Most people feel awkward in front of a camera.
Not everyone admits it, but they do.
The moment the camera comes out, perfectly normal people suddenly forget what their face usually does. Hands become a problem. Shoulders creep upwards. Smiles turn strange. Everyone becomes very aware of their chin.
It’s completely normal.
You don’t need to be a model to look good in photographs. You don’t need to arrive with a bank of poses memorised. You don’t need to know your best side, although if you do, I’m happy to hear the evidence.
The truth is much simpler.
Good posing is mostly about small adjustments.
Posture. Angles. Breathing. Direction. Trust.
That’s it.
Here are ten ways to pose better, even if being photographed makes you feel a bit awkward.
1. Stand tall, but don’t go rigid
Posture makes a huge difference.
If you slump, your shoulders roll forward, your neck disappears and your whole body can look less confident than you actually are.
But standing tall doesn’t mean turning into a wooden soldier.
Think lifted, not stiff.
Imagine a string gently pulling you up from the top of your head. Let your spine lengthen, your shoulders settle and your chest open naturally.
You’re not trying to force a power pose.
You’re just creating a bit more space in your body.
That space photographs well.
2. Relax your shoulders
Shoulders are sneaky.
When people feel nervous, their shoulders often rise towards their ears without permission.
It’s a very common camera reaction.
A tiny shoulder reset can change the whole photo.
Take a breath.
Let your shoulders drop.
Roll them back slightly, then let them settle.
You don’t want them pinned back like you’re standing to attention. You just want them relaxed enough that your neck, jaw and face don’t look tense.
If your shoulders look relaxed, you usually look more comfortable.
And if you look more comfortable, the portrait feels more natural.
3. Give your hands a job
Hands are the classic problem.
Nobody knows what to do with them.
This is not a personal failing. Hands are just deeply annoying during photoshoots.
The worst thing you can usually do is leave them hanging stiffly at your sides while thinking, “What are my hands doing? Are they always this big?”
Give them a job instead.
Rest one hand lightly in a pocket.
Hold a jacket.
Adjust a cuff.
Touch a necklace.
Rest your hands on your thighs if you’re sitting.
Lean on a chair, wall, desk or table.
The movement doesn’t need to be dramatic. In fact, it shouldn’t be.
A small, natural action is enough to make your hands look like they belong to you again.
4. Shift your weight
Standing evenly on both feet can make you look stiff.
It’s not wrong, but it can feel a bit passport photo.
Try shifting your weight onto one leg.
This creates a more relaxed line through the body and stops the pose feeling too square.
For standing portraits, a slight weight shift can make a big difference. It adds shape, softens the pose and helps you look less like you’ve been told to stand still in assembly.
It should feel easy.
If it feels like you’re attempting a complicated yoga pose, we’ve gone too far.
5. Angle your body
Facing the camera straight on can work for some portraits, especially if we want a direct, confident look.
But for most people, a slight angle is more flattering.
Turn your body a little away from the camera, then bring your face back towards the lens.
That’s it.
It creates depth, gives the body a better shape and keeps the focus on your face.
A small turn can make the image feel more natural and less flat.
You don’t need to twist yourself into an elaborate magazine pose. Just a few degrees can change everything.
6. Think “chin forward and slightly down”
The chin is where a lot of people get confused.
They’ve heard “chin up”, which can sometimes help with confidence, but in photographs it often leads to the opposite of what we want.
If your chin goes too high, the camera sees more of your neck and less of your eyes. It can also make your face look less connected to the viewer.
A better direction is usually chin forward and slightly down.
It might feel a little odd.
It looks good on camera.
The forward part helps define the jawline. The slight downward tilt brings more attention to the eyes.
This is one of those small photographer tricks that feels strange for about three seconds, then makes complete sense when you see the result.
7. Don’t force the smile
A forced smile never fools the camera.
You can see it in the eyes.
The mouth is doing its best, but the rest of the face hasn’t received the memo.
For a better smile, try not to “hold” it for too long. That’s when it starts to look fixed.
Instead, let the expression come and go.
I’ll often talk to people during the shoot, ask questions, say something mildly stupid, or get them to look away and back again. Not because I’ve forgotten what I’m doing, but because real expressions usually happen in between the official ones.
A good portrait doesn’t always need a big smile.
Sometimes a smaller, warmer expression works better.
The aim is not to look permanently delighted.
That would be unsettling.
The aim is to look like yourself.
8. Use your eyes
The eyes carry a portrait.
That doesn’t mean you need to stare intensely into the camera like you’re about to reveal a major plot twist.
It just means your eyes need to feel alive.
A blank expression can make even a technically good photo fall flat.
This is why I’ll often get you thinking about something specific. A person you like. A place you love. A funny moment. The kind of client you enjoy working with. The reason the image matters.
When your mind is engaged, your eyes change.
That’s the difference between looking at the camera and connecting with it.
9. Move a little between shots
You don’t need to freeze.
In fact, please don’t.
Small movements help a lot.
Turn your head slightly.
Shift your weight.
Adjust your hands.
Look away, then back.
Lean in a little.
Take a breath.
Let the expression change.
These small movements give us options. They also stop you feeling trapped in one pose, wondering whether you’re doing it correctly.
A good shoot has a rhythm to it.
We try something, adjust it, refine it, then move on.
You’re not expected to hold one perfect pose like a statue while I circle you with a camera.
That would be weird for both of us.
10. Trust the direction
This is the big one.
You don’t need to know how to pose before you arrive.
That’s what I’m there for.
I’ll guide you through the whole thing. I’ll help with posture, hands, shoulders, chin, expression, angles and all the tiny details that make a portrait work.
You don’t need to keep checking yourself.
You don’t need to apologise for feeling awkward.
You don’t need to say, “I’m terrible at this” before we’ve even started, although almost everyone does.
The more you trust the process, the easier it gets.
I’ll show you what’s working as we go, so you can see that we’re getting somewhere good. That usually helps people relax very quickly.
And once you relax, the photos get better.
You don’t have to perform
The best portraits don’t come from perfect posing.
They come from comfort, trust and small adjustments.
A good pose should support you, not turn you into someone else.
You should still look like yourself.
Just a little more confident.
A little more relaxed.
A little better lit.
A little less unsure what to do with your hands.
So if you feel awkward in front of the camera, you’re not alone. You’re also not a lost cause.
You just need proper direction.
And possibly someone to remind your shoulders to come down from your ears.
If you need new headshots, portraits or personal branding images, I’ll guide you through the whole process so you don’t have to work it all out on your own.
