Show, Don’t Tell.One of the best learning tools for posing is
to show poses to clients by posing yourself first. If you can’t demon-
strate the pose effectively, you can’t direct a client into it. Although
we have clients select posing and background styles before their ses-
sion, I also sit down and go through four to eight different poses
that are variations to the pose they selected.
In my studio, the first thing I have young photographers do is
learn the poses, then start demonstrating them to clients. At first,
they feel very awkward—which is how the client feels. But once they
can consistently demonstrate poses and make themselves look good,
they have started to master posing.
Update Your Pose Book. After you have demonstrated the
pose, watch the client attempt to get into it. Many times, they will
not completely repeat what you have shown them, but they will
12 POSING FOR PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY
For happy clients, focus on the quality of your
poses instead of the quantity.