Being confident in front of the camera takes time and practice! As your senior photographer, I don’t expect you to be a pro on session day. You may not have ever had professional photos taken before — I sure didn’t when I was graduating. It’s completely okay to feel a little uncomfotable and anxious. My goal is to ease this for you as much as possible. By the end of our session together, I want you to feel empowered and full of excitment to get your gallery back. While I’ll guide you every step of the way during your senior portrait session, taking some time to practice posing in front of the mirror beforehand will make a world of a difference. Like I mentioned, confidence in front of the camera takes time.

Let’s get into it!

Step one is all about your mindset. I want to preface this by saying, you’re not awkward. Rather, no one has taught you how to pose yet. I’m a prime example of this. Before I became a photographer and decided to invest in posing education, I didn’t like any photo taken of me unless it was candid. Once I started practicing poses in the mirror and putting myself in front of the camera as often as possible, it started to click. I found different ways to stand, things to do with my hands, and angles that made me feel the best.

Most importantly, don’t compare yourself to anyone else. Take my seniors for example, so much effort went into the details to make each photo. Everything down to the lighting, outfits, hair and makeup, and posing were thought of to create these shots. It doesn’t mean they aren’t real, but they are polished. We’ll be planning all those details too and I promised you are going to love the outcome!

Do you have a side? I know I do!

Another key part to posing for the camera is considering if there’s an angle or side of your face that you prefer. While others might not notice it, sometime we are our harshest critics. I’d rather you see yourself in your preferred angle when I show you the back of my camera.

The easiest way to figure out which side your prefer is by opening up the front-facing camera on your phone and start taking a few selfies. Notice if you lean to a specific side or tilt a certain way. Personally, I’m always leaning towards my left side. If I’m in front of the camera, I’ll turn my head to the right to catch my left side profile. This is always helpful to keep in mind during session day.

Start Practicing!

It’s time to start practicing poses. Click to watch my posing tutorial below. This basic guide will offer you posing option going from bottom to top. Starting with positioning your legs and feet, then moving up to hands and arms. These simple go-to movements will set a base for any poses on session day. You can use these tools for standing, seated, walking poses alike.

I encourage you to try these poses for yourself in front of the mirror. It’s important to build the muscle memory so these movements feel incredibly natural on your session day. After you’ve mastered each poses, trust that you’re going to feel so confident.

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