Best friends know each other’s poses and expressions so well that they can easily mimic them in front of the camera. This makes for some great photo shoot ideas, as you can see from our examples of excellent friend poses.
The Top 10 Best Friend Poses for Photoshoots
Best friend photoshoots are so much fun. The atmosphere can be amazing. With non-stop smiles and laughter, it’s a real special occasion. And while the atmosphere is electric, you can get some fabulous best friend pictures they’ll love and cherish.
But it’s not as simple as turning up and firing away with your camera. You need to be ready with photoshoot ideas and friend poses. The friends can laugh and joke around. But the photographer needs to steer the ship in the right direction. You want to avoid total mayhem.
You can have fun too. And friend photoshoots can be excellent fun for the photographers too. But you have to remember this isn’t about you having fun. Your job is to create unique photos that display the magic of a special friendship.
To get the best out of the photoshoot, you need to give the friends some direction. You can suggest locations for the photoshoot. If they don’t want a photography studio, you need to be ready with alternative location ideas.
You’ll also need a few pose ideas up your sleeve. If the friends lose their energy and focus, you can liven things up with some fun best friend poses. You’ll need to know a lot in case some fall flat. And different groups of friends respond to different ideas.
A best friend photoshoot is all about the atmosphere. You need to be ready with poses and ideas. But you also need to go with the flow. Don’t force anything when it’s not necessary. Let the true nature of their friendship shine through.
31 Fun Poses and Ideas for a Best Friend Photoshoot
Get ready for our list of the best poses for best friend photoshoots. We have poses for every situation and a variety of locations. We’ll leave your brain exploding with fabulous best friend picture ideas.
1. Hold Them Close
Best friend photoshoot ideas don’t always need to be complicated. And this pose is a great idea for getting your models warmed up. If they seem a little nervous with a camera around, this pose will help them relax.
It’s a simple pose that’s a great way to start any best friend photoshoot. It can be done in any location and it’s symbolic of a strong bond. An arm around the shoulder demonstrates care and affection.
2. Now, From the Back
It’s the same pose but from a different angle. This one is excellent for camera-shy friends. And it’s packed with pathos.
This pose works also well on location as you’ll create some fantastic best friend pictures if you have a stunning view or a sunset to walk into.
3. The Sillier the Better
You need a few friend photoshoot ideas to get people warmed up. You might not have the fun atmosphere you want at the start, so you need a few tricks to get the party started. Pulling funny faces is the perfect way to do that.
Pulling faces is a cheap and easy way to generate a bit of fun. You don’t need any equipment, just a bit of silliness. It works well with friends of any age group, from children to adults. And you’re guaranteed laughs.
4. The Titanic
Recreating iconic scenes from movies is always a fun idea. But this pose will resonate with millennials in particular. Titanic was a box office mega-hit, and this pose is from one of the most iconic scenes.
It’s over-the-top and cheesy, but that’s the point! Fight for the roles of Jack and Rose. It’ll create a memorable moment, and there’ll be some laughter for sure.
5. Show Your Love
This is a simple idea that’s packed with symbolism. You can do it with two or more best friends. And it works well in beautiful outdoor locations.
The friends need to use their hands to create a heart shape. Each person is half a heart, and they become a whole when they put their hands together. It represents how friendship can feel, with your best friend filling the gaps to make a whole.
6. Give Them a Ride
If you’re feeling a lot of energy in the photoshoot, this is a great pose to do. It’s heaps of fun. And it’s sure to get everyone laughing.
You can do this pose with two friends or in larger groups. But you will need an even number. The main concern is safety, so only propose piggybacks if the models are appropriately aged. But if everyone’s fit and able, you’ll get some fantastic best friend pictures.
As fun as it might be, it also demonstrates the supportive nature of friendship. It’s a metaphor for how best friends help each other through life.
7. Get on the Ground
There are many excellent friend photoshoot ideas when they’re on the floor. Both friends need to lie on their backs with their heads next to one another. You stand over them to get a double portrait from above.
With their heads together, you’ll be able to get some great best friend pictures of the two laughing. It’s an unusual position, so you’ll surely get some unique looks and smiles.
8. A Toast to Friendship
Many best friend photoshoot ideas can come from the environment. And a cheer or a toast is the perfect photo idea if you’re in a bar. It’s a naturalistic pose that captures a genuine moment between friends. It’s perfect for a large group of friends.
A cheers pose may seem silly. But the toast is a brief moment of reflection before things get messy. It’s a toast to health and the future.
9. Synch Up
You need best friend photoshoot ideas that generate energy for a special atmosphere. And this is one of those ideas. It’s perfect for friends of all ages, from young children to teens and adults.
You can have fun with synchronized jumps in the photo studio. The friends can strike poses in mid-air while you get the perfect shot.
It also works well on location. The jumps look fantastic in front of a stunning view. It could be a mountaintop or a sun-soaked beach. You’ll have some fun best friend pictures no matter where you try it.
10. Get Wrapped
This is one of those best friend picture ideas that works well on location. You can have a picnic scene in a meadow. Or it can be a sunset on a sandy beach. You can replace the blanket with a towel for seaside settings.
It’s ideal for sunsets, as the friends huddle together in the blanket for warmth. You’ll have a beautiful backdrop and some sincere smiles.
11. Throw a Picnic
A picnic is a great idea for a best friend’s photoshoot. You’ll have a stunning location for some excellent pictures. Add a few glasses of wine, and you’ll have a fabulous afternoon.
If you’re lucky enough to have a sunny day, you’ll have wonderful natural light. And once the wine and conversation start to flow, you’ll be able to snap the perfect best friend picture with an air of spontaneity.
12. Appreciate the Open Road
There’s nothing better than a road trip with your best friends. It’s just a couple of friends, a playlist or two, and the open road. It’s the best way to create special moments and lasting memories.
And for best friend photoshoot ideas, the car is the perfect prop for a road trip theme. Whether it’s a car or a camper van, friends can sit on it. They can sit on the roof of a van. Or, if it’s a car, they can sit on the hood.
13. Get in the Way Back
This idea will give you more fun photos if you need more friend poses for your road trip photoshoot. If you’ve ever been on a road trip, you’ll know a lot of action happens in the car’s trunk. It’s the place where you rustle up some grub or change your clothes.
14. Approach the Horizon
Backpacking is another superb idea for creating best friend pictures if road trips aren’t their thing. You can combine stunning landscapes with the romanticism of going on an adventure with your best friend.
Having the friends walking into the distance together makes for a fantastic shot. You can have the road in the foreground, with the wilderness beyond them. It’s the beginning of a new adventure.
15. Get Wet
The pool is an excellent location for best friend pictures for friends who like to holiday together. Everyone’s guaranteed to have a good time, so you’ll snap some fun photos. And there are loads of props you can use for extra excitement.
Using an underwater camera is a great idea. But if you don’t have one, be careful with your camera gear.
16. Rest Your Head
The head-on-lap pose is great if you’re looking for more intimate friend photoshoot ideas. It’s a simple pose anyone can do on a sofa or a bed. Or you can try it on location, in a meadow, or on a beach.
It shows trust and security. There’s a tenderness and a sense of caring, which is why it’s such a fabulous best friend picture idea.
17. Bottom Up
You always need a few best friend picture ideas for a large group. And this is perfect for groups of two to eight or even ten people.
The photographer needs to lie on the floor with the camera facing up. All the friends stand in a circle, looking down at the camera. They can smile or pull funny faces.
18. Up Top
A gesture as simple as a high five can produce some fantastic photo ideas. You can do it anywhere, and you don’t need extra props.
It’s something done to celebrate a triumph, so a high five is always a happy moment. And if they miss, that’ll be a funny photo too.
19. Get in the Sack
The classic sleepover is an excellent source for best friend photoshoot ideas. It’ll give you great photo ideas for friends in their teens. Or it could be a nostalgia-fueled photoshoot, where older friends recreate their teen years for some fun pictures.
Laughing in bed is what sleepovers with friends are all about. If you can recreate the energy of a sleepover, you’ll get some fab best friend pictures.
20. Fight it Out… With Pillows
The best part of any sleepover is the pillow fight. And it’s a fun activity for friend photoshoots. They can jump on the bed and really wallop each other with the pillows. And with feathers flying, you’ll be able to capture some exciting best friend pictures.
21. Dance Dance Dance
This is another one of those best friend picture ideas that recreates the classic sleepover. Dancing on the sofa is an act of free-spirited rebellion. And this idea can add anarchic energy to your best friend pictures.
22. Stack Yourselves
The stacked heads pose might be one of the more unusual photoshoot ideas. But it works well when you have more than two friends. It’s ideal for three or four. And it’s a fresh take on a standard portrait.
Perhaps a little unnatural at first. But this pose symbolizes togetherness and unity within the friendship group. It shows they have a tight and tender connection.
23. Go for a Parking Lot Adventure
When it comes to best friend picture ideas, it’s hard to think of something more fun than a shopping cart. With this best friend picture idea, you will need to keep health and safety in mind. But you’ll be guaranteed high energy and laughter for your photoshoot.
There are a few photo ideas you can generate from the shopping cart. One friend can push the other around. They can take turns pushing and riding. Or they can both get in at the same time. The shopping cart is one of the best props for high-energy best friend picture ideas.
24. Get Extra Close
Tweaking a classic type of photo can give you some excellent best friend photoshoot ideas. And this is a great way to add interest to a standard portrait photo.
You need to have the faces of your models touching cheek to cheek. You want a standard portrait composition, but you want a tightly cropped frame. The outer sides of their faces will not be in the picture.
Both friends will only have half their faces in the picture. But their faces cheek to cheek symbolizes that they together create a whole. It reflects a close and personal relationship.
25. Go Blind
You always need a good collection of prop-free best friend picture ideas. And this is another excellent option. It’s simple and easy to do, even with shy models.
One friend covers the eyes of the other with their hands. It creates an interesting visual for a best friend picture. But the photo also has a message of trust, with the friends allowing the other to take control.
26. Embrace the Fall
If you need fun best friend picture ideas for autumn, you can’t go wrong with this one. You need an outdoor location with plenty of trees. The fallen leaves are the perfect prop for an autumnal best friend picture.
Throwing the leaves gives your photos energy and movement. And it creates a shower of reds, oranges, and yellows. It’s also a fun activity that your friends will enjoy, giving you some genuine moments of excitement and laughter.
27. After the Fall, Comes Winter
When autumn turns to winter, you’ll need a new set of best friend picture ideas. And if you’re lucky enough to have a location with snow, there are some great photo ideas to be had.
Snow can turn the dullest location into a winter wonderland. That alone makes it an excellent environment for best friend photoshoots. But when you use the snow as a prop, it brings your photos to life.
The friends can build a snowman or throw snowballs. You’ll have some action-packed images filled with energy and movement no matter the activity. And everyone will be having loads of fun.
28. I’ll Never Tell
Best friends’ photoshoot ideas are about expressing the key aspects of friendship. And a large part of that is trust and sharing. Best friends tell each other their secrets, sometimes things they don’t share with their family.
This pose puts that on display. It’s a demonstration of two friends sharing a secret. It could be something funny, or it could be something serious. Either way, you’ll have a strong and meaningful best friend picture.
29. Go Back to Back
Best friend photoshoot ideas don’t always need to be about action. This pose is an easy option for any pair of friends. And it’s an excellent option for starting a photoshoot with nervous models.
Sitting back to back gives you an interesting composition for a double portrait. The two bodies provide you with symmetry. And having the friends sit back to back gives a physical representation of the support they provide for one another.
30. Get Physical
Some best friends can be very competitive. And you can harness that energy for some superb photoshoot ideas. Handstands are a great pose option if you’re working with athletic models.
Only suggest this pose if you’re models are capable. You don’t want anyone falling on their head. But handstands are popular with everyone, from martial artists to yogis. You can do it in the studio or on location.
31. Freeze Frame
Holidays are one of the best sources for best friend photoshoot ideas. And when you have a group of friends next to the hotel swimming pool, you won’t be short of photo ideas.
This kind of picture works well with two friends or a larger group. You have them jump into the pool at the same time. And to add extra excitement, each person can strike a different pose in mid-air for an extra fun freeze frame.
Conclusion
There’s nothing quite like a best friend photoshoot if you’re a professional photographer. They’re fun, high-energy photoshoots that have everyone laughing and having a good time.
But just because they’re fun doesn’t mean they’re easy. You need to have a head full of best friend picture ideas. You need to bring out the emotions, and you have to direct the mayhem.
Now you’ll have plenty of best friend poses and ideas, so you’re prepared for your next photoshoot.
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