Amanda Hall Photography

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3 Posing Tips for Him

man on a motorbike 
man and his hobby
motorbike
man with bmw motorbike

While having professional images taken can be uncomfortable for both men and women, men tend to find posing properly a bit more challenging. While women have a wide range of tools at their disposal to help them feel more confident and relaxed during a shoot, men don’t always have this same advantage. To help all the gentlemen out with pulling off a successful shoot consider these simple posing tips to guide you along.

1. What is the goal of your images?

The first thing you want to determine is the kind of look or attitude you want to portray through your images. While you most likely want to look masculine do you just want to come off as a tough guy? Depending on what you will use your images for you might want to go with a more friendly or relaxed looked. Knowing the goal of your images will make it easier for you and your photographer to come up with the right poses.

man in scout uniform
scout
man and his hobby
scoutman

2. Hands and arm positioning.

The most common pose men find themselves in is one that crosses the arms in front of them. This pose, however, can often give off an intimidating impression and doesn’t work with all images. An alternative to crossing your arms in front of you could be holding your hands together in a fist by your waist. For a more relaxed look try placing your hands or just the thumbs in your pocket. You can also have one hand in your pocket while the other holds your coat over your shoulder.

actor's headshot
smiling man
man with folded arms
man in white shirt

3. Body Position.

Most men tend to lean to one side whether standing or sitting. Leaning against a wall or railing or slightly leaning to one side with your hand on a chair or desk can give off a more relaxed and welcoming persona. If you want to stick with a more masculine stance make sure you keep your weight equally distributed on both feet.

male headshot
relaxed headshot
man with hands in pocket