It can be hard to think of male poses when first starting in portrait or fashion photography. That’s because we may deal with more images of women in fashion and social media.
Not to worry! We have 25 male model poses to get you started. You can choose from a range of male poses depending on the style of the photoshoot and the feel you want to convey. We also have a general posing guide at the end with shooting tips!
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25 Best Male Poses for Photoshoots
We now guide you through 25 poses for boys you can try with a friend. You can mix and match these male photography poses and create other poses! Use this list as a starting point to push boundaries. Posing is a collaboration—learn how to bring out the best poses in your model.
1. Placing Hands in Pockets
Let’s start with a classic pose. Have your model place their hands in their pockets. This male pose lends a casual vibe to your image.
When done right, this pose conveys an air of confidence and comfort. When done wrong, it can come off as awkward and rigid. You and your model may need to play around with it.
Often, the awkwardness of this pose comes from the cut or tightness of the trousers. Your model may need a wardrobe change.
2. Leaning on a Wall
Having your model lean on a building or room wall is a conventional pose. This pose can produce an air of aloofness while remaining casual and playful.
It’s one of the many male model poses that lets you photograph from different perspectives. If you’re leaning on the same wall as your model, have them look over their shoulder towards you for a dramatic look.
3. Crossing Arms
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 want to photograph from a lower point of view to amplify this powerful pose. Ask your model to even their chin to ensure no double chin features if they look down.
If the model leans on a wall, you can also make this a casual pose. Have the model relax with casually crossed arms and look away from the camera. Shoot this pose at an angle or further away if you want a more subdued vibe.
4. Adjusting an Outfit
Regarding the best stylish photo poses for men, ask your models to button their jackets, adjust their cufflinks, or roll up their sleeves. It’s a great pose if you want a candid, behind-the-scenes vibe.
This male model pose works incredibly well in a suit. When it comes to cool photo poses for guys, this smart-looking combination is unbeatable.
5. Walking
You can simulate a catwalk and a candid shot by having your model walk around. There are multiple ways to approach this shot. Have the model walk toward the camera, position them at an angle, and follow them with your camera.
You could even walk down the street with them while photographing. Just be sure you don’t walk into anything!
6. Jacket Over the Shoulder
Another distinct pose that male models love is throwing their jackets over their shoulders. You see this pose in fashion magazines countless times because 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.
It’s a flexible pose where the model can lean casually against a wall, sit, stand, or walk. And ask the model to use the opposite shoulder for different results.
7. Playing With Hair
The hair swipe is often associated with dreamy, casual body language. It’s a good pose because a hair swipe forces the model to move their head to a unique angle.
This pose looks excellent, with a long lens focusing on their face. When performing this action, have your model look directly into the lens for a dramatic connection with the viewer. You can also play with more abstract body poses.
8. Hand on the Chest
Have your model place their hand lightly on their chest. This pose naturally creates interesting lines across the model’s body. You can use it to change the dynamic of a static shoot or distract the viewer from the model’s clothes.
Sometimes, this can come across as awkward. If you’re working with new models, staying away from this pose might be good. When done well, it creates an interesting body form that you can shoot in many ways.
9. The Contrapposto Pose
The contrapposto stance is what you associate with Michelangelo’s famous sculpture of David. It’s one of the most natural poses highlighted by the ancient Greeks.
A person puts weight on one straightened leg, allowing the other to bend at the knee. This pose allows the upper body to sway while keeping a straight line from the shoulder to the leg. It’s a classic pose you still see in fashion magazines.
10. Hands on Hips
A similar yet distinct pose to having your models’ hands in their pockets is to have them place their hands on their hips. Again, this is a mix of casual and formal posing. There is a playful yet serious feel to the pose.
It can be hard to photograph. It depends on how comfortable and causal your model makes it look. You may even want to crop out the elbows to avoid the solid outer shapes caused by the arms. Or make these shapes work for you.
11. Posing With a Prop
Introducing a prop into your photoshoot is a great way to transform it and make a scene seem more natural. You ease their nerves by giving your male model something to hold or play with. It gives them something to focus on rather than posing for your camera.
Portrait props can be anything, from something small like sunglasses to something bigger like a bicycle or car. Remember, the prop should match or add to the mood you are trying to create in your photographs.
12. Accentuating the Jawline
Consider emphasizing the model’s 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 faces.
Showing off the jawline produces a conventionally attractive pose for males. Ask your model to push their chin forward and to the side. You may want to get up close and try different angles so this comes across naturally.
13. Sitting and Leaning In
For this sitting pose, your model can sit with his body leaning toward the camera. You may want to position them with their arm on one leg or knee. Or, you may wish them to have their hands clasped while leaning on one of their legs.
You want to position yourself lower than them, so you may have to get down on one knee. This angle ensures the model looks down on you, conveying a more powerful pose.
14. The Thinking Pose
Another sculptural pose that comes from Rodin’s “The Thinker.” It’s where you have the model sit and lean forward with their hand on their chin to look deep in thought.
It’s worth telling your model to play with their facial expressions here. You want to capture their true essence deep in thought. It can be quite an interesting pose to work with, and you can shoot this from multiple angles.
15. Crossing Legs
Here, we have another conventional pose for male models. This pose can be great because it’s casual. Yet it can convey relaxed confidence.
Have your model place one leg over the other and recline comfortably. With this position, you can let the model play around with what to do with their arms.
I find it’s a great way to make the model feel more comfortable. You’re directing their lower half but allowing them to choose what they want to do with their upper half.
16. Sitting in a Backward Chair
We are familiar with this pose from all the boybands in the mid-2000s. It can be forward and suggestive. Make sure your model’s facial expression matches the shot’s intensity.
You can use some of the other male poses along with this. For instance, hair flicks or “the thinking pose” can work great with this.
17. Covering or Touching the Face
You can also ask your male subjects to touch or cover up their face. This pose adds some mystery and intrigue to your photograph. You can have an exciting tension between the models trying to conceal themselves and being the center of attention.
Another pose works best by getting up close and personal with your model. The effect is lost when you try to get full-body shots, but not always. Be sure to play around with this technique.
18. Sitting on Some Stairs
If you want your model to be sitting, why not have them sit on a stairwell? I like this pose because a long staircase can frame the subject with a neutral background.
The model can also play with their body language quite a bit here. Either position them reclining backward or using the leaning forward method.
There are also a few good locations in each city with very photographic stair sets. You can find these locations outdoors or inside. So take advantage of that!
19. Leaning On Something
A tremendous male pose fashion photographers love is to have the model lean on something with one arm. You see this pose often done with celebrities to look casual and easygoing.
Again, this is one of the poses you want to photograph from a bit lower down. It’s also one of the poses where you can photograph the model close up or in a full-body composition.
20. An Activity or Movement
A great way to achieve dynamic images is to let your model perform an activity for the camera. This activity can be anything from jogging to playing with a small toy. You can even put the model in extreme situations!
Moving poses work well with a nervous model. It takes their attention off the camera. It may be an excellent starting pose. With your model relaxed, you can then move into other poses.
21. Squatting
The squat pose is excellent for young photographers or models looking to produce edgy fashion images. You may want to photograph at night with a strong flash to amplify this.
Ask your model to squat down, place their arms on their knees, or hold their hands together. This pose works well for urban portraits and when holding your camera at different angles.
22. Sitting With a Knee Up
If you’re looking for a casual shot, have them sit reclined with their knee up. This pose is great as it’s easy to have the model sit in all sorts of spaces, such as window sills or on the ground with a lovely backdrop.
Facial expressions are critical, of course. Your male model can be laughing or more serious.
You can shoot this pose in many ways. I prefer shooting it from below with the model looking up. This composition gives the illusion that you are watching in deep contemplation.
23. Clasping Hands Together
You may want to ask your model to clasp their hands together. It’s not only a powerful pose. It can also eliminate awkwardness if the model does not know what to do with their hands.
You can position the hands in many different ways while clasped. I suggest shooting this close-up. The model’s body posture may be too closed with their hands together.
24 Lying Down
Have your model lie on a comfortable surface to achieve a relaxed mood in your photograph. This surface can be inside on a bed or outside in a field. Wherever you choose, pay attention to the model’s facial expressions. Their expression sets the tone of the image.
This image works best when shot from above, looking down. If you shoot outside in the summer, avoid getting your shadow in the way.
25. Posing for a Candid Shot
For me, a candid shot always works best. In this shot, you can leave your model to be with friends or perform an activity while you shoot from the sidelines.
I like this because you can shoot from many different angles. The candid shot is entirely natural, but you can stage everything.
After changing your settings or camera gear, you can even get them to repeat the same conversations or activities.
General Tips for Male Poses
Men may not be so different from women when posing for pictures. There are many conventional ideas of male poses here, but we encourage you not to constrain yourself. Use this list of male poses as a reference point.
Determine the Tone You Want to Convey
Before deciding how to pose your male model, determine the tone and “feel” you want to convey in your photos. Dictate this with clothing styles and your location.
Relaxed, casual clothing benefits a model’s laid-back, candid photos. In contrast, a high-fashion or smart, dressier look is better for formal poses.
Strategically Choose a Location
When it comes to a location, you want to match the formality of your clothes as a rule of thumb. But you may want to play with your concept. Put your male model in places that amplify or contradict their pose and features. It all depends on the atmosphere you are trying to create.
Do you want to photograph a man in a suit? It makes sense if it were a studio shoot or a high-end establishment. But the message and feel of the shoot would be completely different on the beach or in an alleyway!
Test Out Different Male Model Poses
Play with poses if you’re only starting with portrait photography or working with inexperienced models. Ask your model to try several poses in various outfits. Then, familiarize yourself with how people react to your instructions.
Remember, every person is different. And change your directions and shooting method based on those experiences.
A great way to direct the model is through small instructions. Even better, provide visual material of what you want. You can even bookmark this page and show your male model when shooting. Good communication is important!
Portrait Techniques and Gear
Here are a few general technical tips and recommended gear for capturing portraits.
Camera Settings
Ensure you are getting the sharpest image possible when shooting portraits. You want to shoot with an ISO as low as you can. It depends on the light in your location, of course. But the lower the ISO, the sharper the image.
Portraits also benefit from a shallow depth of field, usually with a long telephoto lens. But you can take fabulous male portraits with lenses 50mm or longer.
You also want to ensure you shoot with a reasonably fast shutter speed of at least 1/125 s (seconds). The faster you go, the better any movement in the model’s pose or clothes freeze in time. That means you won’t lose any details with a blurry photograph.
Lighting
Lighting is one aspect worth considering before the shoot takes place when choosing your location. Fashion photographers use natural lighting and flash photography to enhance a model’s emotion or pose.
You should avoid mixing different lighting colors, which can ruin a photo session. Some street or indoor lights give strange tones or color tints.
If you photograph with a color card, you can avoid this. But, if you are mixing different light sources, it’s a lot trickier and may ruin your shoot.
Photography Equipment and Props
Whether shooting on location or in a studio, a reflector is always a great idea to have nearby. The right angle with the right background often requires a little extra light so the male model’s face doesn’t disappear.
A reflector solves this problem quickly and naturally. An assistant is helpful, as finding a place to put the reflector when shooting may be difficult.
You may also want to use flags to block light from portrait areas when shooting in a studio. The more you control lighting, the more specific you can achieve your desired look.
It’s best to shoot off a tripod in the studio and on location. It lets you change angles and perspectives more precisely and might also help keep the shoot momentum up.
As mentioned, other non-photographic props can help. Maybe a personal object or a prop indicating their profession or interest. Perhaps music can help the male model feel more comfortable and help set the right mood.
Conclusion: Best Poses for Boys and Men
This extensive posing guide gives you plenty of new ideas to try out at your next portrait photoshoot. When you start shooting, use the environment to dictate the model’s next pose.
After more experience posing people, you will know what poses work well in different situations. So get out shooting and return to this list of poses for boys if you need a refresher!
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- Master a profitable photography niche to establish your brand
- Learn to price your services for maximum profitability
- Discover free methods to attract and keep long-term clients
