Last week, we talked all about how important it was to market and think of our senior guys as senior portrait photographers. Our business isn’t just for the ladies graduating! In today’s episode, we’re digging into some posing tips for senior guys. I know that sometimes it can feel like the girls are easier to pose. And I get it: there’s less variety, they don’t have as many outfits, and fewer props, too. But, I promise you, it’s WAY easier than you think!
Posing for Senior Guys
The truth about posing guys is that there simply aren’t as many poses for them as there are for girls. I know it sounds a little harsh, but it doesn’t mean we can’t do a great job for them anyway! There’s still so much we can do to make sure everyone gets photos they love. The biggest difference is that with guys, you want to keep posing masculine and set expectations from the start. Be confident so they’re confident (I talked about this a LOT last episode!). I’ve found over the years that keeping things natural is usually best for my senior guys. The more relaxed they are, the more natural smiles and laughs will come!
Keep communicating!
With any senior you photograph, you want to be sure that you’re continuing to communicate with them throughout the shoot. That means talking to them, ask questions, and break down your poses to digestible pieces so they know exactly what to do. Another easy way to help put your seniors at ease is to mirror the pose. Trust me, sometimes it is much easier to show them what to do than to try and explain it! And don’t forget to help them find their confidence by encouraging them to move their head and hands around, too. With guys, I’ve found that I typically want to accentuate their stronger jawline, so I always tell them to think of Joey from FRIENDS (and do the head nod that comes with his famous “how you doin’?” line!
My core poses
For senior girls, I have 6 core poses: standing, leaning, moving, squatting, sitting and laying. For the guys, I only use five of them. Standing, leaning, moving, squatting and sitting are the best for the guys. I always start with them standing because that’s how we arrived at the session. Then, I start using my posing formula to mix things up. Read more about that HERE. We then move into the leaning pose. Choosing a location that provides options to lean on (think a door frame, wall, tree) is key here! After we’re done with that, we move into the moving pose! It’s a great chance to break up the more static posing. Again, don’t forget to tell the guys what you want them to do while they’re moving – hands in their pockets is always a great option. We’re almost done after that!
Next, I do the squatting poses. Guys naturally squat a little different than the girls and that is okay! So ask your senior guy to squat and watch how he would naturally do it and make slight adjustments if needed from there. Finally, it’s time to sit! sitting core pose. Again, location plays into this one as well. But just let your senior take the lead. See what they do and adjust from there.
When it comes to posing senior clients, the one thing guys and girls have in common is that they are not instantly comfortable in front of the camera. Most of our clients will need to be given direction and it is our job to make sure we can make our clients feel and look comfortable in their photos! No matter who you’re photographing, taking the time to prep them and be confident will make all the difference!
Senior Posing Guides!
If you are looking for some natural guy posing inspiration, grab my free download for three simple poses for senior guys