How to Pose Someone Who’s Never Modeled

Working with professional models, those who know exactly what moves to make and how to position their bodies, can be a rewarding experience. However, it's one that most of us don’t have the pleasure of on a regular basis. In this video, you’ll learn some great tips for making your everyday client look and feel like a pro.

The reality is, our day-to-day clients are not trained, and they rely on us to make them look and feel their best in photos that they will love. Do you flip through fashion magazines and yearn to make your clients look like they belong on those pages, only to arrive at a shoot with a normal, everyday person who has no idea what to do in front of the camera? I often encounter clients who are are not exactly comfortable in front of the camera. As a portrait photographer, it is absolutely my job to know how to prepare, position, and pose each of my clients in a way that will make them look their absolute best. In this video from Justin and Kirby Betancourt, Kirby shows us tips and tricks to put your clients at ease and get the most fashionable poses out of them. From setting the mood with music to getting the best facial expressions, learn how to get the best out of your untrained clients.

What are your favorite posing techniques for non-professional models? I’d love to hear them in the comments!

Jenny Edwards's picture

Jenny Edwards is a portrait photographer based in Amarillo, TX. She specializes in family and generational portraiture, as well as fashion-inspired portraits for high school seniors.

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1 Comment

Thank you for sharing. Good tips. :)
My two cents:
1. Shifting weight towards hind leg usually helps in a balanced posed in many cases for everyone.
2. Making the person walk and ask them to give a pose and clicking immediately usually works for me.