10 Ways To Look Good In Every Photo

Hi beauties! I want to show you my go-to picture poses. I’ve been modelling for well over a decade now so I’ve accumulated foolproof poses for whenever I feel lost in a picture. So let's get started with my curated list of 10 easy poses to always look good in a photo.

Standing

I feel like a lot of people feel weird or awkward when they're standing by themselves and getting their picture taken. They don’t know how to give the camera that cool, chill vibe we all want to convey in our photos. You want to express with your pose that "I know what I’m doing and I feel comfortable" look.

1. Take a Step

First pose is an easy one. Just take a step. If you have a friend who's solid at taking photos or an Instagram Husband, all they need to do is stand in one place - we want to minimize the amount of work for the people taking the picture!

Create this fake step by taking a small step and adding a little bit of movement in your body. Don’t get confused with what to do with your hands; if you have pockets put them in your pockets, if you have a bag then hold and swing the bag, or slightly swing your hands but don’t make it too awkward. We don't want it to look like a promotional photo for jogging or something.

2. Hand-to-Hair

In case the weather outside is not working for you and the wind has picked up, put the hand in the hair. This will help to poof it up a bit or even just holding the hair back if it’s windy. If your hand is up on your head, what you want to do is stand with the legs apart a little bit to create some space between them.

Stand relatively forward to face the camera and put your weight more on one leg to create a dynamic movement - because if you don’t move those legs, you’ll look super awkward just standing there.

Pictured above: Verie Holland Crew and Noah Pant

3. The Fake Twirl

When I’m wearing shorter dresses or mini skirts and whenever I want to create that more quaint, innocent look, I cross my legs by placing one ankle over the other. You can lean your body forward a little or you can lean back a little.

If you have a bag I like to place it in front with both hands holding it, especially if you want to show it off or it completes your outfit and needs to be photographed! This crossing of the ankles creates this beautiful hourglass shape to your body and it appears effortless.

4. It's All in The Legs!

This next pose is a variation of the "take a step"; so because I don’t always trust the person who takes the photo to always give me the length I want (Gary, you’re doing great, you’re a great Instagram Husband) BUT I always want to create a little bit more of an angle of the leg to look very elongated which will make me look tall. So put one leg in the front and bent the back leg slightly at the knee to create that shape.

Always remember that the object that is closest to the camera will always look the biggest so that leg will make your whole body extend and lengthen. You want your leg to be the focal point.

5. For Flowy Dress Days

If you're wearing an outfit that allows movement, has a lot of material, and swings when you step, take a step but kind of fake the step by spinning around slightly before committing to the step fully. So it’s one fluid movement with you body. It gives the dress some movement as you shift your weight from one leg to the other. Shoot this on “burst” mode so you have photo options to choose from throughout the subtle spin.

If you don’t want to be stepping, you can change this pose by just standing and turning around back and forth. You'll get the same cute photo with that dress swishing around you.

Non-Standing Poses

6. Object Sittin'

Creating shapes with your body while sitting on something really helps with making the picture more dynamic and just knowing what to do with your body. I like to bend my leg a little while keeping one leg a little more straight out. This creates a 'lounging' feel but your body is still structured so everything looks good. I love this one because my photo will have a casual vibe but still be a really flattering position for the legs which are closer to the camera.

One tip is if you do sit on a chair, remember comfort is not key. Your body will look good if you 'scootch' and shift up to sit on the edge of the chair, stool, or object to create that nice shape for your body. When we sit all the way to the back of the chair, everything feels disconnected and crunched up. If your arms are awkward I often just keep them down and hold my hands.

If your legs feel awkward, you can try placing one leg on the knee of the other leg and lean forward. Remember not to sit too boxy and keep the leg on the floor at an angle and not just straight in front. This will create a really nice shape like what's pictured below.

7. The Crouch

This pose is great if you have no idea how to pose or if you’re in an environment where the background isn’t great and you just don’t feel your outfit. I go in for a deep crouch basically - I'm not sure who showed me this or if I just tried it one day but thank God I did. Opt for this position because you won't look forced. It doesn’t feel too posed while you're doing it either. I love this one especially if I have a long Cinderella-type dress; it allows for me to focus and create something more interesting with my face like laughing or looking away from the camera casually. Your hands will just easily find a position like one holding the chin or grabbing a purse.

8. Keepin' It Casual

This next position is for those of us who are either not flexible enough or just really awkward by nature! Or possibly you feel like sitting cross-legged is like being in Kindergarten again. For this pose, we want to position legs in a shape - one leg closer to your body and kept on the ground and the second one lifted up and elongated. Either sit back on your hands or lean in slightly and place hands in the centre where your lap would be if you were fully cross-legged. Don't forward-round your shoulders too much or you'll end up slouching.

9. The Sitting Mermaid

This next sitting position is my go-to especially when I'm doing mirror selfies. It's sort of a variation of the mermaid pose.

Start front facing on the ground, move a little to the side and keep the inner leg in the same position crossed in front of you, but let the other leg sit out to the side. You can show off cute shoes and lean back a little bit or forward; there's opportunity to play around where you place your hands, too. You can hug your legs, put your hands on your knees, etc. You can play around with your arms easily while adding the length and focal point once again to your beautiful long leg.

10. The Bored Girl at a Party

This is a very casual and effortless look. Sit a little bit on an angle, cross the legs but don't put them all the way down and then extend the legs out slightly. Using this space you've created between your legs, you can put your hands around the knees, out in front, or holding each other. Don't crunch yourself in, you’re still sitting up relatively straight but appearing laid-back; you're just chilling, getting that really cool picture vibe!

And that's it! Remember these 10 poses next time you're out on the town or in a photoshoot. They'll work in any situation whether you're sitting or standing. For more model and beauty hacks, check out my YouTube Channel or read next: The 5-Min Parisian Makeup Hack