Posing for Portrait Photography

When you separate the legs, in this or any other pose, you need
to make sure that the area between the legs (the crotch area) isn’t
unsightly. In the aforementioned pose, you may find this problem
occurring when the subject is wearing baggy jeans. The problem
also occurs when you have a guy seated with his legs apart, then have
him lean forward and rest his arms on his knees. The pose works
well because this is the way guys sit—and it sells well because it looks
comfortable. The problem is that the crotch area is directly at the
camera. In this situation, you can use the camera angle and the arms
to hide or soften the problem area.

Look for Obstructions.

To pose the human body effectively, you have to look for ways to
cheat. Cheating isn’t always a bad thing—especially in photography,
where you can get well paid for it. When posing the hips and thighs,
one of the best cheats is to use obstructions to hide the parts of the
body that you know your client won’t want to see.
In the Studio. You can use an arm, leg, or other part of the
client’s body, or when all else fails, start looking for a prop or por-
tion of the set/background to hide or disguise the area. A well-

82 POSING FOR PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

Poses like these sell well because they look

natural. Use the subject’s arms or a lifted

knee to finish the pose in a flattering way.

To pose the human body

effectively, you have to look

for ways to cheat.