23 Pro Tips for the Best Photography Poses

Have you ever wondered how to recreate the best photography poses like you see on social media? If you love travel photography but have ever found yourself frustrated or feeling awkward when you get in front of the camera then this post is for you!

As Instagram and cell phone cameras have rapidly developed in the past few years- the quality of travel photos has also gone up. We are no longer taking blurry pictures on a family road trip with you awkwardly standing by your dad.

Time to upgrade those travel photos to capture the beauty of your destination plus the joy you felt while traveling, and use them as an expression of your creativity. But this leaves a lot of people wondering how exactly to create the best photography poses? It can feel incredibly awkward if you’re not used to being in front of the camera.

Whether you want to start a travel blog, share your travel photos on Instagram, or simply capture better photos of yourself- here’s a complete photography tutorial for posing in your travel photos so you can feel confident and proud of your amazing capture.

So let’s go over what NOT to do before jumping into what often works best. 

Disclaimer: There is no “right way” to take a photo. But these are some tips that have worked for me personally so I wanted to give a thorough explanation. I hope it helps!

The Do’s & The Don’ts Of How To Pose For Travel Photos

Don’t Have “Dead Arms” 

This one is huge. No matter what you’re doing in the photo, I promise you won’t want limp, lifeless arms hanging at your side.  There should be energy and life going out through your limbs! Before I began travel blogging, I worked in musical theater and we were always hounded on stage if we had limp arms just lamely hanging at our sides.

The same goes for photos! Your body needs to have life and energy in it. And nowhere is it more apparent than in your arms. This is where “props” can come in handy. Hold a coffee mug- not limply but with realistic energy. Touch the brim of your hat. Clasp your hands in front of you. Do anything except let your arms hang unnaturally and lifeless next to your body. Even when facing away from the camera, you can clasp your hands in front of you with your arms slightly bent to keep them full of energy and life. 

Don’t Pull Your Shoulders Up Tensely

Avoid crunching your neckline by raising your shoulders up towards your ears. It sounds silly but we often do this while sitting down or if we have our hands in our pockets. Draw your shoulders down and back to keep your chest open and lifted. This will radiate confidence and show a long poised posture.

Don’t Hunch Your Back or Slouch 

Speaking of posture… Have you ever noticed how much you slump while you’re sitting? Many of us have terrible posture without even realizing. We’ve just grown so accustomed to it, we are used to sitting this way. However if you haven’t noticed your bad posture in your daily life, you’ll certainly notice it when you get in front of the camera. Your slouch will seem exaggerated. So do a quick check in with your posture right before the photographer starts to click.

Don’t Feel Embarrassed About Trying Something New

Try looking at photos ahead of time for inspiration and recreate some of the ideas you like. Having your photo repeatedly taken can feel incredibly vulnerable, I struggled to be in front of the camera for years. But once you embrace feeling a little silly and just have fun goofing off, your photos will convey joy, comfortability and confidence.

If you dislike shooting in a crowded place where other people will be gawking at you- no worries just show up early, arrive really late or travel in the off season. Not only will you be able to shoot without the pressure of prying eyes but this is how you’ll get those glorious shots with no one else in it!!

Not to mention, it’s pretty spectacular to see sunrise or sunset at a beautiful monument or national park by yourself.  Less people in the background, more space to take photos, more privacy and the chance to experience the beauty of a destination without swarms of tourists- that is why I love waking up early to go shoot. But if that’s not an option, get comfortable struttin’ your stuff. Who cares who is watching! 

Don’t Snap Aimlessly

You’ll save yourself a lot of time and frustration if come into your photo shoot with a plan. Knowing where you might stand, what kind of mood you are trying to evoke and how you will position your body will make your shooting more efficient and effective. Set up your shot.

Don’t Shoot In An Uncomfortable Outfit- It Will Be Apparent In Your Photos

My photos always come out much better when I am wearing an outfit I LOVE! Something comfortable that isn’t too restricting will make for easy, graceful shooting. If you feel awkward shifting around in your clothes because they’re slightly too small/big or you’re feeling less than confident- go change into something that makes you feel like a million bucks. It sounds cheesy but believe me, it makes all the difference when you feel confident in what you’re wearing.  

Now that we’ve touched on what NOT to do, here’s what often works!

Find flattering angles

Angles can do wonders for a photo. Turn your body 45 degrees to create more interesting lines and draw the viewer into your shot.

These kind of photo poses also really help if you’re not feeling super confident about your front side at the time of the photo. Or even if you didn’t feel like putting on makeup and you want to draw attention away from your face, while still being recognizable in it!

Make Triangles

Use your arms and legs to create triangle shapes. These elegant lines will give your poses a more dynamic feel! Not to mention, it also gives you something to do with your arms so you don’t have those dreaded “dead arms”!

Use Your Clothing to Enhance Photography Poses

Swing your scarf, spin in your dress or grab the skirt and raise it slightly off the ground.

As you can see in the photos above, it works well to hold up one end of your skirt as you naturally step forward. This brings life into the fabric of the garment and gives your arms something to do.

Be sure to check out: Colors to Wear to Make Your Travel Photos POP!

Face Away From The Camera Sometimes

If you’re struggling to compose your face and hold your body in a position that looks relaxed and comfortable- start by shooting with your back to the camera. This allows your scenery to take the spotlight in the photo and allows the viewer to imagine him or herself there in your place. Remember to check your posture and engage your arms even when facing away!

This pose was Alyssa’s initial signature pose, which she did in an attempt to gain credibility for her travels and photos without being stereotyped as getting things because of her looks. Many other original bloggers/influencers also made this pose popular, and it’s still a favorite to this day!

Have Life In Every Part Of Your Body

 Make sure you have energy going throughout your body.  Just like dead arms, you want to avoid the rest of you looking limp and lifeless.

Even if your legs are under a skirt or your arms are hidden from the camera’s perspective, keep the energy extending out. This means while your shoulders are brought down for good posture and away from your chin, your arms and legs should almost be “tense”.  Almost like a dancer on stage, we should feel the energy extend through your limbs. Which brings me to my next point…  

Point Your Toes

If you’re striving to look graceful in a travel photo- then let me remind you of a basic rule of dancing.  Avoid awkward-looking feet by keeping them properly in line with your leg and pointing your toes. This will extend the line of your leg, making it look long and beautiful like a dancer. Awkwardly flexed feet will make your body look more clumsy.  

Notice how even though Alyssa’s feet aren’t a main feature of the photos below, she still has her toes pointed giving her legs a more elegant, lean line.

Start Laughing

Start by faking it and soon you’ll wind up actually laughing. Nothing gives off a wonderful, joyful energy like a laugh captured in your photo. So start having fun while you shoot. Joke around, enjoy the experience and you’ll capture some of those great candid laughing photos. I know this can feel silly in public but if you’re confident and shooting with someone who makes you feel comfortable- this will be a breeze. It will get easier over time!

Create Curves

Try putting a gentle curve in your body. This will flatter your figure and give visual interest. Try stepping one leg forward then putting your weight on your back leg then sitting into your hip so it pushes out a bit. This will give your body a nice S-curve.

Keep Space Between Your Arms & Your Body

I’ve already mentioned dead arms a lot but keeping your arms lifted away from your body will help them look slimmer and energized. Often people dislike the way their arms look when they are pressed flat against their torso. Breathe life into your pose by allowing that space to exist. Notice how Alyssa is holding the hem of her skirt up which creates the open space between her arm and torso.

Keep Your Chest Lifted

Like the previous suggestion, this will also keep you looking confident. Try not to “collapse” your chest by rounding your shoulders forward.

Find Your Light

It’s difficult to correct harsh shadows during the editing process. Always tilt your face to find the light. If you’re wearing a hat and are looking down, your final photo may have heavy shadows on your face. Usually you can feel when the light is illuminating your face but if you can’t tell- ask your photographer or do a test shot.

Ask For Feedback

As you are shooting, be open to the suggestions of your photographer! Especially if you shoot with someone who knows what they are doing, they will be able to help direct you. Ultimately, you’ll want to be able to pose yourself so no matter who takes your photos whether it’s your mom, a stranger or your tripod- you can always be confident in your ability to capture a photo. But feedback is a great way to learn!

Make Use of The Rule of Thirds

This is helpful when it comes to positioning yourself in relation to your scenery. The rule of thirds is a guideline for visual composition. It suggests that an engaging image is broken into nine equal parts with two vertical and two horizontal lines that intersect. The rule suggests that the points of interest should be placed on the intersections rather than simply placed in the center.

For more information read this article explaining the rule of thirds more in depth!

Notice how in the photo below, the Nile river takes up the bottom third, the sand & boats take up the middle third and the sky fills the final third. It is a balanced photo. In addition, I am situated along the vertical right line with my head landing at an intersection. From a composition stand point, this is a strong way to capture your audience’s attention.

Again, it’s really easy to spot the rule of thirds in this photo. The infinity pool is the bottom third, the trees make up the middle third and the sky is roughly the top third. Again, my body falls on the imaginary intersecting lines.

Use Props For Visual Interest

Some people like to fully stage a shot. And if you’re unsure what to do with your hands, holding a prop can be enormously helpful. Easy to incorporate props for photos include a hat, a scarf, a mug or flowers.

Wear Colors that POP With Your Surroundings

Have you ever looked at a travel photo and thought, “Wow I love the way her dress just pops with the surroundings!”? Here’s a little secret…it was probably done on purpose! In fact pro-influencers and bloggers like Alyssa will choose their wardrobe to pack based on the colors of where they’re going!

Check out this helpful post she made on how to use a color wheel to determine what colors contrast and compliment your surroundings! “What Colors to Wear to Make Your Travel Photos POP!”

GET INSPIRATION

Head on over to Instagram, Pinterest or your favorite travel blogs to get inspired by other gorgeous travel photos. What type of photography do you like? Action shots? Mostly landscape? Solo shots or people interacting with one another?

Getting some ideas for how to take photos instead of the classic “here I am just standing and smiling in front of a monument” will go a long way! Find variety in your shots, poses and angles to help add visual interest.

 

Also remember, these are general guidelines to help you get comfortable posing in your own travel photos. Of course there will be times you break these “rules.” Sometimes facing the camera fully will indeed give you the desired effect you want and of course, not every photo will follow the rule of thirds.  These are some tricks I have found useful while improving my own posing in travel photography. But ultimately, photography is a creative endeavor and up to you! By no means do you need to follow everything listed here to create beautiful photos. But I hope you found some useful tips and inspiration in this post. Good luck and happy shooting.