How to pose for your Instagram and blog photos – Revisited

Back in 2016 I posted about how to pose for your photos and it was a blog post that went down quite well with other bloggers and content creators.

Three years later and although I still feel as awkward, I care less than I did then. Over time I have definitely gained more confidence and felt that it was time for a follow up blog post. If you’re in the blogging community then you will know how important a good shot is to accompany your social media handles and all the best Instagram bios come with a killer profile picture.

In this post I will be revisiting some of the poses I did back in 2016 but also including some new tips which include those often dreaded bikini and swimsuit shots you might want to take when on holiday.

Back in 2016 my post covered lots of just standing there poses, arms down look away. This is absolutely fine, but there is so much more you can do and still not feel as awkward.

Create some space between your arms and body

If you stand there arms by your side, its going to create the illusion you are bigger than you are. But leaving a gap between your arms and your side, can do wonders for how a photo will turn out. A great way of doing this is putting your hands in your pockets if you have them – another bonus to having pockets.

Create the S shape

Possibly my favourite tip is to create an ‘S’ shape when posing. A couple of years ago when Alex was helping to get some shots of me he told me to put my hand on my hip and almost push my hips out. I wondered what on earth he was talking about but it’s so simple and effective and here’s why…

By shifting your hips to one side it naturally accentuates your figure. Just a simple shift of the hips, drop your shoulder on one side and it’s super easy to do but makes such a big difference.

Do something natural with your hands

You can also drop in a touch of the hair too! Dropping your shoulder and using that same arm, twiddle your hair. It might be a very stereotypical thing to do, but it avoids any awkward ‘I don’t know what to do with my hands’ moments.

An alternative to the hair twiddle is to simply place your hand on your shoulder, it’s a simple pose but it looks great.

By now you will all know we recently went to the Maldives, and if you didn’t then you can read all about here.

A couple of years ago I would never have dreamed of posing in bikinis daily, but that’s exactly what I did. I was lucky in the fact I had a bikini for each day, so this helped with wanting to show them off.

Use props

Props are always a good way for those bikini shots where you might feel more self conscious than normal and they’re a great distraction for just standing there not really knowing what to do with yourself.

Pose from angles that you’re comfortable with

If you are that self conscious about posing from the front, then posing with your back to the camera is just as effective as posing from the front.

I have some days where I’m more paranoid about my stomach, especially when I feel bloated. So I simply just turn around, e it sitting or standing. It doesn’t matter, but as long as my stomach is out of shot I don’t care!

One thing I also like to do is the classic ‘follow me too’ shots. They are cheesy as anything but if you are feeling awkward about standing there for a photo, a hand can do wonder, as the focus isn’t on your body.

But then if all else fails, just get your partner to hide your stomach from view!

Or you could just embrace the way you look and ignore anyone who may look your way. I can promise you letting go and not caring feels liberating, even if a little daunting at first.

Another take on the shot from behind is a mix between creating an S shape and the standard shot from behind.

Place one arm across your head and grab your other arm, and reach straight up in the air. The S shape mixed with reaching straight up will help to elongate your body and creates a brilliant shot that is a little less ordinary.

Lighting is key

Finally, I know its not always possible, but try to shoot in the golden hour if you can. The time just before sunrise is when the lighting is always perfect and it will make your photos look soo much better!

Everything looks better at golden hour, the warmer richer tones of this time will make your photos look dreamy.

I now feel far less conscious than I used to when having my photo taken. I do still give Alex all the eye rolls when he suggests a pose somewhere that I might feel awkward but I really have adopted the care less attitude if there are lots of people around in a spot I want my photo taken. Life’s too short to care about what other people think.

Thank you for reading and I hope you found my new updated poses helpful.