Posing in front of a camera certainly does not come naturally - all of your favorite influencers and models started somewhere. Not only does learning the best poses for your body help you out with your Instagram content, but it will help you feel more confident in your clothes as well!
Today, I'm here to help you out by giving you tips on how to pose your body for your best Instagram content!
Angles
Use angles to your advantage - even if you're not posing your body as much, different angles will change the whole feel of your photo.
I find that using a lower positioned camera facing upward leaves your body looking longer and brings more attention to the face as well as the legs.
This method can also help create more defined angles in the architecture around you, which makes the photo more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. I definitely recommend playing around with angles on your own or with a friend because once you find a few of your favorite angles, you will be so much more confident in your picture taking abilities!
Use Props
Props, props, props. I cannot stress enough how much easier having a prop is when posing - even in the modeling world, it's such a blessing to have a prop because it gives you something to focus on, instead of having to come up with something to do with each part of your body on their own.
Props can also be used to help with the theme/focus of your photos. For example, in the photo above, the focus was on the dress, but our vision was for it to come together as a 50's/70's inspired photo. We used the glass and flowers as props, and the rest of the posing just fell together from there.
Once you add props to your shoot, it feels as though you're smooth sailing!
Be Playful
Not only is being playful in your photos going to allow you to have so much more fun than stiff posing, but it shows your audience your personality!
A few poses to spice up your picture could be a light stretch, a goofy face, or perhaps try sitting on the ground and playing around with angles. I guarantee that if you just have fun while taking your photos, you will feel a lot more comfortable with most of them and they'll be more special because they're capturing real emotion.
Use Architecture
If you're around architecture that is show stopping, use it to your advantage.
When you're taking advantage of the architecture around you, you can always either be simple/flowy with your posing to let the background speak for itself, or you can try mimicking the structures around you.
Typically, I try to find a great background for my photos because it helps the outfit stand out more as well, as opposed to a background that may clash with your outfit or one that may be too boring. However, if you don't live around too many exciting landscapes, you can always opt in for a white wall and they will never fail you!
Create Shapes
One tip that we always hear when speaking about posing your body for its best angles, is to create triangles with your body. This is definitely a good tip to keep in mind when in front of the camera, but I honestly think that creating any shape with your body can help create a great photo, as long as you're doing it correctly.
Creating different shapes with your body can help add depth to your photo, as well as make something a focal point. In the picture above, my leg is brought up to the right side, creating a sort of triangle, while my face is also turned in that direction - this draws the viewer's attention to the right side of the frame, while giving my body a flattering shape.
I highly recommend playing around with defining different shapes in your posing to see which you like best because it will be super helpful when taking more photos in the future!
Movement
Capturing natural movement in photos is one of my all-time favorite things to do while in front of the camera. It's one of the simplest ways to get a good photo, and you always end up looking natural and un-posed in your photos because you are!
Sometimes I try to make my movements more dramatic as well, just so they flow better on camera - but, if you prefer simpler movements, definitely go with what you're comfortable with!
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For more tips on posing, specifically if you're a model or looking to become one, you can check out my post, "Modeling 101: Posing Tips with Rocio Valenzuela and Jeff Otto"!
"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation and godliness,"
2 Peter 3:10-11
-- Faith Blackshear