Posing guys has always been a hard thing for me. With my fantasy work, I am used to photographing women and it’s always been so easy. Women have such beautiful curves that are easy to manipulate for the camera. As I have branched into the fashion world and started to photograph more men I’ve had to really branch out on my posing techniques. Giving me lots of opportunities to test myself creatively and try new things. It’s been such an exciting journey learning how to make male posing more dynamic and engaging that I wanted to share those techniques with you today.

So here are some of my 5 tips and tricks to posing male models.

DSC_2325 1.jpeg — Have them Sit Down

Sitting down gives the body a lot more range of movement.

I know the idea sounds weird, sitting down shouldn’t allow you more movement. But honestly, for men, I have found this is one of the best ways to get them comfortable and into engaging shapes. Have your model sit down on whatever you have available, steps, a chair, even the ground. Allow them to use their legs to bring depth to the image. Have them put one leg towards the camera while the other is back closer to their body. They can put their arms on their legs and lean in towards the camera, or have them put their arms back and widen your shot to involve them more into the scene.

I always believed that birds have the absolute best views of the world. Being able to see what’s happening in the world from above, I love to capture that same feeling in my photographs. Get your guys to lie down and let them relax into the earth. Find a way to get above them either by finding higher ground and shoot them from a higher angle. Or if you have a log or stool, stand on top and get right above them. Or even get down to their level on the ground but incorporate some of the ground in a wider shot.

Get him to Move Around

Motion tells story’s.

A great photograph will always tell a story. Get your model to move around and capture the movement. Have him walk away from you, or down some steps towards you. Get him jumping up and down, or off of objects and walls. Or to keep it simple just get him to turn around while you capture the back and forth movement. If he’s got a cool coat on, get down low so you can get some of that juicy coat movement in your immediate shot.

Give him a prop

Get him animated and engaging with products and clothing.

In fashion, the clothing and what the model is doing with the clothing is an intricate part of telling the story. If he’s got a hat on, get him engaging with the hat. Have him take it on and off, or get him playing with his watch or coat lining. Get some props for him to hold, like some fruit or a jacket he can pull over his shoulder.

DSC_1733 1.jpeg — Get him to just stand

Face on Portraits are always amazing!

Whenever I shoot models I always want to get that one simple shot. I always ask my models to stop for a second, take a deep breath, and then just stand there and relax while I take a few shots. These I find to be the most authentic to who they are. Maybe have them switch their weight between feet to give their body a little different of a tilt. But I usually just ask them to stand and look at the camera as I turn around to find the right angle’s.

Well, that’s it! I hope you enjoyed my 5 tips and tricks to photographing male models and that they help you during your next session. Feel free to share some of your tips and photographs, I would love to see how others photograph men.

Take care everyone!

Nicole

5 Tips and Tricks to Posing Men

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