Today’s Tip Tuesday comes from Lisa Carpenter of Lisa Carpenter Photography.  Lisa is a photographer in Greenville, South Carolina and was a speaker at The Seniorologie Tour Atlanta.  Lisa has a lot of experience with senior guys (as well as senior girls) and is sharing her tips for naturally posing guys and making them feel comfortable in front of the camera.  Check it out below!

You have your next senior session on the calendar and the fun begins. You pick up the latest fashion magazines. Peruse Pinterest. Take a look through a folder you’ve been adding photos to for inspiration. Think of cool locations and fashionable outfits. Determine the best locations for incredible lighting. Block off a solid 2 hours to allow for outfit changes and overall variety. Why do this? You have a senior girl session coming up.

You have another senior session scheduled and you freak out. There’s no picking up the latest magazines or thinking of fashionable poses. A feeling of insecurity creeps in. Why? You have a senior guy session coming up.

What’s the difference? The main one is that we can think of all the fun, creative, fashionable and cute poses and angles to do when it comes to working with senior girls. When it comes to the guys we freeze. Maybe not all of you, but there are plenty that do. The thing is…senior guy sessions are fun and you can get totally creative, you just need to know the subtle differences in poses that keep the photos looking masculine and awesome. And finding great light is vital for every client you photograph.

The guys can be just as nervous as the girls and believe it or not, really DO want great photos of themselves. They just don’t want to feel awkward or ridiculous in the process. Start off the session doing what you would with any other client; have a conversation. Don’t try to be overly hip or funny (unless that is you naturally) and don’t try too hard to pose. Take a moment to walk around while finding that sweet light and get to know your client. This is also a great time to share tips on how to be relaxed and natural and also about how you will be taking a variety of shots. It’s good to mention that you will keep it fun and expect it to feel a bit awkward at first. Once you get to where you want to start, keep talking. The worse thing you can do is to stop communication because now you are thinking of poses and your settings. Why is that bad? Because you break the connection you are creating via conversation.

THE LEAN

Start off by giving them something to lean on. It will instantly feel natural because it takes the pressure off what to do with hands and overall stance. There are several poses that can be done just by having a fence or brick wall to lean on. This is a great time to get headshots. Guys naturally like to put their hands in their pockets, which is also another great pose. Just be careful that they don’t put the whole hand in the pocket because then it will look like they were cut off. Try just putting the thumbs in and let the hand hang naturally. However, if a great shot happens and most of their hand is in the pocket, just go with it and remember for the next ones. Hands are a very important part of a great portrait, so just keep them natural and masculine. Another good tip: If the hands don’t look natural or begin to look too feminine, just ask them to ‘reset’. This is especially important if they are up near the face. It almost always works and it shows that you are making sure they will look great.

SIT

Next, have them sit. Rarely will you need to reposition them, just watch for part of the shirt that may need shifting or pants that need to be pulled down to cover the ankles. Most guys will ‘fall’ into a pose that is flattering…it’s just up to you to tweak it slightly while giving direction in apositive way.

Don’t forget to get candid shots because parents love them! Do this toward the end of your session when they are most confident and comfortable with you. Ask them to laugh and look away or down. Explain it might feel a bit silly, but it will make for an awesome shot. Do whatever you can to make this part really fun.

Tip Tuesday – {Posing Senior Guys}

  1. This is great and couldn’t have come at a better time! I have a senior guy session this week (my first) and I’m hoping it will snowball into more! Thanks!

heck, yes i do!

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