Lights, Camera, Action - Let Your Body Move:

 Photo Session Modeling Tips for Stunning Images

Performance & Posing Photo Session Tips
By Ma*Shuqa Mira Murjan, Artistic Director and Photographer and Carl Sermon, Photographer


Quick 10 Point Reference List for Posing:

1. ENERGIZE Your Core
Find neutral spine, then energize your core and be performance ready. Use movements energizing and stabilizing the core as you pose and perform. Arms and hands should flow with energy from the core and frame your poses.

2. POSTURE: Stand and deliver poses
Always show a "heel" to camera. Never stand flat footed. Shift your weight into poses – as in performance. Engage your core as you move into poses. Pull elbows up and extend arms in graceful curve – to get rid of arm flab. Energize arms and hands with energy coming from your core – through a torso undulation.

3. HEAD: Head Movement Gives Angles
“Give lots of options for capturing your face in different angles by slowing moving your face. “ Throw your head back slowly and find the "light" whether the shot be interior studio, or exterior. Turn your head slowly in the light, and hold a “non-verbal conversation” with your photographer and artistic director.

4. FACE: Remember to Breathe and Animate your Face
Pretend to laugh. Laughing also makes you radiant and your eyes will connect with the viewer.” Breathing into your movement helps you relax and creates a dynamic energy that radiates from you. Play around with head angles, chin, profile.

5. EYES: Vary Eye Gaze
Project with forehead first and lean into. Create “flashing eyes” excitement by varying your eye gaze: energize your gaze by changing from showing more whites of the eyeball, to lowering your eyelids, to shifting your gaze slightly to a different angle (as you slowly move your head). Try the EYE “SQUINCH” = laughing eyes. Images connect with the viewer if you look directly and dynamically at the photographer.


6. MOUTH: What You Say Moves You
Mouthing the word "what" with your super sensual look (like Jessica Rabbit –“ I’m not bad, I’m just drawn that way”), throw one shoulder forward, lower the chin and move it slowly to the side, turn up your eyes towards the camera and say "whaaaaat" slowly.

7. CREATE “a look”
Create a “storybook moment” – e.g. 1001 nights
Never close your mouth completely - say vowels (A,E,I,O.U) to make your mouth expressive and animate your face as you perform and pose.

8. BODY ANGLES
Profiles are great. Turn your shoulders towards the camera at a slight angle. Drop the front shoulder from time to time as you move. Remember to energize and extend body lines through arms and hands.

9. MOVE: Lights, Camera, Action
Ready, Set, Go: Timing on the count of 3 the photographer will take the shot. Go ahead and “Dance like crazy” – repeat your moves to help the photographer anticipate and capture your dancing. Throw your head around – your hair will fly and look fuller. Try a backwards look at the photographer over the shoulder.
Let out a "whoohoo!"One other trick of the trade to stimulate energy and "simulate action".

10. TIMING is Key – but don’t stop
Don't move too fast or too slow. Take about three seconds to move through a movement. Move your body, your arms, and plan and rehearse veil movements.
Don't wait to hear the click of the camera, keep going unless you are told to "hold", and only then wait for the click and then keep going or re-set your pose.