model photo shoot poses

If you ever run out of ideas, get stuck in creativity or simply need some guidance when shooting female subjects, you may use following posing samples as a “posing cheat sheet”. Many pro photographers use such a technique when preparing for and during the photo shoot.

The poses in this article are selected as initial reference. I would advise to look at the poses together with your subject, especially if she’s inexperienced. During a photo shoot don’t hesitate to discuss with the subject which pose is or isn’t working in any particular situation. It’s usually very productive and you both will feel more confident in what you are doing.

OK, let’s start, one by one.

1. Very simple portrait pose to start with. Have the model look over her shoulder. Note how unusual and interesting a portrait might look, if shot simply from a different angle.

2. In portrait photography, model photo shoot poses hands are usually not visible or at least not dominant. However, you might get creative by asking the model to play around with her hands trying different positions around her head or face. Keep in mind, though: No flat palms, and the hands should only show their sides!

3. You might be familiar with composition rules like the rule of thirds. In a similar way, pleasing effects can be created by using diagonals. Also remember that you don’t need to always hold your camera on a perfectly even level. Don’t be afraid to tilt it, you might achieve some interesting and unusual perspectives.

4. A really nice and lovely pose with a model sitting. The knees have to touch each other. Shoot slightly from above.

5. Another open and inviting pose with the model lying on the ground. Get down and take your shot nearly from the ground level.

6. Just a variation for a pose with the model lying on the ground. Both hands might as well be resting on the ground. Works very well outdoors, on the grass or in a wild flower meadow, for example.

7. A basic easy pose, yet looks absolutely stunning. Get down and shoot nearly from a ground level. Then try to move gradually around the model while making shots. Also ask your model to change head and hand positions.

8. Another easy yet gorgeous pose for all body types. Try different hand and leg positioning. And remember to focus on the model’s eyes!

9. A really lovely pose. model photo shoot poses Works well in different surface settings: The model, for example, might lie on a bed, on the ground, in the grass, or on a sandy beach. Shoot from a very low angle and focus on the eyes.

10. Gorgeous and easy pose for a model sitting on the ground.

11. Another simple and friendly pose for a model sitting on the ground. Try different directions and angles.

12. A wonderful way to demonstrate the beauty of a model’s physique. Works very well as a silhouette when shooting against a bright background.

13. A simple and casual looking pose. Lots of variations are possible. Ask the model to twist her body, experiment with hand positioning and try different head turns.

14. Another very simple and elegant pose. The model is turned slightly to the side, hands in back pockets.

15. Leaning slightly forward can be a very attractive gesture. It is a subtle way to emphasize upper body shapes.

16. A sensual pose. By holding the hands above the head body curves are emphasized. Works with fit body types.

17. Endless variations are possible for posing in full height. This pose is just the starting point. Ask the model to slightly turn her body, change hand positioning, change head and eye directions etc.

18. A relaxed pose with the model standing upright and supporting her back against a wall. Remember that the model may use a wall not only to support her back, but also to put her hands on, or resting a leg against it.

19. Note that full height settings are very demanding and work well only with slim to athletic body types. Posing guidelines are simple: The body should be arched in an S shape, hands should be relaxed, while the weight finds support on just one leg.

20. An exquisite pose for slim to athletic models. Many variations are possible. In order to find the best posture, tell the model to slowly move her hands and twist her body constantly. When you see a good variant, ask your model to hold still and take some pictures. Repeat for a full set.

21. An absolutely romantic and delicate pose. Any kind of cloth (even a curtain) can be used. Note that the back doesn’t need to be completely bare. Sometimes as little as a bare shoulder could work pretty well.

So, there’s something for you to start with. Hope you will find at least couple of poses to work with in different shooting scenarios! Keep in mind that each of the initial sample poses is meant to be only a starting point. Each pose has endless variations! Just be creative and adjust the pose as needed (for example, try different shooting angles and ask your subject to change hand, head and leg positioning etc.)

Read more: liceist.com.ua

Pin up girl poses

Pin Up Poses are soooooo vital!

For a photographer to capture your pin up look, you must know how to really work the camera.

Now that you're face is made up with your hot red lips, smoky eyes, facial mole and pin up hairstyle, it is time that you learn how to do the poses for you to be able to look the part as a pin up girl.

Your facial expression will play a big part on your pin up pose. You can start by saying the vowels in an exaggerated manner. A, E, I, O, U.

I bet you're doing that now! It's best to do it in front of the mirror and have your face in the perfect angle. There are some pin up pictures that only captures the face and the upper body, so since poses are not really applicable on this kind of pose, you can do these facial expressions.

Ask your photographer to find your perfect angle.

Sultry look

Head back, eyes half open (giving you that drowsy look, kidding!)

For the pin up pose, the most common pose is the model lying on her stomach, back arched, and legs crossed. Such pose can hide any problems with the belly area, and showcases the cleavage giving you that sexy look but still, keeping the mystery making people wanting more.

Another classic pose involves the model lying on her back, hands places creatively and legs crossed over the other. This particular pose also hides the belly, but really shows off the legs and cleavage to great advantage.

The “S” shape pose. You are to sit but you don't rest on the calves at a slight angle to the camera. The trick here is to tense the muscles and create a “S” curves by sticking out the chest and derriere. This can enhance the look of curves so often seen in the pin ups of the 1940's and 50's.

The ¾ pose is a classic. Arrange your body three quarters toward the camera with one foot in front of the other and one shoulder closer to the camera than the other. Turn your head slightly to the side and look straight ahead. Hold your arms away from your sides; this will make the arms appear slimmer and draw the eye upward to the face.

There you have it!

Here are some common pin up poses used by pin up models back in the days to get you started.

So, if you're going to have a photoshoot and you have a pin up theme, you won't have a problem posing and don't forget the facial expression as well!

Return from Pin up posters to Pin Up Poses

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Playboy celebrities

Hugh Hefner has gotten a lot of our favorite celebrity women naked. His latest conquest: Sophie Monk. Playboyreportedly offered the Australia-born singer/actress/model one million dollars to pose for the cover of the men's magazine and to bare it all for her photo spread. Unfortunately, despite the fact that her own mother was a Playmate, Monk has decided to turn down the offer in fear that it will hurt her chances for new film roles.

But we'd like to refute her point. Not only have prior celebrity cover models gone on to have lasting careers, one of them actually won an Oscar a few years after her shoot and another, a Grammy. So, please take the following list into consideration, Ms. Monk. Maybe the following hotties who've posed for Playboy will change your mind.

25. MADONNA

Date: September 1985
Before Madonna was "Madonna" she was just a woman trying to make it and needed cash. When she found her fame and was on the verge of a film career in 1985, some old nude photos were released in the magazine. The "Like a Virgin" star refused to apologize and graced the cover of this iconic issue.

24. URSULA ANDRESS

Date: December 1981
In 1964, Ursula won a Golden Globe for New Star of the Year for her role as the Bond girl, Honey Rider. In 1965, the biggest sex symbol of the first 60's showed off her golden globes for Playboy. She would later reprise her role as a Playmate several times, including the December 1981 pictorial.

23. NAOMI CAMPBELL

Date: December 1999
There are two types of men in this world: dreamers and realists. When the realists were writing out their Christmas list in 1999, Naomi Campbell's Playboy issue was number one. The dreamers just put Naomi Campbell in white gift wrap.

22. DENISE RICHARDS

Date: December 2004

Back in December 2004, Playboy celebrities Richards was still with Charlie Sheen and she had just given birth to their daughter five months ago. She proved that women can still be unbelievably sexy after childbirth and Charlie Sheen isn't really a winner after losing her.

21. TRICIA HELFER

Date: February 2007
Geeks everywhere rejoiced in 2007 when they spotted their favorite Battlestar Galactica humanoid cylon on the cover. It made picturing "frak-ing" her even easier.

20. DARYL HANNAH

Date: November 2003
Daryl Hannah's career got a revamping in 2003 when she stared in the revenge flick Kill Bill. But the cover itself makes us nostalgic for her mermaid days in Splash.

19. LIZZY JAGGER

Date: June 2011
In the real world, Mick Jagger would probably punch your lights out for wanting to see his daughter naked. Thanks to Playboy, you can do this without the confrontation. Like mother like daughter, you can see her mom Jerry Hall's own spread from 1985.

18. CARMEN ELECTRA

Date: January 2009
Carmen Electra's been on the cover three times, but 2009 is a golden year. For their 55th anniversary issue,Playboy gave Electra the cover spot and made the world toast to 55 more years (after they were done drooling).

17. RACHEL HUNTER

Date: April 2004
This is why Stacy's mom was always our favorite MILF. Before satiating us with her Playboy pictorial, Hunter teased our former MTV-viewing teen selves with a one piece in the hot mom anthem "Stacy's Mom."

16. BO DEREK

Date: July 1984

By 1984, Bo Playboy celebrities  Derek was already the star of men's fantasies worldwide, thanks to her previous Playboy shoots and her breakthrough role in 10. It was when she posed as a cowboy sucking a cigar men realized they'd be okay with a little role reversal and they'd love to be her "damsel in distress".

15. SHARON STONE

Date: July 1990
In 1990, two years before she showed off her goods in Basic Instinct, Stone's career took off after appearing inTotal Recall. What gave this film the attention it deserved? Stone coincided the film's release with the release of this Playboy issue.

14. ELLE MACPHERSON

Date: May 1994
In 1994, Macpherson showed off the reason why her nickname is "The Body". The cover showed the model in pantyhose and only "Elle" and Playboy in print. Sometimes simplicity is best. One suggestion: make it simpler and remove the pantyhose.

13. JAYNE MANSFIELD

Date: February 1955
Mansfield's peek-a-boo cover in 1955 defines the sexuality of the era: you had to be sneaky about it. Inside the issue was Mansfield and all of her blessings. It's still hard to beat the sex appeal that this risque Miss February exposed.

12. CINDY CRAWFORD

Date: July 1988
In July of 1988, Cindy Crawford decided to model her birthday suit instead of her typical high fashion designer clothing. We'd have to say the former looks exceptionally better on her.

11. BROOKE BURKE

Date: May 2001
In 2001, Brooke Burke found her fame on E!'s Wild On, and seeing her present Dancing With the Stars in her skimpy outfits has probably brought back some of your old fantasies of the television host. Just like that, your worries fluttered away like the sheet Burke used to cover herself in this issue.

10. WINTER ZOLI

Date: March 2011
Zoli plays a porn star in the FX hit Sons of Anarchy, so she says she was prepared for her Playboy shoot. She appears topless on the cover for March 2011 and said, "It turns out nudity is not a problem for me." Zoli nude is not a problem for anyone.

9. KRISTY SWANSON

Date: November 2002
Kristy Swanson made supernatural fans' dream come true when the original Buffy: The Vampire Slayer appeared in the buff for the magazine. There's no bigger turn on than a woman who can protect you from vampire attacks in the nude.

8. AUBREY O'DAY

Date: March 2009
Aubrey O'Day has more than proven she deserves a solo career. At the height of the drama surrounding Danity Kane's break-up, O'Day stripped it all off for Hugh Hefner and made us forget that there even were other girls in Diddy's foursome.

7. PAMELA ANDERSON

Date: January 2007
The blond bombshell, Anderson, has been posing for Playboy for three decades. She's also been on more covers for the magazine than any other person, so picking one was a challenge and a privilege. Her January 2007 epitomizes everything people love about Playboy; an almost naked woman with a dollar sign on her panties. Of course we'll fork over all our cash to see this.

6. STACEY DASH

Date: August 2006
While Dash wasn't on the cover, the mere mention of her name in the Contents section had us flipping to her spread ASAP. No pun intended. Needless to say, her pictorial was what we'd be waiting for since wondering what she had going on under those overalls in Clueless.

5. RAQUEL WELCH

Date: December 1979
As a gift to Playboy subscribers, Raquel Welch appeared on their December issue in 1979. The sex symbol, in her tight red swimsuit, always left things to the imagination, even in the issue. She's never posed nude, and although she's seventy years old today, we'd still like Playboy to extend that offer.

4. KELLY BROOK

Date: September 2010
Among all the titles listed for Brook, including actress, entrepreneur, and presenter, Brook is also noted as a "Playboy model." That's because this sexy English import undeniably has one of the most unforgettable Playboyspreads in the publication's history that it's hard to disassociate the two.

3. KIM KARDASHIAN

Date: December 2007
If you can't really remember why Kim Kardashian is famous in the first place, don't worry. In 2007, Playboy gave us two good reasons why she deserves the fame: T&A, especially A, which should have it's own show on the E! network to add to the Kardashian line-up.

2. CHARLIZE THERON

Date: May 1999
In the same year Vanity Fair named her the "White Hot Venus," Theron posed for Playboy to more fully define what they mean. Years later, when she starred in her Oscar winning film Monster, we had this issue to come home to and wash our eyes with.

1. MARILYN MONROE

Date: 1953
Marilyn Monroe, the original sex symbol, was used as the cover for the first issue of Playboy during a time where it could quickly end a young lady's career. What was once called "vulgar" helped launch her further into the limelight.