Posing Womens Hands

Portrait Photography

Posing Womens Hands Portrait Photography Guide

-1

Theres no doubt about it; capturing

natural environmental portraits takes a
fair amount of experience and skill. New
photographers struggle with composition,
directing clients how to stand or sit, where
to look and what to do with their hands.
Hands rank second only to the face in the
(positive or negative) impact they can
have on a portrait. Hands demand the
viewers attention. Womens hands should
always appear delicate and feminine.

(1) Hands on Her Hips

This is a very strong, feminine
composition! Hands on the hips works
with nearly every body type and is very
natural. Instruct your client to place both
hands on her hips and to shift her weight
to one side. A hip shift (as shown below)
along with placing one foot in front of the
other helps emphasize her figure.
You can vary this by letting one hand drop
to the side. This is by far one of my
favorite compositions for women!

Most of us work with real people who

need direction. Figuring out what to do
with your clients hands so that they look
natural can be challenging! Knowing a few
tricks will boost your confidence as a
photographer and ensure that your final
images look engaging.
In this guide were going to look at ways to
handle womens hands during a portrait
session.
How to Pose Womens Hands
Nearly all of these hand positioning
techniques come from real life portrait
sessions; however they also work well
with brides, moms and women from all
walks of life.
Think of these examples as starting points
for creating natural compositions. As you
gain more experience you will find that
not every pose works the same. What
works wonderfully with a tall, slender
woman, may not work quite as well with a
naturally curvy girl. Some women enjoy
being photographed while others struggle
through it. During the first half of a
session, try different poses until you find
the ones that work best with your client.

Both hands on the hips. This is a great

pose to warm up with.
Want To Learn More About Posing?
Pocket Poser features over 300 poses,
portrait guides and Lightroom presets.

Posing Womens Hands Portrait Photography Guide - 1

right side. In the next example (on the

next page, Ashley pushes her hair back
behind her ear with the same-side hand.
The point of the elbow is one of the least
flattering view of the arms. The arm
appears amputated when the elbow
points directly at the camera. Always try
to point elbows away from the camera as
much as possible (extended outward and
away or down).

Note: Many women will arrive to have

with their hair down, completely covering
her ears. Not only does this pose give your
client something to do with her hands, it
also shows off her neck, ears and earrings!

Left hand on the hip while the right

hand rests on her head.
Pro Tip: Asymmetrical Posing
Hands posed asymmetrically (or at
different levels) are more attractive than
hands posed at the same level. For
example, if you pose one hand on the
hip, try positioning the other hand lower
or higher up. The asymmetry between
the two hands (one above the other)
adds counterbalance and creates a more
compelling image.
(2) Hands in Her Hair
The following two examples demonstrate
hand(s) in her hair poses. In the first
example, Alisa crosses over with her left
hand while pushing her hair back on the

This is a very feminine composition that

works well with most ladies.

Posing Womens Hands Portrait Photography Guide - 2

The following example of Ashley definitely

has a magazine cover feel. Although its a
beautiful composition, it doesnt work
with every gal. Dont try this pose with
someone who is nervous or having a hard
time relaxing in front of the camera.

Pro Tip: Hide the Palms

The top and sides of our hands are more
attractive than the palms. Our palms
also tend to be several shades lighter
than the rest of our hands making them
stand out in the image. Add off camera
lighting or direct sunlight to the mix and
the palms can quickly appear over
exposed
and
draw
unnecessary
attention. Hide the palms!
(3) Arms Crossed
As a form of non-verbal body language,
crossed arms can signify defensiveness or
a lack of interest. Crossed arms can also
convey confidence.

This pose either works wonderfully or

looks contrived. Be sure to try it near
the end of your portrait session.
Setting up this pose starts by positioning
your client so shes facing 45-degrees
away from you. Then direct her to push
her (camera side) hand into the top of her
hair while looking at the camera through
her bent arm. This isnt tricky to setup, but
it can be confusing to explain so it helps
to demonstrate how it should look.

Posing Womens Hands Portrait Photography Guide - 3

As I set up an arms crossed pose, I

jokingly tell my clients to imagine
themselves on the cover of Forbes
magazine for an article covering the Top
10 Business CEOs. This almost always
lightens up the mood and helps her smile
naturally. Be sure to remind your client to
relax her shoulders.

we look at them one-by-one rather than

as a whole. Fingers should be positioned
closely together with a slight cushion of
space in between. Conversely, fingers
shouldnt be rigidly aligned next to one
another without some space in between.
(4) Hands Twirling Her Hair Tips
This is an easy composition to try. I love
how sassy and fun it looks when it comes
together correctly. Instruct your client to
reach up with one hand and grab the tips
of her hair. She can reach across or hold
onto strands of hair on the same side (as
shown below). Tell her to lightly twist the
tips of her hair through her fingers.

I direct my clients to look at me and off

camera as I photograph them.
Pro Tip: Watch For Spread Fingers
Widely spread fingers make the hands
appear larger than they really are while
the individual lines (of each finger) are
difficult to interpret and demand that

we

Twirling the tips of her hair adds a lighthearted feeling to the portraits.

Posing Womens Hands Portrait Photography Guide - 4

Pro Tip: What Are The Hands Saying?

Over half of human communication is
non-verbal. This simply means that we
express our thoughts, feelings and
ideas more in what we do (mannerisms,
gestures, etc.) than what we actually
say.
We interpret the body language of
others based on culture as well as our
own experiences and biases. Many
non-verbal actions produce universal
recognition. To complicate matters
further, our body language doesnt
always match what were saying. It may
not even mean what we think it means.

the weight of her hand pull it outward

(away from her body). This isnt a look-atmy-new-shiny-necklace pose. The idea is
to create a whimsical feeling of her deep
in thought while playing with her
necklace. Just as with any pose, this can
look contrived if its not setup carefully.
Instruct your client to gently hang one
hand onto her necklace or pendant.

For example, most of us know that

crossed arms can indicate that were
not interested or that were closed off
to what is being expressed. This is
almost a universally understood
mannerism; however there are no hard
and fast rules when it comes to body
language. If youre talking to someone
outside on a cold day, they may be
crossing their arms because theyre
cold. Crossed arms can also express
confidence. The context and situation
makes all the difference.
The main takeaway is that we must be
students of body language and
consciously aware of the subtle
messages our images convey as we
pose our clients. A technically wellconstructed portrait can be ruined if it
conveys
the
wrong
non-verbal
message.
(5) Clasping a Necklace
If your client is wearing a necklace, ask
her to carefully hold the pendant, letting

Pro Tip: Our Eyes Are Drawn to Hands

Position the hands where you want the
eyes to go. If you want the viewer to look
at a specific place in a portrait, position
one or both hands nearby. For example,
if you wish to draw attention to your
clients graceful cheekbones, pose one
of her hands near her face. If you want

Posing Womens Hands Portrait Photography Guide - 5

to show off a piece of jewelry, pose a

hand so that its touching it or anchored
pose a hand so that its touching it or
next to it. In the same way hands draw
anchored next to it. Much like hands draw
attention to whatever theyre nearby,
attention to whatever theyre nearby,
fingers subtly draw attention to
fingers subtly draw attention to whatever
whatever theyre pointing at.

theyre pointed at.

(6) Hands Behind Her Back

Hands behind the back doesnt work with
every girl; however its very feminine and
sassy when it comes together. Have your
client reach behind her back and clasp her
wrist, forearm or elbow of the other arm.
She can also try clasping her hands
together.

breath and relax their shoulders before

you begin shooting.
Pro Tip: Watch for Awkward Fingers

Pro Tip: Watch for Awkward Fingers

All of the fingers should be generally
All of the fingers should be generally
pointing in the same direction otherwise
pointing in the same direction otherwise
the hands will appear unnatural. Also
the hands will appear unnatural. Also
keep an eye out for rigid, curled fingers.
keep an eye out for curled fingers.
Take a look at Alieahs right hand (in the

Take a look at Alieahs right hand (in the

image below). Shes literally gripping the
images above). In the image on the left,
post. Her fingers are spread too far
shes literally gripping the post. Her
apart and her hand appears almost
fingers are spread too far apart and her
claw-like.
hand appears almost claw-like.
Its very subtle; however it makes the
entire image appear unnecessarily
tense. I corrected this by directing

Keep an eye out for your client tensing up

in the shoulders. Direct her to take a deep

Posing Womens Hands Portrait Photography Guide - 6

Alieah
Alieahtotobring
bringher
herfingers
fingerstogether
togetherand
and
relax
her
hand.
I
also
had
her
bring
her
relax her hand. I also brought her elbow
elbow
in to soften
thealong
line along
her arm.
in to soften
the line
her arm.
The
difference between the two images is
striking. The corrected version appears
much more polished and relaxed.

push her shoulders back. As you move

along, you can combine this with one of
the other poses. Thumbs in the front or
back pockets can help a nervous client
ease into the portrait session.

Pro Tip: Hands Are Naturally Curved

(7) Thumbs in Her Pockets

This is my least favorite pose because its
not very creative. That being said there
are times when it makes sense to use it.
This is an easy composition to start with if
you are working with a nervous client (or
feel nervous yourself!). Have your client
place her hands in her front pocket or
thumbs in her back pockets and lightly

Pro
Tip: Hands
Are
Naturally
Curved
Theres
a natural
curve
that begins
at the
Theres
a
natural
curve
that
begins
at
top of the hand and ends at the
the
top
of
the
hand
and
ends
at
the
fingertips.
fingertips. If this curve isnt present, the
Ifhands
this curve
isntwont
present,
hands
simply
look the
natural.
simply wont look natural.
To fully visualize how this curve in our

Tohands
fully visualize
how this
curve in
our a
should appear,
imagine
holding
hands
should
appear,
imagine
a
baseball
down
by your
side.holding
Visualize
baseball
down
bylooks
your and
side.feels
Visualize
how
how your
hand
clenched
your
handthe
looks
and feels
clenched
around
baseball.
Next
let the ball
around
the
baseball.
Next
let
the
drop
drop to the floor and allow yourball
hand
to the floor and allow your hand to relax.

Posing Womens Hands Portrait Photography Guide - 7

your hand to relax. Now think about how

to relax. Now think about how your
your hand looks as the tension in your
hand looks as the tension in your
fingers disappears and your hand loosens
fingers disappears and your hand
up. A gentle curve begins near the top
loosens up. A gentle curve begins near
knuckles and extends outward toward the
the top knuckles and extends outward
fingertips. The fingers are closely aligned
toward the fingertips. The fingers are
together while allowing some space in
closely aligned together while allowing
between.

If your client is wearing a summer dress,

consider asking her to take her shoes off!
Be sure to capture a few full length shots
if you have your client take off her shoes!

some space in between.

This is how your clients hands should

This is how your clients hands should
appear. It doesnt matter if youre posing
appear. It doesnt matter if youre
her hand on her head, near her cheek or
posing her hand on her head, near her
on her hip, this natural curve in the hand
cheek or on her hip, this natural curve
should be visible.
in the hand should be visible.

(8) Holding Props

Shoes, flowers, books and other natural
props can lighten up a portrait session.

A book becomes a wonderful prop.

ProTip:
Tip:Anchor
Anchorthe
theHands
Hands
Pro
Hands
should
be
anchored
restingon
on
Hands should be anchored ororresting
something,holding
holdingsomething
something
doing
something,
oror
doing
something.Intentionally
Intentionallypose
posethe
thehands
hands
something.
andgive
give
them
purpose
otherwise
they
and
them
purpose
otherwise
they
will
will
appear
out
of
place.
Hands
should
appear out of place. Hands should never
be allowed
to freely.
dangle freely.
benever
allowed
to dangle
(9) Whimsical Posing: Flaring the Dress
This is a whimsical pose thats quick and
easy to put together! I love how beautiful
this flared dress pose makes my clients
feel when they try it for the first time.
Most women beam with joy doesnt
Melissa (next page) look amazing?
This pose works best with short to
medium length dresses; however it can
also work with long length dresses. Direct

Posing Womens Hands Portrait Photography Guide - 8

your client to stand at a 45 degree angle

to the camera and shift her weight onto
her rear hip. This will naturally cause the
opposite knee to bend and create a soft
curve through her body.

ProTip:
Tip:Mirroring
Mirroring
Pro
Whenwe
welook
lookatatan
animage
imageofofsomeone,
someone,
When
we tend to feel comfortable if they
we
tend to feel comfortable if they appear
appear
comfortable.
Conversely,
if your
comfortable.
Conversely,
if your client
client
doesnt
appear
relaxed,
it
creates
doesnt appear relaxed, it creates
unnecessarytension
tensioninin
image
unnecessary
thethe
image
andand
the
the viewer
willit.
feel
it. is
This
is sometimes
viewer
will feel
This
sometimes
referredtotoas
asmirroring.
mirroring.
referred
Rigidfingers
fingers
and clenched
hands
Rigid
and clenched
hands appear
appear anxious.
Thehands
fingers,
hands
and
anxious.
The fingers,
and
wrists
wrists always
should be
always
beinposed
a way
should
posed
a wayin
that
that appears
and comfortable.
appears
naturalnatural
and comfortable.
Sudden
Sudden or unusual breaks in the wrist or
or unusual breaks in the wrist or
awkwardlybent
bentfingers
fingers
appear
awkwardly
appear
outout
of of
placeand
andstrained.
strained.As
Asmuch
muchas
aspossible,
possible,
place
trytotokeep
keep
bends
elbows,
wrist
try
bends
in in
thethe
wrist
and fingers
and
fingers
to
45
degrees
or
less.
to 45 degrees or less.
Althoughthis
thismay
maynot
notalways
always
possible,
Although
possible,
thisguideline
guidelinewill
willreduce
reducethe
theillusion
illusionofof
this
the
hands
appearing
hyper-extended.
the hands appearing hyper-extended.
Yourclient
clientmay
maybe
benervous
nervoussosoits
itsupuptoto
Your
youto
tokeep
keepan
aneye
eyeout
outfor
for tension
tension in
in the
the
you
handsand
andfingers.
fingers.
hands

Next ask your client to gently clasp the

bottom edge of her dress on both sides
and carefully pull it outward. If your client
is wearing a long dress (and she cant
easily reach the bottom edge), ask her to
pull outward on the middle portion of the
dress at the point where her hands
naturally rest next to her hips.
This pose tends to work best with loose
fitting sun dresses. I dont recommend
trying this pose with skirts or tight fitting
dresses.

Creating Naturally Feminine Portraits

You may have noticed in many of the
examples I positioned my clients at a 45degree angle to the camera. As I do this, I
ask my client to turn at the waist and neck
towards me. This highlights her figure
while breaking up straight lines through
her neck, spine, arms, hips and legs.
I may also instruct my clients to shift their
weight onto one hip. Some clients will
stand perfectly straight and rigid if you let
them. Shifting the hips to one side
emphasize your clients figure producing
much more naturally feminine portraits.

Posing Womens Hands Portrait Photography Guide - 9

Even though we have to pose most of

our clients, theres no reason the final
images should look posed.
Strategies for Effective Communication
in Portrait Photography
Now lets shift gears and talk about an
equally important aspect of portrait
photography: communication.
Understanding the mechanics of posing is
essential, but your final images will look
contrived if you dont combine it with
effective communication.

its the key to insuring that your clients are

pleased with the final outcome. Like it or
not, customer satisfaction is a big part of
portrait photography. Even if your final
pictures are stunning, it really doesnt
matter in the end if your client isnt happy.
Think about it for a moment. How many
times have you released images from a
portrait session that you were proud of
just to have your client pick them apart. If
youre fortunate your client will tell you
why shes unhappy; but if shes like most
people, shell avoid confronting you and
youll never know that there was a
problem. Thoughtful and effective
communication is essential to avoiding
stressful situations like this and ensuring
that your clients are thrilled with your
work.
Here are five strategies to ensure
successful communication with your
clients:
(1) Set Realistic Expectations
Virtually every portrait photographer has
presented a series of images to a client
just to find out later that they didnt like
them. Your photographs could be
technically perfect, but your client just
isnt happy. It happens more often than
you might think. Oftentimes it isnt
necessarily that the pictures werent great,
it more likely that your client expected
something else. Managing client
expectation is a critical element of
successful portrait photography.

Successful photographers know that

effective communication in portrait
photography is the key to capturing
exceptional images; but more importantly,

Of course, before you can manage a

clients expectations you have to know
what they are! Start by asking lots of
questions. Here are questions I typically

Posing Womens Hands Portrait Photography Guide - 10

ask when I am talking to a client for the

first time (usually well before the session):

Why did they choose me as the

photographer?
How did they find me (online, via a
referral, etc.)?
Who will I be photographing?
How are the images going to be
used?
Are they interested in environmental
portraits or a studio setting?
When was the last time they had
pictures taken? How did that session
go?
Do they prefer color or black and
white photographs?
After browsing my website, which
images did they like the most/least?

longer chatting, asking questions and

listening. Really pay attention to what
your client is saying.
At this point its important to manage your
clients expectations and establish the
tone for the portrait session. Not only do I
confirm that we are on the same page
about how the final images should look,
but I also dispel any unrealistic
expectations.

These are just a few starter questions to

ask. Once you get the ball rolling, most
people offer up all kinds of information
that will help you plan the session. Ive
had a fair number of clients tell me about
bad experiences with other portrait
photographers or chat about images
theyve seen somewhere else that they
liked. Either way, when this happens, your
clients are telling you directly what they
like and dont like. Be sure to pay
attention.
The next critical stage of communication
occurs right before the session. Even
before your camera comes out, spend
some time talking to your clients. Their
needs and expectations may have
changed since the last time you spoke.
Depending on the type of portrait session,
I may spend just a few minutes or much

For example, a high school senior mom

might think her daughter can change into
10 or more outfits during a two hour
portrait session. Its happened! If I know
this from the start, I delicately explain why
its not possible and suggest compromises
(e.g. there will be time for 4 or 5 outfits).

Posing Womens Hands Portrait Photography Guide - 11

At the end of the session, I dont want my

client leaving feeling upset that her
daughter wasnt photographed in all 10
outfits. This unrealistic expectation must
be managed from the very beginning
otherwise youll wind up taking pictures all
day or have an unhappy customer or
both!

simple way to help ease the tension is to

explain what youre doing as you go along.

(2) Explain What Youre Doing

Whether youre working with a corporate
executive or a high school senior, its
natural for people to be nervous when
they arrive to have pictures taken. A

A Note About Time: Have you ever been

to a meeting or sat in on a presentation
that just went on and on? Who hasnt,
right? Not knowing when something is
going to end makes time feel like its

It sounds so obvious, but its easy to

assume that your clients just know whats
going on. Knowing what to expect helps
reduce tension and pulls your client in as
a partner throughout the portrait session.

Pocket Poser features over 300 poses, portrait guides and Lightroom presets.

Posing Womens Hands Portrait Photography Guide - 12

standing still. Portrait sessions are no

different. Give your client an estimate for
how long you expect the session to last.
I also try to follow up mid-way through
the session letting them know that we
made it to the half-way point. Not only
does this show respect for your clients
time, but it also helps them relax knowing
that the portrait session wont last forever!

with our clients feeling more comfortable

with us. Remember that youre meeting
most clients for the first time and having
pictures taken can be stressful. You can
help your customers relax by encouraging
them with positive reinforcement. Dont
hesitate to tell your clients whats working.
Theyre looking to you for feedback. Build
their confidence with positive
reinforcement and honest encouragement.

Another tension reducer is to ask your

clients questions about themselves. Start
with easy ones and see where it takes you.
Here are some topic starters:

Where are you from?

Where do you work?
What school do you go to?
What do you enjoy doing in your free
time?
Whats your favorite TV show?

The questions you ask are going to vary

depending on type of client and their age.
For example, I might chat with a high
school senior guy about a new X-Box
game that was just released. With an older
adult, we may talk about his job or family.
You have to shape the conversation in a
direction that is appropriate. People love
talking about themselves. If you ask
enough questions, youre bound to find
something in common to talk about. Off
topic chit-chat takes the focus off the
portrait session and can help your client
relax.
(3) Motivate With Encouragement
Oftentimes the best pictures of the day
are captured near the end of the session.
Why is this? Obviously quite a few factors
come into play, but a big one has to do

You can take this a step further by

periodically showing off a few of the
pictures (displayed on the back of your
camera) throughout the session. Point out
how awesome they look and how well
everything is coming together.

Posing Womens Hands Portrait Photography Guide - 13

(4) Listen for Suggestions and Feedback

Remember that great pictures are usually
created in collaboration with your client.
Listen to any ideas they have. Always be
open to posing and composition
suggestions. Obviously not all of them are
going to be great, but your client may
have a sense for what works best for her
and her body type.
(5) Brag About Your Clients
Youre finished with the session and the
images turned out beautifully. Now its
time to share your favorite shots on your
blog and social networking pages. I post a
handful of shots from just about every
session on my website, Facebook, Twitter
and Instagram. I introduce the images
with a descriptive paragraph about my
client including a little information about
their hobbies and interests. Then I email
my clients and tell this how amazing they
look and point them to the pictures
online. Its quite a bit of work, but its
worth the effort.
Several positive things happen when you
do this. First, people love seeing pictures
of themselves online. Its flattering.
Chances are your clients will share the
online images with friends and family.
This leads to referrals and more business.
The second reason relates to your clients
self-image. Sadly some people dont see
themselves as beautiful or even
photogenic. Even if you encouraged and
offered positive reinforcement to your
client throughout the portrait session, she
may still view the images negatively. Not
necessarily because your images were
poorly done, but because of the flaws
she sees in herself.

Following up online with kind words

reinforces that you truly enjoyed spending
time with your client and that you think
she looks beautiful. Encouraging words
are healing and help reinforce the value of
your work.
Never Stop Trying New Ideas!
When you combine sensible poses with
effective communication, youll notice the
quality of your work sky rocket.
This may sound silly, but look at clothing
ads for posing ideas. They are full of
clever and useful ideas. Not only will you
get inspiration, but it will also help you
keep up with current fashions.
I usually try a variety of different poses
until I find the ones that work best with
the client I am working with. Each person
is different and not every pose works the
same way. The trick is helping your client
relax so that they can be their self and
have fun! As portrait photographers, we
should never stop experimenting and
learning.
About The Author
I live and work in the
Seattle area. I have
been a photographer
for over 20 years. My
experience ranges from
wedding and portrait to
landscape photography.
I own and write for the F/Stop Spot; a
website dedicated to supporting
photographers of all skill levels. I also codeveloped Pocket Poser; a posing app for
smartphones and tablets. You can find
more of my work at Paxton Portraits.

Posing Womens Hands Portrait Photography Guide - 14