Lifestyle posing 101: how to look natural in your brand photos
I’ll let you in on a secret: very few things are accidental in my practice.
Many clients come to Luminarie Creative because of the natural looking, candid style of our lifestyle portfolio. The truth is it takes work, and thoughtful direction, to look that natural!
Unless you are a professional model, chances are high you may feel uncomfortable in front of the camera. That’s because being at ease and knowing how to move your body while a lens is pointed at you is not your job. Offering you guidance, direction, and positive feedback that allows you to look effortlessly cool and approachable, however, is precisely my job!
Using real clients as examples, here are some very simple tips for looking and feeling natural in your brand photos.
Find your light! As your photographer, I will guide you to face towards the best light. Our goal is always even, directional, clean light that illuminates your face beautifully.
When in doubt, pop your hand in your pocket. Just keep your thumb out.
When posing with another person, vary your poses so you aren’t positioned the same way. This leads to much more visual interest.
Put all your weight on one foot, pop that hip and relax the other leg.
You really can’t go wrong by laughing at something imaginary off-camera.
Watch the way children move, laugh, sway, frolic, etc. They have no self-consciousness at all and it shows! Let their boldness inspire you.
Find an action. Do an actual task that’s part of your work and it will look believable, because it is. You really do that thing!
Soft hands. Always shake out your fingers and give them som natural curve. It melts away any tension that was lingering in your image and lends a more relaxed and romantic vibe.
For groups, it’s best to give every person their own pose to create shape in the composition and less stiffness overall.
It’s okay to touch your jewellery. Unless we need to see a clear shot of the accessory for product photography, if it’s just something being worn in a lifestyle shoot, it’s okay to touch and hold.
Sometimes it’s okay to slouch if things are looking too perfect or proper
Interact with your environment. Don’t be shy to lean, rest and sit on the objects around you.