How To Pose Like A Male Model - Model Factory
- 02 Mar 2022
- Models
If you want to look your best for a photoshoot or formal event, learn how to pose like a male model to show confidence and strength. Your overall body posture, the position of your hands and your facial expressions are the three major elements of your posture. Keep your body straight and square. Walking and leaning against a wall are two common postures. Men usually want to do something with their hands, so use them to change your posture. Use facial expressions to enhance the pose.
1. Present Your Body
1 Keep Your Shoulders In Front Of The Camera
One of the primary rules is that you generally want to look as wide and bigger as a male model. If your shoulders are away from the camera, it makes your profile smaller. Keep your shoulders relaxed and face forward.
To enhance the look of your shoulders, lean forward about an inch or two (2.5 cm to 5 cm), bringing your shoulders closer to the camera.
There are times when you are photographed on your side or you want angled shoulders, but most of the time squared shoulders are best.
2 Tighten Your Core
If you have any amount of abdominal distension, you will want to tighten your abdominal muscles and stretch it slightly. Make your stomach as flat as you can without sucking too much. This will make your waist thinner and your chest will also come out a little. It also helps to straighten your posture, which lengthens your core muscles.
3 Work On Walking Posture
Walking is a common "posture" for male models. Practice walking with your body straight and your head held high. In this pose one leg should be extended forward with the toes about an inch (2.5 cm) off the ground. The back foot should be up on the ball of your foot. One arm is extended slightly forward while the other is slightly backward.[3]
Take your steps a little further than you normally would. It helps to emphasize the pose, especially if you take small steps.
4 Lean Against A Wall
You have several options for how to lean, which are variations of the lean with your back to the wall or one of your shoulders against the wall. If you lean with your back toward the wall, bend one knee and lift your foot against the wall. Leaning on one shoulder, cross the leg that is closest to the wall of the other leg.[4]
If you lean with your back to the wall, you don't need to lift one leg, but don't keep both legs completely straight. Bend one leg and move one forward and one back slightly.
When you're leaning, stay almost straight up and down. You don't want your feet to be so far off the wall that you're at a significant angle.
2. Position Of Your Hands
1 Put Your Hands In Your Pockets.
This is an excellent posture of confidence and calm. [5] You have two options: either put your whole hand in your pocket, or put half of your hand except the thumb in the pocket. Wrap your thumb around your belt loop for a variation.[6]
Another option is to pocket only one hand. With this hand position, it's a good idea to place your other hand on the opposite shoulder or run it through your hair.
You can put your hand in your back pocket, or you can do it in the front pocket.
2 Touch Your Face.
If you want to show relaxation or thought, put your hand somewhere on your face. With this you have many options. Place your index finger and thumb around your chin or place your fingers on your chin with folded hands.[8]
Your hand on your face gives you a lot to work with. Test out different hand positions to see what you're looking for.
3 Use One Hand To Adjust Your Tie.
If you're wearing a full suit and tie, keeping one hand on your tie is a classic and classy pose. Place your thumb and forefinger so that there is one on each side of the knot of the tie. You don't really need to move the tie at all.
Keeping your hand there will give a feeling of speed.
A slight variation on this pose is to place your other hand about halfway down the tie. If you were to tighten it, you would look like this, but this pose is different from an arm form.
4 Cross Your Arms.
For a serious or commanding pose, cross your arms as you would normally. To adjust the pose for modeling, place both of your hands on the opposite arm, instead of your hands facing down. It is better to keep both your hands visible. [10]
A variation on this form is to leave one arm hanging straight down and hold it around the elbow with the other hand. This is a way to cover part of the torso, but gives a different impression than crossing both arms.
3 Use Of Facial Expressions
1 Constrict Your Eyes With A Slight Squint.
Wide eyes are not usually right for male models. Gently lift your lower eyelids slightly. It gives you a glimpse of deep thought or careful thought. It instills confidence and poise as opposed to fear or confusion.
2 Extend Your Chin Forward And Down.
If your chin is resting, you will often see excess skin beneath it. Push your head forward so that your neck extends forward. Don't let your chin reveal your nostrils, but tilt it down about 10% below normal. This removes the double chin and also hides a part of your neck.
If pushing your chin forward doesn't give you the right look, consider pushing your ears forward. This will move your entire head in the direction it needs to go.
3 Show Some Teeth With A Smile.
A winning smile for a male model should reveal some of your teeth. Don't smile so big that your mouth opens wide, but don't keep your lips together. Open your lips so that your teeth are exposed.
4 Look Behind The Camera.
Unless the photo specifically calls for direct eye contact with the camera, choose a point above and outside the camera. Look at the left or right angle of the camera, or look at a point just below the camera.
It gives the impression that you are thinking deeply. It gives you a slightly more natural look if you're looking directly at the camera.
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