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Portrait photography is one of the most popular professional genres if you’re interested in a career in the industry. Developing your skills as a portrait photographer opens up multiple streams for opportunities in commercial, corporate and private work. If you’re serious about moving to the next level, online photography courses can be invaluable not only in furnishing you with the skills needed, but also by helping develop your creative eye by gaining an insight into the philosophies of some of the world’s most iconic photographers. Creating Perfect Portraits As you’ll learn in online photography courses, you’re faced with a host of creative choices in portrait photography, including location, lighting, composition and the overall ‘mood’ of the image. One aspect, however, that can make or break a final image is how you pose your subject. While in some cases you may choose an entirely candid situation and allow your subject to move freely and as they wish, for a more formal portrait there are tried and true poses that allow them to be captured at their most flattering. It should be noted that, without wishing to appear sexist, simply because of physicality there are different ‘classic’ poses for men and women that work best. Classic Portraiture Poses for Women One of the most complimentary seated poses for a woman is to angle her head and one shoulder slightly towards the lens, with her chin lowered a little. The most comfortable way to facilitate this is to have your subject sit down and point her knees away from you, cross her legs or ankles and then turn her upper body back to you. With experience you’ll learn how to vary this in myriad ways, including standing poses, keeping the basic principles in play. Tips: Shoot from above the subject’s eye line whenever possible and have her pull her shoulders slightly back so you are never shooting straight on. A woman’s hands are extremely important in a portrait, and if she doesn’t know what to do with them or feels awkward in any way it will show ten-fold in the final image. The hand under the chin pose is used a lot, but it can actually hide a lot of the subject’s face. A better technique is to ask them to place one hand on their neck or shoulder to create a natural looking frame. Soft and relaxed are the key words when you’re posing women’s hands. Having your subject lie down and shooting them from ground level gives another, more casual pose, particularly successful in the outdoors. You can include poses on their side, back or lying on their front, all of which add a playful, laidback element. Classic Poses for Men In contrast to a woman, the most complimentary full body pose for a man is to photograph him head on in order to maximise the width of his shoulders, with only his head angled ever so slightly. For a man, leaning against a wall or tree is not advisable, as it tends to make the image look awkward and staged. If you want a portrait of a man to have even more impact and convey extra power, have him pose with his legs spread wider and/or cross his arms. If the mood you’re looking for is more relaxed, one hand on his hip or tucking his thumbs in his pockets and shifting weight to one leg can add an informal ambience. For a head and shoulders image, if it’s a casual look, giving your subject something to lean on like a table or chair back will help. But if it’s more formal, using corporate props like a laptop, diary or notebook will add gravitas. Learn from the Professionals on Online Photography Courses When it comes to portrait photography there’s no better teacher than experience. But for those just starting out or looking to build on skills, embarking on online photography courses with inspiring fine art masters offers an incredible behind the scenes look into how they achieve their iconic images. Author Plate Adam Harper is a Photography Consultant at Masters of Photography, which offers online photography courses with some of the world’s greatest photographers. Suitable for all levels, the courses provide lifetime access to easy to follow classes, allowing participants to learn valuable tips and tricks and take big steps to improve their photography. The online community affords the opportunity to find inspiration from both the Masters and fellow students.
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