As any experienced portrait photographer will tell you, making a subject look great from head to toe can be a challenge. With every part of the body showing, there’s simply more to articulate—and nowhere to hide any aspect of the figure or pose that feels a bit “off” or unflattering. And if any one part of the pose goes wrong, the whole portrait may be unsalable.
Of course, these realities only compound the already challenging practice of posing, which many photographers consider one of the most difficult aspects of photography to truly master. No one pose will work with every client, every scene, every outfit, or even every portrait style (family vs. fashion, for instance)—so successful posing is a constant process of critical observation and savvy adaptation.
“It can be difficult to remain creative day after day, year after year, but sometimes all you need to break through the slump is a little spark.”
Filled with images by accomplished portrait, fashion, and editorial photographers, this book provides a resource for photographers seeking inspiration and guidance. Stuck on what to do with a particular subject? Flip through the sample portraits, pick something you like, then adapt it as needed to suit your tastes. Looking to spice up your work with some new poses? Find a sample that appeals to you and look for ways to implement it (or some element of it) with your subject.
For ease of use, the portraits are loosely grouped according to the fundamental position of the pose (reclining, seated, standing, etc.) and, in some cases, by defining characteristics (use of props, leaning positions, shots with both arms up, etc.). Within these, an effort has been made to include both male and female examples. However, the fact that female portraits constitute the bulk of most businesses—and that portraits of women exhibit much greater overall posing variations—was clearly reflected in the images submitted by contributing photographers. If you’re interested in a more detailed look at posing male subjects, check out the devoted volume in this series: 500 Poses for Photographing Men. (Likewise, additional volumes on posing children, couples, and groups are available in this series; those subjects are excluded from this volume.)
It can be difficult to remain creative day after day, year after year, but sometimes all you need to break through a slump is a little spark. In this book, you’ll find a plethora of images designed to provide just that.