Creative Business Portrait Photography: Posing Your Subjects

Course details

Posing is the one aspect of portrait photography that artificial intelligence simply cannot perfect for you. In this course, photography and educator Chris Orwig breaks down a series of core posing techniques, each presented with clear, step-by-step guidance. You’ll see before-and-after examples that highlight the differences subtle adjustments can make in your subjects’ appearance and comfort. From the foundational anchoring technique to more nuanced methods like the knee tuck, each lesson focuses on building a natural, flattering look. Join Chris as he works through the techniques that guide the placement of shoulders, the angle of the head, and even subtle shifts in body weight. By the end of this course, you’ll have a toolkit of poses to help every subject look their best, while retaining their unique personality.

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Portrait posing
02 - Portrait posing simplified

1. The Most Essential Posing Technique

03 - Introducing the anchoring technique
04 - Before and after anchoring examples

2. Creating Connection with Eye-to-Eye Posing

05 - Introducing the eye-to-eye technique
06 - Before and after eye-to-eye examples

3. Creating Visual Interest with Small Actions

07 - Introducing the small action technique
08 - Before and after small action examples

4. Creating a Dynamic Portrait

09 - Introducing the large action technique
10 - Before and after large action examples

5. The Power of the Angled Shoulder

11 - Introducing the shoulder-angled technique
12 - Before and after shoulder-angled examples

6. How to Use the Head-Tilt Technique

13 - Introducing the head-tilt technique
14 - Before and after head-tilt examples

7. How Shifting Weight Creates a Better Look

15 - Introducing the weight-shift technique
16 - Before and after weight shift examples

8. Keep It Casual with Sitting Poses

17 - Introducing the sitting-posing technique
18 - Before and after sitting examples

9. Invite Your Subjects to Tuck Their Knees

19 - Introducing the knee-tuck technique

10. How, When, and Why Leaning Poses Work

20 - Introducing the leaning technique

11. How to Pose Hands

21 - Introducing the hand-posing technique
22 - Before and after hand-posing examples

12. Create a Thoughtful Look with the Look-Away Technique

23 - Introducing the look-away technique