Fashion Photography Men Face Look Down

It can be hard to direct a male model when commencement starting in portrait or fashion photography. That's considering we may bargain with more than images of women in fashion and social media.

Not to worry! Today, we will guide you through 25 male person model poses to get you started. It's a range of different male poses depending on your style of photoshoot and the feel you want to convey.

Black and white studio photo of a model wearing a hat and touching their face as an idea for male poses

General Tips When Posing a Male Model

When it comes to posing for pictures, men and women may not exist and so different. There are many conventional ideas of male person poses hither. But we encourage you lot not to constrain yourself. Use this listing every bit a jumping-off point to button the boundaries. Plus, posing is very much a collaboration, learning how to bring out the best poses from your model.

Decide the Tone You Want to Convey

Before deciding how to pose your male model, determine the tone and "feel" you want to become across in your photos. Dictate this with clothing styles and your location.

Relaxed, casual clothing volition benefit laid-back, candid photos. In contrast, a loftier-fashion or smart, dressier await is better for formal poses.

Strategically Choose a Location

When information technology comes to a location, you want to friction match the formality of your clothes as a dominion of thumb. But, you may want to play with your concept. Put your male model in places that dilate or contradict their pose and features. Information technology all depends on the atmosphere yous are trying to create.

Maybe you want to photograph a man in a suit? It would brand sense if it were a studio shoot or a high-finish establishment. But, the message and experience of the shoot would exist completely dissimilar on the beach or in an alleyway!

Exam Out Different Male Model Poses

If you're starting in portrait photography or working with inexperienced models, play with poses as much as you can. Inquire your model to try a bunch of poses in a range of unlike outfits.

Then familiarize yourself with how people react to your instructions…. every person is different. And change your directions and shooting method based on those experiences.

A swell way to direct the model is through minor instructions. Even better, provide visual material of what you want. Y'all can fifty-fifty bookmark this page and testify your male model when shooting.

Man in yellow hoodie with hands together and neutral facial expression as an idea for male poses

25 Best Male Poses

Nosotros volition at present guide you lot through 25 male poses you tin attempt yourself or with a friend. Mix and lucifer these male photography poses and create other poses!

25. Placing Hands in Pockets

Let's start with a classic pose. Have your model place their easily in pockets.

This male pose brings a casual vibe to your image. It conveys an air of conviction and comfort when done correct.

When done wrong, this pose can come up off bad-mannered and rigid. You and your model may need to play around with information technology.

Oftentimes, the clumsiness of this pose comes from the cut or tightness of the trousers. Your model may need a wardrobe change.

Male pose with hands in pockets

24. Leaning on a Wall

Having your model lean on a building or room wall is a pretty conventional pose. This pose can produce an air of aloofness while remaining coincidental and playful.

It's one of the many male model poses that allow you lot to photograph from different perspectives. If y'all're leaning on the aforementioned wall as your model, take them look over their shoulder towards you for a dramatic look.

A male model leaning on the wall as an idea for male fashion poses

23. Crossing Artillery

If you want a photograph with a powerful male pose, have your model pose with their arms crossed. It's a great power pose to shoot straight on with them looking directly at the camera.

You desire to photograph from a lower bespeak of view to amplify this powerful pose. Ask your model to even their chin to ensure no double chin features if they look downwardly.

You lot can also make this a more than casual pose if y'all position the model to lean on a wall. Have the model relax with casually crossed arms and look away from the photographic camera. Shoot this pose at an angle or farther away if y'all want a more subdued vibe.

male pose of a Man in tank top with arms crossed looking away

22. Adjusting an Outfit

When it comes to the best stylish photo poses for men, ask your model to button their jacket, accommodate their cufflinks, or roll up their sleeves. It is a great pose if you want a candid, backside-the-scenes vibe.

The male model pose works incredibly well in a suit. When it comes to cool photograph poses for guys, you tin't become wrong with this smart-looking combination.

Man posing in a suit buttoning his suit jacket

21. Walking

You tin simultaneously simulate a catwalk and a candid shot by having your model walk around. There are multiple ways to arroyo this shot. Have the model walk towards the camera or position them at an angle and follow them with your camera.

You lot could even walk down the street with them while photographing. Just be sure yous don't walk into anything!

Model walking down a cobblestone street

twenty. Placing a Jacket Over the Shoulder

Another distinct pose that male models beloved is throwing their jackets over their shoulders. It'south a pose yous see countless times in manner magazines considering it creates interesting lines.

Photographers typically shoot this pose straight on. Or the model can stand at an angle with their face toward the camera.

Information technology's a flexible pose where you can accept the model lean casually confronting a wall, sit, stand up, or walk. And inquire the model to use the opposite shoulder for different results.

male model in studio posing with jacket over shoulder

19. Playing With Hair

The pilus swipe is often associated with dreamy, casual body language. It's a skilful pose because a hair swipe forces the model to movement their head to a unique bending.

This pose looks excellent with a long lens focusing on their face. Have your model look straight into the lens for a dramatic connectedness with the viewer when performing this action. Or play with more than abstruse poses.

man posing while playing with hair against a pink background

xviii. Placing a Hand on the Chest

Accept your model identify their hand lightly on their breast. You tin can naturally create interesting lines across the model'south body this way.

You can use this pose to change the dynamic of a static shoot. Or have attention abroad from the model'south clothes.

Sometimes, this can come up beyond equally awkward. If you're working with new models, information technology might be worth staying away from this pose. When done well, you will get an interesting body form that you can shoot in many unlike ways.

male pose of a man in suit going in pocket

17. Using the Contrapposto Pose

The contrapposto opinion is what y'all typically remember nearly with Michelangelo'due south famous sculpture of David. It's one of the most natural poses highlighted past the ancient Greeks.

A person puts weight on one straightened leg, allowing the other leg to curve at the knee. This pose allows the upper trunk to sway while still keeping a straight line from the shoulder to the leg.

It's a classic pose you lot all the same see in fashion magazines.

Ancient sculpture illustraing a weighted pose

16. Placing Hands on Hips

A like withal singled-out pose to having your models' easily in pockets is to accept them identify their easily on their hips. Again, this is a mix of formal and casual. At that place is a playful yet serious feel to the pose.

It can be difficult to photograph. It depends on how comfy and causal your model tin make it look.

You may even want to ingather out the elbows to avoid the solid outer shapes caused by the artillery. Or brand these shapes work for you lot.

Black and white image of a man posing with hands on hip

15. Posing With a Prop

Introducing a prop into your shoot is always a great mode to transform it. Information technology can also make a scene seem more than natural.

You ease their fretfulness by giving your male person model something to concord or play with. They have something to focus on rather than the pose or your photographic camera.

Props can be anything from something small like sunglasses to something bigger similar a bicycle or car. Remember, the prop should lucifer or add together to the mood you are trying to create in your photographs.

Man posing agains a brighr red background with a skateboard

14. Accentuating the Jawline

Call back nigh emphasizing the models' facial expressions if you want a power shot. I don't mean instructing them to play with their emotions here but to play with how they position their face.

Yous produce a conventionally bonny pose for males past showing off the jawline.

Enquire your model to push button their chin frontwards and to the side. You lot may want to get up close and effort different angles, so this comes across naturally.

man with good jawline posing against a city skyline

13. Sitting and Leaning In

For this pose, your model can sit with his body leaning forward towards the photographic camera. You may desire to position them with their arm on one leg or one knee. Or, you may wish them to have their easily clasped while leaning on one of their legs.

You want to position yourself lower than them, and so you may have to become down on one knee. This ensures that the model looks downward on you, carrying a more powerful pose.

man in a smoking jacket leaning forward on chair

12. The Thinking Pose

This is another sculptural pose that comes from Rodin's The Thinker. It's where you lot have the model sit down and lean frontward with their hand on their chin to look like they are deep in thought.

It is worth telling your model to play with their facial expressions here. Yous want to capture the truthful essence of them deep in idea. It tin can exist quite an interesting pose to work with, and you tin can shoot this from multiple angles.

man in pose similar to the thinker

11. Crossing Legs

Here we have another conventional pose for male models. This can be a great pose as information technology is casual. Yet it tin can convey relaxed confidence.

Have your model place one leg over the other and then recline into a comfy position. With this position, you can permit the model to play around with what to exercise with their arms.

I find it's a keen mode to make the model feel more comfy. You're directing their lower one-half but allowing them to choose what they want to practice with their upper half.

man sitting on a chair with legs crossed as an example for male poses

10. Sitting in a Backward Chair

Nosotros are familiar with this pose from all the boybands in the mid-2000s. It tin can be a forward and suggestive pose. Then make sure your model's facial expression matches the shot'due south intensity.

Use some of the other male poses along with this. For example, the pilus motion picture or "the thinking pose" tin work cracking with this.

Man sitting on a backward chair as an example of male poses

9. Covering or Touching the Face up

You tin also ask your male subjects to affect or cover up their face. This pose volition add some mystery and intrigue to your photograph.

You will have an heady tension betwixt the model trying to conceal themselves and existence the center of attention.

Another pose works best by getting up shut and personal to your model. The effect is lost when you try to get full-body shots—simply not always. Be sure to play around with this technique.

Man holding his face surrounded by flowers

8. Sitting on Stairs

If you want your model to be sitting, why non have them sit on a stairwell? I like this pose because a long staircase tin frame the subject area with a neutral background.

The model can also play with their body language quite a chip here. Either position them reclining astern or using the leaning forward method.

There are as well a few skillful locations in each city with very photographic stair sets. Yous tin find these locations outdoors or inside. So take reward of that!

man sitting on stairs with books as an idea for male poses

7. Leaning On an Arm Balance

A tremendous male pose that manner photographers love is to take the model lean on something with one arm. You meet this pose often done with celebrities to look casual and easygoing.

Again, this is one of the poses you will want to photograph from a flake lower down. Information technology is also one of the poses where you can photo the model close upwardly or in a full-body composition.

man leaning on wall outside in a city

6. Performing an Activity or Moving Fast

A bully style to attain dynamic images is to let your model to perform an activeness for the camera. Information technology tin be anything from jogging to playing with a small toy. Or, you tin even put the model in farthermost situations!

Moving poses piece of work well with a nervous model. Information technology takes their attention off the photographic camera.

It may be an excellent pose to start with. You can then go into other poses with your model in a relaxed state.

Athelete training outdoors as an idea for male poses

five. Squatting

The squat pose is excellent for young photographers or models looking to produce edgy way images. You may want to photograph at dark with a potent wink to amplify this.

Take your model squat downwards and place their arms on their knees or concord their hands together. This photograph works well for urban scenes or looks.

This is also a pose that works well when holding your photographic camera at different angles.

Man squats in underground tunnel with conveyor belts as an idea for male poses

4. Sitting With a Knee Up

If y'all're looking for a casual shot, have them sit down reclined with their knee up. This pose is great as it's like shooting fish in a barrel to have the model sit down in all sorts of spaces, such as window sills or on the ground with a lovely backdrop.

Facial expressions are critical, of class. Your male model tin can be laughing or more than serious.

Yous can shoot this pose in many ways. I prefer shooting it from below with the model looking upward into the air. This composition gives the illusion that you are watching in deep contemplation.

Male posing idea of a man leaning against wall and laughing

3. Clasping Hands Together

Yous may want to enquire your model to squeeze their easily together. It's not but a powerful pose. It tin can also eliminate any clumsiness if the model does non know what to do with their easily.

You lot can position the easily in many different ways while clasped. I suggest shooting this close-upward. The model's trunk posture may be a bit too closed-up with their hands together.

Model in studio posing with their hands clapsed together

2. Laying Downwards

Accept your model prevarication downwards on a comfortable surface to achieve a relaxed mood in your photograph. It can be inside on a bed or outside in a field.

Wherever yous choose, make sure yous pay attention to the model'southward facial expressions. Their facial expression will set up the tone of the prototype.

This epitome works best when shot from above looking down. Be careful not to get your shadow in the way if y'all shoot outside in the summertime.

Model lying down on a tennis court

ane. Posing For a Aboveboard Shot

For me, the candid shot always works the best. This is where y'all tin can leave your model to be with friends or perform an activity while y'all shoot from the sidelines.

I like this because yous can shoot from many different angles. The candid shot comes across every bit entirely natural, merely y'all can phase everything.

You can even become them to repeat the aforementioned conversations or activities after changing your settings or camera gear.

Man standing on a beach as an idea for male poses

Photography Techniques

Here are a few full general technical tips for capturing the best male poses.

Camera Settings to Apply

Ensure y'all are getting the sharpest image possible when shooting portraits. You want to shoot on every bit low of an ISO as yous tin. Information technology depends on the light in your location, of class. But the lower the ISO, the sharper the paradigm.

Portraits also benefit from a shallow depth of field, usually with a long lens. But y'all can accept fabulous male person portraits with lenses 50mm or longer.

Y'all also want to ensure you shoot with a reasonably fast shutter speed of at to the lowest degree 1/125 s. The faster you go, the better any move in the model'due south pose or clothes freeze in time. That means you won't lose any details with a blurry photograph.

Lighting Considerations

Lighting is one attribute worth thinking about before the shoot has taken place when choosing your location. Fashion photographers commonly use both natural lighting and flash photography to enhance a model's emotion or pose.

You want to be careful not to mix different lighting colors, equally this can ruin a photograph session. You lot volition find that some street or indoor lights will give strange tones or color tints.

If you photograph with a colour card, you tin avoid this. Merely, if you lot are mixing different light sources, this will exist a lot trickier and may ruin your shoot.

Photograph Equipment and Props to Use

Whether shooting on location or in a studio, a reflector is always a neat idea to have nearby. The right angle with the right background often requires a little extra light, and then the male person model'south face doesn't disappear.

A reflector takes intendance of this problem quickly and naturally. An assistant is helpful as it may exist difficult to detect a identify to put the reflector when shooting.

Yous may as well want to apply flags to cake light from portrait areas when shooting in a studio. The more you command lighting, the more specific you tin achieve the look you want.

Information technology'south best to shoot off a tripod in the studio and on location. It allows you to change angles and perspectives more than precisely. Information technology may also help to go along the shoot momentum up.

Equally mentioned, other non-photographic props tin help. Possibly a personal object or a prop indicating their profession or interest. Or, perhaps music tin can assist the male person model feel more comfy and help gear up the correct mood.

Male pose idea of a man lying in field

Conclusion

With this extensive posing guide, y'all now have enough of new ideas to try out at your next photoshoot. Use the environment to dictate the models' next pose once yous showtime shooting.

After more feel posing people, you volition know what poses piece of work well in different situations. Then get out shooting and render to this listing of male poses if y'all need a refresher!

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