How to Pose for Commercial Modeling

Nikkie Michele Cole

Memorize Various Poses – Look through various magazines and memorize at least 10 poses that you can make a part of your repertoire. There are times where you may encounter photographers who don’t offer as much guidance so you should be prepared with your own arsenal of poses.

Model from Head to Toe – Every part of your body should be engaged, you should be strong from head to toe. Put conviction and energy behind all of your poses. Most importantly, don’t forget your hands. One of the hardest parts of modeling can be, knowing what to do with your hands. If you keep your whole body engaged from head to toe, you’ll find poses that look and feel right. Try relaxing your fingers and make sure they’re delicate in poses rather than stiff. Keep tension in your body–even if its just a little bit at all times.

Remember Facial Expressions – Consider the brand identity and customer base when you’re shooting to figure out what type of emotion you need to convey. Based on the character you need to convey, you’ll have to work a variety of facial expressions into your poses.

Sell The Garment – Remember your most important job is to make the clothing or product look appealing to the consumer. It’s your job to display its detail and functionality. Your poses should show off exactly how the clothing fits, try to avoid posing in ways that may make the clothing look too different from how it would normally be worn.

Work Your Flaws – Everyone has them, and knowing how to work them can boost your confidence and improve your posing. Here are a few tips from Tyra Banks on how to monopolize on those flaws and work them to the max. Hands on Hips = Smaller Waist. Putting your hands on your hips creates a background through your arms, which will make your waist appear smaller.

Chin Up = Smaller Forehead. I am always telling the girls on ANTM to chin up! Not only will it make a large forehead look smaller, it will also elongate the neck.

Tippy Toes = Bigger Calves. Standing on your tippy toes instead of flat feet will make your calf muscles appear bigger because they are working harder to keep you up.

Knees In = Slimmer Hips. Turning a knee in will make your hips appear slimmer. This will also give you a space between your thighs, which is something that most women don’t have.

Lean Forward = Smaller Bust. Hunch your back and bring your naval into your spine. This creates a slight lean forward, which will make your bust look smaller. Emphasize Shoulder = Narrow Hips. Turn your body to the side and turn your shoulders toward the camera. The emphasis on your shoulders will narrow your hips.