Whether you’re working on expanding your portfolio or your client wants a photo book of family portraits, achieving a pose that’s flattering and natural can be challenging. To avoid portraits that look stiff or staged, there are several methods you and your subject can embrace to create photos that are ready to be made into digital prints. Below are a few tips for natural posing to help you achieve the perfect portrait.

How to Pose Naturally When Taking Pictures for a Photo Book

1. Help Them Relax

Nerves will make clients hold stiff and awkward poses, and it can make their smiles and facial expressions seem forced. To help them relax, explain to them what you’ll be doing, what you’re looking for, and assure them that you’ll be giving them instructions if anything needs to be adjusted. Asking them to stay in motion—such as speaking, laughing, holding something, or doing a minor movement of any sort—will help them relax, too, and take their mind off of how their body is positioned. Giving them encouragement and praising them will also make them more confident and bold, leading to better shots.

2. Find Something for Their Hands to Do

Arms that hang limply by their sides or seem out of place will throw off the natural aesthetic of the photographs. Try to give them something for their hands to do so that they seem relaxed and at ease. They can put them in their pockets, cross their arms, put their hands on their hips, lean against a wall, or hold something like a flower or champagne flute to solve the issue. If there’s more than one subject, having them interact with and touch each other will further enhance the portrait.

3. Take as Many Pictures as Possible

To give yourself the best chance at getting the perfect portrait, you’ll need to take as many pictures as possible. Shoot the entire time, and you’ll have more options to choose from and catch more moments that happen effortlessly. It also allows your subject to get used to being photographed and have less pressure to be perfect for each shot. While you may not end up making digital prints of every single shot, you can choose the best ones to include in your portfolio or the client’s photo book.

When it’s time to start printing photos, you can rely on NuImaging Professional to provide high-quality digital prints your clients will cherish for a lifetime. Located in Covington, KY, NuImaging is a national leader in printing photos on a variety of mediums—including canvas and metal—for any of your projects. Whether you need a photo book, want to update a website, or create family Christmas cards, they’ve got everything you need. With competitive pricing and dedicated customer service, you’re bound to love working with them. Visit their new customer page online, and call (859) 261-7427 to begin an order.