Introduction

Over the past seven years I’ve taught almost three-hundred glamour, beauty, and nude photography workshops and seminars from Maui to the Virgin Islands, from Europe and Mexico to Canada, and throughout the United States. At these classes, the most commonly asked question is, “How do I pose a model?” That’s a tough question to answer; as in most genres of photography, there are infinite possibilities when it comes to posing a model for a glamour, beauty, or nude image. However, there are fundamentals that come into play, concepts and principles that help a photographer manage those infinite possibilities. These principles are like a road map that will lead to wellposed subjects.

This post focuses on exposing some of those posing fundamentals, along with understanding why the lighting, clothing, direction, scene, and more must also synergize with the pose to create an effective image. You’ll find some simple poses as well as some more complex ones. There are even a few “stair-stepped” images that show you exactly how to get from a mental concept to a finished photograph. You’ll learn how communication is tied into achieving the pose you want, as well as how composition, cropping, and lens compression effect the pose you should choose and the overall process of creating an image. I’ll show you some of the “master’s secrets” along with the traditional techniques.

While there are many on-line guides to posing and even posing flashcards, rarely do the sources actually tell you how to accomplish the demonstrated pose or why it might be a good choice for a given model or a given image concept. There might be a few great poses, usually because the model being photographed knew what she was doing, but ultimately you’re given no clear directions. Additionally, few of those guides and flashcards incorporate the scene (foreground and/or background) or props. A lot of good that will do you if your client wants a gorgeously posed photograph in front of her new Porsche!

Staircases help add leading lines, and the best angle is normally shooting up (a low angle makes the model look taller and thinner, while a high angle down will shorten and add weight to a model). The rails also give a model something to hang onto. Here, grasping the railing allowed Sheila to lean back, creating a nice S-curve along her body—as well as diagonal lines in her arms, neck, and face. Notice how Sheila used one leg, the one closest to the camera, as a support leg and the another as an accent leg. (Camera: Canon 5D; Lens: Canon 70–200mm f/2.8L IS, USM lens, effective focal length at 115mm; ISO: 100; Shutter speed: 1/25 second [slow to capture some of the ambient light coming from a glass door]; Aperture: f/7.1; Lighting: Hensel Integra Pro Plus 500 monolight fitted with a medium Chimera Super Pro Plus Soft Strip and a Lighttools 40-degree honeycomb grid placed in the front of the box; White balance: 6000K)

Even fewer of these guides address the impact of lighting—and lighting can change the impact of a pose without the body itself moving a fraction of an inch. For example, while the physical pose might be the same, the lighting for a model’s head-shot comp card (her promotional calling card) would usually be totally different than the lighting for a Hollywood-style glamour portrait. As a result of this change in lighting, though, identical poses could take very different flavors. Here’s another example: for some time, I’ve been working on a “one light” challenge, creating a collection of erotic images in an editorial style. When photographing a nude model with her legs apart, however, using the wrong lighting (i.e., eliminating strategic shadows from the image) can lead the image to be viewed as pornographic rather than editorial. At the same time, knowing how to light a classic nude image of a model laying on her side in such a way that her upper thighs don’t appear “thick” can make a traditional pose go from horrible to appealing.

There is no substitute for a great pose paired with a proper foreground and/or background (plus great lighting, composition, cropping, and a harmonious expression, of course). It all has to come together in one frame to produce a truly top-quality photograph.

Posing is an art—and it’s just as full of passion as any other art. It can send a message and even tell a story. In some genres, such as fashion photography, the pose is designed to accent something other than the model, like the clothes that she is wearing or the product she is holding. In glamour, beauty, and nude photography, every element of the pose is about the subject—what she wants to portray to the intended audience and what makes her look her very best.

From a themed series, called “One Light, One Chair,” Tiffany’s pose is accentuated by the dramatic lighting of a Hensel Integra Pro Plus 500 monolight fitted with a 7-inch reflector and a 20-degree grid. This type of dramatic lighting lends itself well to her smooth complexion. The posing of the legs in a more provocative fashion require the legs to have a reason or a natural resting area. In this case, the right leg rests on the mirror while the left leg sits on the steering wheel. Notice the hand also holds onto a lever of the forklift while the other hand rests comfortably under her
chin. (Camera: Leica R-9 with the Leica Digital Back DMR; Lens: effective 137mm; ISO: 100; Shutter speed: 1/125 second; Aperture: f/4; White balance: 6000K)

In this image, also from my “One-Light, One-Chair” series, Dee stood on the chair while bracing herself against a white wall that was illuminated by the evening sun. This image was photographed after my International Glamour, Beauty and the Nude workshop in Toronto had ended. I often go to workshops, photo assignments, and even self-promotional shoots with one specific purpose, but I constantly glance around and ask myself whether there is an additional opportunity to shoot something for one of the various “themes” I’m constantly working on. Every photographer should make a list of “working portfolio goals”—ideal themes they’d like to accomplish. Then, when shooting, open your mind to all the possibilities. When a model is in makeup, look around. In this case, I found a chair and noticed the distinct shapes formed by the window light. That was the starting point for designing poses to fit the theme and the location. (Camera: Olympus E-1; Lens: effective focal length at 100mm; ISO: 100; Shutter speed: 1/125 second; Aperture: f/3.5; White balance: 6000K)

Posing is also psychology. All poses communicate with the viewer via body language, and if the body language looks “out of whack” the image will not be successful. Even if the shot is beautifully lit and properly exposed, it will lack visual appeal or even send the wrong message about the subject. This is one reason it’s so important to work with your subject and learn what they want to communicate in glamour photographs of themselves. Glamour photography is ultimately about the subject—not the photographer, not the model’s friends, not her family—and the portrayal of that subject relies heavily on her actual pose.

Another way that psychology comes into play when posing a model is in communication. If you don’t know how to communicate effectively with your subject, how to direct her into each pose, you can end up creating such a confusing photographic shoot that your model is left flabbergasted.
The face is the most important part of any pose, and confused or dazed expressions are not going to sell photographs—or enhance your reputation as a photographer. While novices will definitely need your guidance, even experienced models often rely on your communication abilities to provide direction so they can turn what you “see” into what they feel is the proper result.

Playboy Playmate Holley Dorrough is positioned toward the back of the frame to allow room for a mirror reflection of her face and the faint appearance of her legs. (Camera: Canon 5D; Lens: Canon 85mm f/1.2L, USM lens, effective focal length 85mm; ISO: 100; Shutter speed: 1/160 second; Aperture: f/4; Lighting: Hensel Porty Premium power pack with a Hensel ring flash and the Hensel OctaSunhaze attachment with a Rosco Bastard Amber #02 gel; White balance: 6000K)

Ultimately, posing is the road map of the image. When a pose is successful, it should not require a GPS device for the viewer to navigate through the image, to understand the photograph’s intention, or to perceive the model’s message.