever is closest to the camera will appear larger. To emphasize a body part, bring it forward closer to the camera. To de-emphasize back away from the camera, little things like this make a big difference in the poses.

Also, the type of lens used in photographing people is essential; for example, when photographing people with a wide-angle lens, distortion shows a lot (crucial camera-to-subject distances). It’s best in trying to keep the body proportionally balanced.

In conclusion, it’s best to keep the poses smooth and not over the top when posing for men.

I hope this article is helpful. I do appreciate you reading my post. Thank you!

Read more on Posing People to Look Good and Feel Confident in Photos