I'm so awkward!

Posing tips for people that don't feel super comfy infront of the camera

If that voice lives in your head too, the one that says I have no idea what I'm doing in front of a camera, this post is for you. Clients tell me some version of it in the first five minutes of nearly every session: “I’m so awkward.” “I never know what to do with my hands.” “I just don’t photograph well.” Usually there’s a laugh attached, and a small apology, as if they’ve confessed something unforgivable.

My mom photographed everything when I was growing up, so a camera pointed my way is familiar territory, and I still have a complicated relationship with being photographed. I’ve stood on both sides of the lens, and I can tell you the awkwardness shows up on both. It’s the factory setting for most humans, and it’s fixable with some small tricks.

“I don’t photograph well” usually means “nobody ever told me what to do”

Almost everyone who says this has been photographed in one of two situations: a stiff lineup where someone yelled “say cheese,” or a candid mid-bite that somebody posted without asking. Neither one gives anyone a fair shot. When I shoot, you get something to do, something to say, and a photographer who is on your team. The results look very different, and you’ll hear yourself say “wait, that’s actually me?” more often than you’d expect.

Give your hands a job

Hands look awkward when they have nothing to do. Hand them a task and they settle right down. Hold a coffee, the strap of your bag, a jacket slung over your shoulder, the edge of your own sleeve. Rest a fingertip on your collarbone, tuck a piece of hair behind your ear, twist a ring. You do these things all day without thinking, which is exactly why they read as natural in a photo.

Pockets are allowed

Sliding a hand into a pocket is one of the easiest moves there is. Keep your thumb out and let your fingers go in, and keep the other hand free to do something. When both hands are buried to the wrist, your arms visually disappear and your shoulders can look hunched.

Loosen your fingers

Tension shows up in hands faster than anywhere else. Shake them out right before I click, then let them curl softly, like you’re holding a small pebble. A little space between the fingers looks relaxed. A flat, stiff paddle and a tight claw both look like nerves, and both are completely normal first-ten-minutes hands.

Keep moving

Some of my favourite frames happen in the half second between poses. Walk toward me, turn around and walk back, fix your sweater, laugh at something I said. Your hands do natural things when the rest of your body is in motion. I shoot documentary style, so a big part of my job is giving you prompts instead of poses. Tell me about the worst gift you ever received and watch what your hands do while you answer. They start gesturing on their own, and that’s the frame I want.

Shift your weight

When your feet are planted and square, your whole body goes rigid and your arms follow along. Put your weight on one leg, soften the opposite knee, and let one foot sit slightly forward. Your hips and shoulders relax, and your hands usually relax right behind them.

Exhale before the shutter

Most people hold their breath the moment a camera comes out. Breathe in, let it out slowly, and I’ll shoot on the way down. Your shoulders drop, your jaw unclenches, and your hands stop gripping.

Say the awkward thing out loud

Tell your photographer you feel awkward. Say it mid-shoot, say it often, say exactly what feels weird. “My hands feel enormous right now.” “I have no idea what my face is doing.” Saying it usually gets a laugh, and a real laugh is worth more than any pose I could direct. It also tells me what to adjust. If your hands feel strange, I can give you a prompt, move you to a new spot, or put something in them. You never have to figure it out alone.

Bring something that means something to you

A mug you love, a book, your guitar, your tools, your dog. My own dog, Arlo, shows up in plenty of my personal content, and a pet is the ultimate hands job, since petting one is something your hands already know how to do. For headshots and branding sessions, a laptop, a pen, or whatever you use at work gives your hands a reason to be there.

Let a few frames be goofy

You will have some awkward frames in your gallery, and that’s fine. Memory is tricky for me, so documentation matters a lot, and over time I’ve come to want the real moments in my own photos over the polished ones. The slightly goofy frames, mid-laugh with a half-raised hand, tend to be the ones people come back to.

If you’ve been putting off a session because you’re sure you’ll stand there like a mannequin, send me a note. We’ll start with a coffee in your hand and a prompt or two, and I’ll take it from there. 💛