10 Poses for a Standout Solo Shoot

A lot of galleries begin to look the same after a while. In a traditional family shoot, you have all the family members with their arms around each other, smiling straight at the camera. In a traditional wedding gallery, you have several pictures of the bride standing, smiling, and holding her bouquet in front of her, shot from straight ahead; you might even have some of her looking at her groom (holding her bouquet in front of her, shot from straight ahead). Senior galleries may contain shots of the senior standing, holding their cap with the tassel dangling, shot from straight ahead. They may even mix it up a little with a prop–their guitar or other instrument, a book, a journal, or even a bouquet of flowers. However, a lot of times, galleries can get…

Boring.

At Austyn Seitz Photography, we want to be ANYTHING but boring! This post is meant to help you mix it up as a photographer and step outside your photography box. I would use poses like this for bridal portraits and other wedding photography (engagement, boudoir, etc.), my senior photoshoots, or in any branding, modeling, or solo shoots I take on. Read on to jazz up those shoots and expand your pose list and portfolio!

One Leg Wrap

This shows movement and makes the subject look tall (raising the arms helps with that, too). It also gives the photo dimension and helps shy away from those typical frontal shots. Don’t get me wrong– there is nothing wrong with a shot from straight ahead–in fact, I think there is a permanent place in every gallery for a traditional photo of the subject smiling, taken from straight ahead. But this is a little more unique and makes you stand out as a photographer. It’s meant to be an addition to your gallery.

Covered Face

Model in white tulle dress with black hair holding pink flowers in front of her mouth

If your subject has a prop (a paper fan, a bouquet of flowers, etc.), then this is the pose for you! Have them place their prop in front of their face, just high enough to cover their mouth. It seems odd for your subject to cover their mouth in a photo, but it gives a really mysterious vibe– especially when the subject is facing the camera and looking at it directly. It looks intense here, but it also reminds me of the paper fan scene from The Princess Diaries 2, proving that this shot can be dramatic OR playful–it all depends on your subject’s preference!

Leg Pop

This is such a cute pose! It’s perfect for a subject who has a little bouquet of flowers to hold (like this one). Instruct them to hold the flowers up, pop their leg closest to the camera back, and then look over their shoulder.

Arms in the Air

Model in white high low dress standing on a brick sidewalk holding pink flowers with one hands with the other hand behind her head, eyes closed

One of the most common issues people have in their photoshoots is what to do with their hands. ESPECIALLY when it’s a solo shoot. Do you fold them in front of you like in an old school class photo? Do you put one hand on your hip? Or both hands? This pose brings life to the gallery, and it’s a unique way for the subject to position their hands that shies away from awkward, dated arm positions.

Flowing Dress

Model wearing white high-low dress holding the back in one hand and pink flowers in the other

This pose obviously only works if your subject is wearing a dress or a skirt that has a little flow to it, but if that’s the case, then I would highly suggest adding this pose to your list! The dress is clearly in motion here, which means you can get several shots of your subject, and the breeze will be your best friend, giving you several unique shots to add to their gallery. These look great hung next to each other on a wall or used in order together in a Reel (it gives stop-motion vibes) or a carousel post on Instagram.

Here’s another one for good measure!

Use the Light

Model in white dress holding pink flowers above her head to block the sun, creating shadows on her face, looking down

This is more of a tip than a pose idea… but I think it fits well. Use the light to your advantage! It can be hard to shoot on a sunny day because of the intense shadows you can find when looking for a location that isn’t full sun, but sometimes shadowy shots are really unique-looking. In this case, I used the shadows of the sun shining through the baby’s breath bouquet, creating tiny pockets of light on the model’s face. This is one of my favorite shots that came out of this shoot because of the way the shadows look on her face. Another example is this shot:

Windows can be tricky if they are gridded like this one, but you can use those shadows to your advantage. Not every shot should have shadows in it, but a few in your gallery are always welcome–especially in a solo shoot like this one. Shots without shadows are clear, crisp, and traditional– they highlight the subject and nothing else. However, the contrast intentional shadowing creates is artistic and will be sure to give your subject the unique gallery of their dreams, especially if they’re looking for something artsy.

Leaning Back

Model in white tulle dress with train sitting on concrete steps holding pink flowers, looking away from camera

Depending on the subject’s expression, this pose can feel a couple of different ways. In this first shot, the model is not smiling (but she’s not frowning either), and she’s looking away. It feels elegant without feeling too intense because she’s kind of lounging on these steps. However, if you have your subject smile and look at the camera (or even away from the camera), you get shots like this one:

Model in white tulle dress with train leaning back and smiling on concrete steps holding pink flowers

In this shot, the model looks relaxed, laid-back, and casual. This would be great for branding shots advertising casual clothing or a fun product, while the other would be great for a company whose brand is defined by elegance and subtle intensity.

Seated with Outstretched Arms

Model in white tulle dress holding pink flowers, sitting on concrete steps, leaning forward with arms stretched out over knees, looking away and smiling

This is just a good shot to accentuate the shape of the model and add a unique angle to the gallery. It’s relaxed because the model is seated, but it’s unique because of the position of her arms, making them look long and elegant!

Pushing Hair Back

What makes this shot another one of my favorites from the shoot is the model’s eye makeup, and this pose really brought the focus to her eyes. We did a few with her eyes closed and a few with her eyes open (looking away from me and straight at the camera). This can be the case for any subject, though, regardless of the uniqueness of their eye makeup (or presence of it at all). I think it’s beautiful to capture subjects’ eyes up close, so this can be an opportunity to get that traditional up-close shot and add a little flair to it as you go. The position of the model’s hands here adds drama to an otherwise pretty common pose.

Model in white tulle dress and pink eye makeup pushing hair back with both hands, eyes closed

From Below

The final item on this list has to do with the angle of your photo. In this case, taking a shot from below rather than straight-on not only makes the subject look taller, but it creates a really noble look as well. All your subject really needs to do is stand (it helps if you have stairs nearby like these at the Capitol), and then you can move down a couple of steps (or kneel) and get that shot. To add more drama, have your subject cross their legs like this and look away from the camera. To add intensity, have them look directly at the camera without smiling.

As always, when I do a photoshoot, I want to do what my clients want me to do. However, as a growing photographer, I’m always on the lookout for ways to expand my portfolio so that I can please a wider range of clientele. These solo shot poses work for a true solo photoshoot (for a brand, modeling, birthday, etc.), but I think they’d also work well for a bride looking to add some emotion and individualism to the bridal portraits in her wedding gallery. Happy photographing!