POSING PITFALLS
CHECKLIST
An accompanying checklist to the video “Posing Pitfalls” by Lindsay Adler
5 THINGS THAT RUIN A POSE
& HOW TO FIX THEM
POOR POSTURE
PROBLEMS:
SOLUTION:
Causes shortened neck, compressed height,
gathering in midsection.
Direct your subject to “Pull up through the top
of the head, elongate.” Be conscious of leaning
back in a chair or collapsing into shoulders.
HEIGHT
subject appears
shorter.
notice the height
difference when
posture is elongated.
AFTER
BEFORE
NECK
© 2016 All images are the property of Lindsay Adler Photography. All rights reserved.
BEFORE
AFTER
neck appears almost
twice the height.
SITTING
collapsed shoulders.
bunching of
clothing.
BEFORE
2
POSING PITFALLS CHECKLIST
AFTER
subject away from
back of chair
improves posture
providing a long,
elegant look.
lindsayadlerphotography.com
FORESHORTENING
PROBLEMS:
SOLUTION:
Perspective appears to compress appendages
(arms, legs) and body looks shorter or cut off.
Change pose or angle to avoid anything coming
directly toward or away from camera. Make a
perspective or pose adjustment.
ARMS
BEFORE
elbow facing camera compresses
arm for an unflattering pose.
AFTER
AFTER
elbow placement out to side for a more theatrical look (left)
and in towards body (right) provide two good solutions.
© 2016 All images are the property of Lindsay Adler Photography. All rights reserved.
LEG PLACEMENT
BEFORE
AFTER
forward facing with arms close to body and legs toward
camera creates boxy look; the arms and legs both are
compressed and appear shorter.
same pose, but changing either the subject’s position or
your position (perspective) makes this a better pose.
AFTER
BODY COMPRESSION
AFTER
BEFORE
this pose hides legs;
appearance of floating torso.
3
POSING PITFALLS CHECKLIST
changing perspective shows good form
(left), but with good posture (above)
pose is fixed.
lindsayadlerphotography.com
MERGERS
PROBLEMS:
SOLUTION:
Elements of the body blend together to
make the subject have unflattering form or
silhouette. This includes arms tight to body,
overly baggy clothes, feet appearing out of the
head, and more.
There are three main solutions. Create negative
space, utilize “in-body posing,” or contour the
body with arms. Try to avoid too baggy clothing.
1: CREATE NEGATIVE SPACE
ARMS - LONG SLEEVE
BEFORE
arms tight to side;
long sleeves merge
with body giving wider
or boxy appearance.
AFTER
AFTER
AFTER
solution example 1: open
arms create pleasing
negative space.
solution example 2:
negative space with
triangles (here, two).
solution example 3:
negative space and hand
riased gently on jaw.
© 2016 All images are the property of Lindsay Adler Photography. All rights reserved.
SIDE POSE
BEFORE
AFTER
(left): same principles apply with a side pose; arms to side creates mergers;
(right): elbows bent back slightly creates a negative space solution and a
stronger pose.
4
POSING PITFALLS CHECKLIST
lindsayadlerphotography.com
MERGERS
CONTINUED
2: UTILIZE “IN-BODY” POSING
before: crossed arms with elbows at side and flat
leg position create an unflattering boxy look.
AFTER
BEFORE
after: “in-body” posing is created by bringing
the arms and legs within the frame of the body;
by meeting the arms in the center, an hour-glass
shape is created and the hands are placed to
create elegant leading lines.
3: CONTOURING
before: arms at sides of body create a
merged and boxy pose.
after: contouring the body with the arms bends
one elbow in near the waste of the subject,
enhancing pleasing shapes and curves.
Here, the subject has one hand on the hip to
create negative space; the other arm is contoured
against the frame by having the subject shrug her
shoulder back, allowing the arm to bend at the
elbow and hand slide upward.
BEFORE
AFTER
© 2016 All images are the property of Lindsay Adler Photography. All rights reserved.
AVOID BAGGY CLOTHING
BEFORE
(a)
before: baggy clothing makes the subject look wider,
not flattering; (a): popping up elbows slightly to create
negative space not working here because the clothing
is filling in the space; makes subject look even wider!
5
POSING PITFALLS CHECKLIST
(b)
AFTER
(b): hand placed on hip inside of jacket gives definition
to her waist, and opens negative space; after: other
hand placed higher on jacket, slinking in arm, gives
definition to other side of waist; perfect!
lindsayadlerphotography.com
BAD HAND POSE
PROBLEMS:
SOLUTION:
Poorly placed hands distract from entire pose.
“Bad hands” include covering the jawline, hands
pushed into the face, tense or claw-like fingers,
too much palm or back of hand is visible.
Usually pose with the pinky side of hand toward
the camera. Aim to have relaxed hands. Try
moving hands into place for believable hand pose.
“Wiggle and set them back down” to relax more.
© 2016 All images are the property of Lindsay Adler Photography. All rights reserved.
be sure to be look for
these bad hand poses
near the face which
distract from the
entire pose:
6
white open palm
distracts from face
BEFORE
AFTER
front of hand
facing camera
BEFORE
AFTER
hand covers
entire jawline
BEFORE
AFTER
white open palm
distracts from pose
BEFORE
AFTER
open fingers spread
on neckline
BEFORE
AFTER
POSING PITFALLS CHECKLIST
the pinky toward
camera on the
“after” shots
creates more
elegant lines and
flattering hand
placement; to
create relaxed
fingers, fingers are
often “wiggled”
and set back down
for a gentler look.
lindsayadlerphotography.com
BAD HAND POSE
© 2016 All images are the property of Lindsay Adler Photography. All rights reserved.
CONTINUED
7
BEFORE
AFTER
clenched fingers on the waist are
distracting and create a mood of
tension in the image
hands placed gently on thighs, with
back shoulder shrugged to bend back
elbow slightly, hand slightly raised.
BEFORE
AFTER
this pose is awkward and not relaxed
hands raised slightly above waist,
bent at wrist and elbows back
slightly; a more relaxed subject and a
much better pose.
POSING PITFALLS CHECKLIST
lindsayadlerphotography.com
WEAK EXPRESSION
PROBLEMS:
Tense, uncomfortable, or unbelievable
expression detracts from entire image.
SOLUTION:
Relax forehead, eyebrows and lips. Engage the
eyes for expression to represent the mood of
the shoot. Get to know your subject; use their
know, get to their their passions. Use positive
reinforcement often.
BEFORE
wide open eyes and raised eyebrows
AFTER
having subject release tension and relax produced
natural smile and relaxed eyes.
BEFORE
eyes show no expression
© 2016 All images are the property of Lindsay Adler Photography. All rights reserved.
AFTER
a smile or smolder to their eyes pulls out a soft and
natural expression for a great pose.
BEFORE
lips have tension and look uneasy
AFTER
a big breathe in and out relaxes the subject for more
natural looking lips.
8
POSING PITFALLS CHECKLIST
lindsayadlerphotography.com
LINDSAY ADLER
Professional Photographer, and dozens
A clean, bold, and graphic style
has become the hallmark of her
work, whether shooting advertising
campaigns, designer look books,
jewelry, hair campaigns, fashion
editorials, or professional athletes.
Lindsay is renowned for her
creativity and collaborating with
designers and stylists in order to
more. As a photographic educator,
create fresh looks.
Fashion photographer Lindsay Adler has
risen to the top of her industry as both
a photographer and educator. Based
in New York City, her fashion editorials
have appeared in numerous fashion and
photography publications, including,
Marie Claire, ELLE, InStyle, Noise
Magazine, Zink Magazine, Rangefinder,
she is one of the most sought after
speakers internationally, teaching on
the industry’s largest platforms and at
the most prestigious events, having been
named one of the top 10 best fashion
photographers in the world. Lindsay has
worked with some of the top brands in
the photographic and related industries,
such as Canon, Adobe, and Microsoft.
An author of four books, she is always
working on new ways to share
her passions and knowledge with
others. Each year she teaches tens of
thousands of photographers worldwide through prestigious platforms
such as creativeLIVE, KelbyOne, and
the industry’s biggest conferences.
lindsayadlerphotography.com