Deciding which poses will best convey your professional self in headshots can be challenging. Whether you need pose ideas to share with your photographer or so you can prompt our AI headshot generator platform, Portrait Pal, we’ve got you covered.
Why Does My Headshot Pose Matter?
If you want to stand out among the crowd of your industry positively and professionally, you need a powerful professional pose to help you do that. Over the years, the strict professional rules of headshots have remained, but many pose ideas have come to light that will help send a professional message while letting a bit of your personality shine through.
Your goal is to find some poses that help you strike that perfect professional and personal balance. You’ll be well on your way to standing out to employers, clients, and peers.
26 Powerhouse Model Headshot Poses for Success
We’ve narrowed down our ideas to 26 powerhouse poses sure to impress. When done correctly, one or more of these poses can help you send the professional message you’re hoping for. Read on to decide the best pose to try in your model headshots.
1. The Classic Lean
Lean against a wall, lamp post, doorway, etc. Find a classy place to do a casual and cool lean. Cross one leg in front of the other and look straight into the camera, or you could look off into the distance. You could cross your arms in front of you or place a hand in your pocket, too. Make sure not to look too stiff, but keep a good posture. You’re going for a classic, cool, calm, and collected look.
2. Cross Your Arms
An arms-crossed pose conveys a message of confident assurance. You can face the camera head-on with arms crossed or turn at an angle, but keep your head straight on. You can do this pose close up or far away while sitting or standing. This pose adds a layer of confidence to any other pose because it’s flexible in its use. You look bold, knowledgeable, and capable.
3. Use a Prop
As long as props are used naturally and aren’t distracting, they can be a great addition to headshots. Possible props could be a newspaper, glasses held casually in your hand, or a coffee mug. Hold these items in whatever way feels natural.
4. Classic and Minimal
If all else fails, go with the class headshot pose. In this pose, face the camera straight on with your head and shoulders straight. It’s ideal for showcasing your professionalism and takes the stress out of coming up with other poses.
5. Look Away
Instead of looking straight into the camera lens, look to the side of it or off in a different direction. You can look lost in thought, contemplative, or even mysterious. This is an excellent pose for building your acting portfolio.
6. Use Your Jacket
This pose could be mentioned in the “use a prop” section but deserves a separate section. You can casually toss your jacket over your shoulder and look straight at the camera. You could also turn sideways and look over the shoulder opposite the one with your jacket. This adds a creative edge to your headshots.
7. Open Hand on the Cheek
Sit next to a desk, table, or other surface you can rest your elbow on. Place your elbow on the surface and your hand, open-palmed, on your cheek. Sit comfortably but not too relaxed. Let your fingers rest naturally against your cheek rather than pressing them against your face. You don’t want to appear too intense.
8. Closed Fist on the Cheek
Same as suggestion seven above, place your elbow on a flat surface, but lean your cheek on your closed fist this time. This subtle difference will send a slightly different message of confidence than using your open hand.
9. Closed Fist Under the Chin
If you find the closed fist on the cheek awkward, try placing it under your chin. You could even do a “thinker” pose to add a bit of creativity.
10. A Few Fingers on the Face
This pose seems more sophisticated than an open hand or a closed fist. Place your pointer and middle fingers up by your temple, place your thumb on your chin, and curl your ring and pinky fingers and let them hang at the front, not touching your face. Try to make the drape of your fingers look as natural as possible.
11. Hands in Your Pockets
Putting your hands in your pockets can give a confident and classic feel for a full-body shot. You could put both hands in your pockets, standing tall with your feet shoulder-width apart. Your thumbs could be in or out of your pockets. You could also lean your back against a wall for a more casual look.
12. One Hand in Your Pocket
If you don’t want both hands in your pocket because it feels stiff or uncomfortable, try just putting one hand in a pocket. You could keep your thumb out of the pocket or not. You could still lean your back against a wall but have the photo taken at an angle instead of straight on. You could also stand with your feet shoulders width apart but have the foot opposite your hand in your pocket stepped forward slightly with the knee slightly bent.
13. Button Your Jacket
You could take the headshot while buttoning your suit jacket or blazer to add a little movement to your photo. This shot could be taken farther away so you can actually see your hands, or it could be a close-up where you don’t, but the movement can still be captured in your shoulders.
14. Walking Pose
You could do a walking pose if you want another pose that shows movement. The movement of walking sends a message of progress and forward thinking. Simply walk confidently while the photographer takes the photos.
15. Adjust Your Wardrobe
In this pose, you could adjust a shirt sleeve, a tie, or a hat. Make it as natural looking as possible and not staged. As with buttoning your jacket, this pose will add some movement to your photo. Knowing what to wear during your headshots will help you come up with the best “adjusting your wardrobe” poses.
16. Head Tilt
You could tilt your head while looking directly into the camera to add a different feel to your headshots. Keep your shoulders straight when you do this, just like in the classic pose, but give your head a slight tilt. It adds a subtle twist to a classic headshot.
17. Put One Leg on a Box
This pose can adjust your posture slightly and add depth to your photo. Sitting comfortably in a chair, put one leg on a prop, such as a box. Make sure the box or prop fits the vibe of your photo and isn’t going to stick out like a sore thumb.
18. Stand with One Leg on a Box
You could also do pose 17 standing, giving yet another feel to the pose. The slight difference of standing with one foot on a box or other prop will give you subtle changes in posture that can send a different message than a photo with both feet planted evenly on the ground.
19. Forward Lean
Leaning forward in your headshots can show interest and investment. You can lean forward with your arms on your legs while sitting, even clasping your fingers together. You could also lean forward and do one of the hand or chin-on-your-face poses. If standing, you could cross your arms, turn at an angle, and lean forward slightly toward the shoulder closest to the camera.
20. Backwards Chair Prop
For a casual pose, turn a chair backward before sitting in it. This pose gives off a cool and relaxed vibe. It may not be the best pose for all professional headshots, but it could work for an acting or modeling portfolio.
21. Use a Staircase
Add interesting depth and angles to your headshot by posing on a staircase. You could sit on the steps partway up the stairs or stand and lean against the railing. Or go for a bold pose and stand right in the middle of a step, face the camera head-on, and cross your hands in front of you with your arms and hands comfortably hanging down. That last pose idea shows you’re not afraid of falling or failing because you have your feet firmly planted and a firm stance with the confidence to accomplish anything.
22. Look Over Your Shoulder
Turn to the side so that one shoulder is directly facing the camera. Then, turn your head and look over that shoulder into the camera. This is a bold and confident pose. It’s simple but effective.
23. Candid Laughter
This pose can show your genuine and friendly side. Bring along someone who makes you laugh whenever you’re with them. You could even call this person if they can’t be there in person.
Have a conversation and have your photographer capture shots of candid laughter as you talk with this person. Your additional person won’t be in the pictures since these are your headshots, but their presence or a phone conversation with them can pull out true joy in you that will shine through in your photos.
24. Hand Grasping Closed Fist
If you want a more serious pose, sit near a table or similar surface and place your elbows on the table. Then, close one hand into a fist and place your other hand on top of it, grasping your closed fist. Have your shoulders turned slightly, about 45 degrees or so, so you’re at a slight angle, but keep your head facing the camera directly. Have your hands placed off to the side of your face so that your face is centered and your hands are in the corner of the picture. This bold pose shows you mean business and can be serious when needed.
25. Loosely Cross Arms and Lean Forward
This is an excellent pose while sitting behind a desk. Loosely cross your arms and lean forward, casually placing them on the desk in front of you. To get the full effect of this pose, you could place one arm slightly in front of the other and not have your hand fully crossed onto the arm behind it. The arm behind crosses over with your hand placed in the crook of the arm in front.
This professional pose is less strict or forced than some traditional headshot poses. Your shoulders are slightly hunched forward, giving the feel that you are leaning in and really listening to the person in front of you.
26. Floating Closed Fist
If you’re a fan of the closed fist on your face pose, you might like this twist on that pose. Turn your body so that one shoulder is almost directly facing the camera; keep it just a little off-center so you can still see the front of your body. The arm farthest away from the camera crosses over with your hand gently resting on the ribs on the other side. Bend your arm closest to the camera upwards and rest your elbow on the back of the hand on your ribs. Make a fist and let it “float” there with a decent space between your fist and your face. Turn your face towards the camera and either smile or go for a more serious expression.
Is There a Stress-Free Way to Get Headshots?
If this massive list of poses seems like too much to handle, and you feel overwhelmed at the prospect of getting your headshots done, don’t worry. There’s a stress-free and easy solution for you that will still help you showcase powerful poses without much effort on your part. The solution is to try out our AI headshot generator platform, Portrait Pal.
What Is an AI Headshot Generator?
An AI headshot generator is an artificial intelligence technology trained to create realistic professional headshots. It uses photos of you and a written prompt that you upload to the platform.
These headshots simulate a professional photo shoot, giving you a professional product without having to leave your house. In just a few hours from start to finish, you have the photos ready to download and distribute.
How Do I Use an AI Headshot Generator?
Pick a handful of candids, selfies, and portraits that showcase you from different angles and in good lighting. Ensure the background is uncluttered and there is a clear view of your face with no distractions. You’ll upload these photos to the platform and then write a prompt discussing your vision for your headshots, potentially including some pose ideas like those listed above.
After that, you’ll wait two to three hours, depending on the price package you chose, and you’ll have completed headshots at your fingertips, ready for any way you need to use them.
Will I Get Enough Headshots To Use?
Depending on your chosen price package, you’ll receive 20, 60, or 100 high-quality headshots. There are bound to be several headshots out of those bundles that will meet your needs and provide the professional impression you hope to convey.
Are You Ready to Create Your Next Headshots?
Now that you’re armed with 26 Powerhouse poses, you’re ready to create your next headshots and look powerfully professional. No matter which poses you choose, remember to relax and be yourself. Let your confidence shine through, and your headshots will make a positive impression.
If you don’t have much time or funds to accomplish these photos with a professional photographer, consider benefiting from the convenience of artificial intelligence, and give Portrait Pal a try.