Portrait Posing - I'm Here to Help

I recently had a very nervous client for a portrait session. He had been putting off new portraits for years. He said that he always takes terrible photos, that he doesn't know where to put his hands or how to hold his head or what to do with his feet. Essentially, he was afraid that he'd step in front of my camera and crack the lens just by looking at it. (He even had some liquid courage to calm his nerves!)

After five minutes together, I said to myself, "Okay, I need to show this guy how great he looks. Give him some confidence and let him relax a bit."

I showed him a few portraits on the back of the camera.

"Oh my, is that me? That's me! What are you doing to me? You are making me look good! I cannot believe what you just showed me. You are going to make me spend way more money than I planned," he said.

After that, our session was loose and fun. By the end, he was shifting through poses without me even telling him. As we walked back to our cars to leave the session, he said, "You came highly recommended, and you have exceeded expectations. You have a new lifelong client."

That's what posing direction can do. And that's the kind of help and confidence I will give you at your session.

Being in front of the camera is a strange experience. Sure, we're all used to taking selfies or snapshots of daily life. Our cameras are everywhere, and we're always using them.

But when someone comes to me for portraits, it's more than just a snapshot. It's for something special. You want to look your best for your family or your business or your senior year. I take pride in helping you pose to look your best.

Rewind many years ago to when I began my business. I used to think that everyone would just look their best doing what came naturally. I mistakenly thought that I could just say, "Stand there," or "Sit over here," and it would all just fall into place. They'd sit, and in that moment, they'd be natural. Right?

But a portrait session isn't natural for most people. As soon as you stand, you start to think, "Where do I put my hands? What do I do with my shoulders? Does my smile look right? I have a weird eye thing. Does my eye look weird right now? Oh my goodness this is terrible and I paid for this and it's going to be a failure!"

And then I say, "Okay, gently cross one knee over the other. Now put one hand on your leg like this. Chin out and down. Now just a tiny smile, a baby smile. Slide your foot back, bend towards me at your waist just a bit, follow my finger with your nose, yes, that's it, perfect!" Click! In a few seconds, you are looking your best, and we move from pose to pose, easy and natural because I tell you (and show you) exactly what to do.

That's what posing direction can do.

The story I described earlier? I get some version of it every few sessions. But by the end, everyone is convinced: posing direction works. And it's fun.

When you think about your next session with me, don't get nervous. When it comes to posing, I got you.