Day 2: Picturesque Portraits
EXTRA POSING TIP THAT’S NOT IN THE VIDEO:
If you’ve got long hair, play with it! Push the hair behind your ear, pull your hair up on a pony tail held by your hands, smoosh your hair forward from your temples and make a kissy face, put all of your hair over one shoulder and gently hold the tips of your hair, shake your head back and forth so your hair goes flying. The options are endless!
FACE POSES
🚫 Problem: Double chin.
✅ Solution: Bring your nose forward and your chin down. Move your chin slightly from side to side to find the right angle for your face. You may feel like a turtle popping its head out of its shell but you’ll look amazing.
🚫 Problem: Low cheekbones.
✅ Solution: Do an over exaggerated duck lips. Suck out all the air in your mouth. Release the duck lips. Gently lift the corners of your mouth upwards. Keep your lips together. Squinch. This will give you higher cheekbones and narrow out your face.
🚫 Problem: Over excited eyebrows resulting in forehead wrinkle galore.
✅ Solution: Drop your eyebrows. Massage them out with your forefingers. Pretend that someone called your name and only your eyebrows can answer. Now you’ve got a flat forehead without getting botox.
🚫 Problem: Face is frozen.
✅ Solution: Say A E I O U to get your mouth moving and the personality flowing. Thanks Coco Rocha for this simple and effective trick.
🚫 Problem: You look too submissive.
✅ Solution: Elongate through your spine. Nose forward. Chin down. Turn your head ever so slightly to the side. lean forward. and pretend you’re a defence lawyer interrogating a lead witness.
🚫 Problem: Deer in the headlights look in your eyes.
✅ Solution: Lift only the bottom part of your eyelids slightly up. Peter Hurley calls this the squinch. Move your chin slightly from side to side to find the right angle for your face. Pretend that you’re on a diet but your best friend offers you a piece of chocolate to which you say “yes but don’t tell anyone!”
🚫 Problem: Massive smile that only your dentist can appreciate.
✅ Solution: Start with your mouth closed. Then say the letter A to your self. Inhale A. Exhale A. Inhale A. Exhale A. Now you’ve got a natural smile that looks great on camera.
🚫 Problem: Round face, no jawline.
✅ Solution: Nose forward, chin down, squinch. Turn your head from side to side to find your best angle. Bye bye round face. Hello chiseled jawline.
🚫 Problem: You look too dominant.
✅ Solution: Turn your nose slightly away from the camera. Tilt your head slightly to one side. Gently lift the corners of your mouth upward. And think of puppy dogs playing in a field.
🚫 Problem: Your smiles looks forced.
✅ Solution: Throw your head back. Fake laugh. It’s going to feel fake and ridiculous but it’s going to look like you’re really laughing. Or think of Lindsay Lohan’s singing career. Now THAT’S something to laugh about!
UPPER BODY POSES
🚫 Problem: Your shoulders are too broad.
✅ Solution: Put you weight on one leg. Make that leg with your weight on it the back leg. Turn your toes 90 degrees away from the camera. Look over your dropped shoulder. Keep your eyes to the camera and gently twist your shoulders toward the camera for a slimmer shoulder look.
🚫 Problem: Your shoulders are hunched over.
✅ Solution: Elongate through your spine. Roll your shoulders back and down. Engage your core and stand strong like the warrior you are.
🚫 Problem: Your arms look too thin.
✅ Solution: Make fists with your hands. Cross your arms. Press your upper arms gently against your fists giving your biceps a boost.
🚫 Problem: Random fingers poking out.
✅ Solution: Hide random fingers that distract from the picture by making a fist or wrapping your hand back around your body so it becomes invisible.
🚫 Problem: You’re punching yourself when touching your chin.
✅ Solution: Never show the back of your hand. Always present your pinkie to the camera giving your hand an elongated line. Gently pinch your chin with your thumb and forefinger, gently touch your chin with your forefinger, or break the wrist and touch the nail of your forefinger to the bottom of your chin.
🚫 Problem: You’re clutching your pearls dramatically.
✅ Solution: Point your toes 90 degrees away from the camera. Bend the arm that is closest to the camera. Break the wrist and touch your middle finger to the base of your throat. Bring your thumb close to your forefinger without touching. Turn your face to the camera. Give a little shrug for extra drama.
🚫 Problem: You’re touching your glasses like a geek.
✅ Solution: Bend one arm 90 degrees. Hide that hand on the side of your ribs. This is your base. Put your other elbow on top of your wrist building up from the base. With your free hand keep your pinkie facing the camera and gently touch the outside of your glasses frame with your thumb and forefinger. Lean side to side.
🚫 Problem: Your shoulders are too small.
✅ Solution: Point your toes directly to the camera. Roll your shoulders back and down. Engage your core. Lean slightly forward from your hips for a solid broad shouldered look.
🚫 Problem: Your arms look too big.
✅ Solution: Create negative space between your arm and your ribcage. Bend your elbows 90 degrees. Hold two fingers with the other hand. Now you have elongated slender arms that look good in any pose.
🚫 Problem: Jazz hands.
✅ Solution: Squeeze your fingers together. Then release them gently. Feather them out with the forefinger front and the pinkie finger back. Keep your thumb close to your forefinger. With your new mannequin hands gently wrap your fingers around whatever they touch for a natural look.
🚫 Problem: Don’t know what to do with your hands.
✅ Solution. Bend one arm 90 degrees. Hide that hand on the side of your ribs. This is your base. Put your other elbow on top of your wrist building up from the base. With your free hand rub your shoulder, touch your chin, and use your free hand to create different poses.
🚫 Problem: You’re strangling yourself.
✅ Solution: Squeeze your fingers together. Then release them gently. Always present your pinkie to the camera giving your hand an elongated line. Only touch your finger tips to the back of your neck. Gently bring your elbow down stroking your neck slowly. Tilt your head away from your fingers.
🚫 Problem: You’re not nailing that V shape.
✅ Solution: Interlace your fingers. Put your hands on the back of your head. Engage your core and elongate your elbows upward. Bend from your waist side to side. Look in the direction of the highest elbow. For a variation drop one arm and lean to that side. Look up to that elbow.
🚫 Problem: Hands on your hips making you look broad shouldered and drawing attention to your waistline.
✅ Solution: Bend your elbows 90 degrees. Hold two fingers with the other hand. Bring your elbows back and shoulders down while keeping some negative space between your arms and your ribs. This elongates your legs, slims your waist, and is a great go to pose for any occasion.
TAKE ACTION NOW
Practice your face and upper body poses in the mirror. Then once you have them in your muscle memory create a video of you going through each pose and holding each one for a second or two. Then when you are done, watch your video back and take screenshots of the poses that you like best.
Then when you have all of your posed screenshots, go to our community group and create ONE post. In that one post upload all of your posed screenshots to show off what you’ve learned. Who knows… you may even see a subtle difference in the pics you took yesterday when finding the light to today after learning how to pose.
Got a question? Check the Answer Vault first to see if your question has already been answered. Or join our live Q&A session to ask your question. The date, time, and link of the Q&A session can be found in the Main Menu. Can’t make it live? The replay will be uploaded below for you to watch after we go live.
As an Inner Circle member you get a major perk.
30% OFF MY CONTENT CALENDAR
Save over $100 off my online course and 16 month planner - My Content Calendar –
how to build your brand on Instagram 1 day at a time.
Savings of $109.
To get the Inner Circle Perk just click the button below, purchase My Content Calendar, then send us an email.
We will refund you the difference within 24 hours.
