Get Better Results by Directing, Not Posing Your Models

Posing is an art entirely itself, one that many photographers spend hours upon hours perfecting. However, one photographer says that the secret isn't in posing at all, it's in directing.

Coming from Creative Director and Conceptual Photographer Derek Heisler, this quick and helpful video makes a great distinction that really comes down to the photographer's mindset in getting the look they want from the model. 

I think the biggest mistake a lot of photographers make is that they focus on posing the model into something specific instead of directing them. 

Heisler notes that he typically has a resting pose and an action pose and does his best to always keep the model moving, which tends to yield more candid and natural images. By continually moving between the two, the model unconsciously adds slight variations that keep the looks fresh, while the movement prevents the images from taking on a static and stilted quality. He also recommends photographers getting in front of the camera themselves so they can better understand the model's experience and in turn direct them in a more connected fashion. The three-minute video is definitely worth watching, and Heisler's results speak for themselves. 

Check out Heisler's website and Instagram for more!

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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