How to direct someone in a photo without sounding like a photographer

What is the simplest way to direct a pose?

Give a task, not a shape. People tense up when asked to hold an angle, and they relax when asked to do something. Say walk slowly toward me, laugh at what I just said, look at the door and then at me. A task changes posture, eyes and expression at once.

Posepass writes its cues this way. For the person posing, they read walk slowly with small steps, look past the camera, give your hands something to hold and make it a game, not a pose.

What phrases help?

These phrases are short and friendly.

• Walk toward me and stop at the line.
• Look at the thing over there, then at me.
• Put your weight on your back foot.
• Hold the cup with both hands.
• Breathe out, then relax your shoulders.
• Tell me about your day while I shoot.
• Great, now do it again but slower.

How do I give directions without making it awkward?

Keep one rule: one fix per frame. If you list three things, the person remembers none. Shoot, say one thing, shoot again. Praise what works, such as nice light, I like that walk, and skip comments on the body. The Posepass directions never comment on a body. They are about the phone and the frame.

Use your own body to show, not just tell. Step into the pose for two seconds, then step out.

1. Pick a pose and say it in one sentence.
2. Set the phone and check the framing before you ask anything of the person.
3. Give the first task and shoot a burst.
4. Look at the result and fix one thing.
5. Shoot again, then move to the next pose.

What if the person freezes?

Break the pause. Ask them a question, ask for a silly face or have them walk out of the frame and come back. Stiff people freeze while waiting, so avoid long gaps between the setup and the shutter. Count down from three out loud and shoot as they move.

Take a throwaway frame first. A laugh at a bad photo resets the mood.

How do I direct a couple or a group?

Direct the interaction, not the individuals. Ask a couple to whisper something or walk toward you holding hands. Ask a group to count to three and jump or to tell the funniest story. People look at each other, not at the lens, and the result looks natural. See photo poses for couples and group photo poses.

What should I do with the phone while directing?

Set the height and the lens first. Then keep the phone still and your voice calm. Tell the subject what you are doing, such as I am going to kneel, so they do not wonder. Posepass shows phone height, lens and framing on every pose, and the directions use the same words you would say aloud: phone at chest height, take three steps back, tap the shutter five times.

How do I direct from behind the phone when I am also the subject?

Reverse the roles. Send the pose to the person who holds the phone. In Posepass, tap Send to my photographer, and they get the setup card and directions on their own phone. Your friend then needs no explanation from you. See how to take good photos of someone for the other side.

How do I give feedback after a shot?

Show the picture and ask what they think. Point at what you like, then suggest one change for the next try. If the feet are cut off, say let me step back. If the horizon tilts, say one more, I will straighten. A checklist helps. The shot check goes through feet, head space, horizon, joints and light on the face.

What if I am shy about directing?

Lower the stakes. Say you are trying something and ask for patience. Use a pose card or a list so you are following a plan. Most people are happy to be directed when the plan is clear and the tone is friendly. Keep the session under ten minutes at first.

A short script for a first session

Say: let me find the light. Move a step to the side. Now walk toward me slowly. Stop at that line. Look past me. Great, one more, and laugh this time. Then show the best frame. Pick another pose and repeat.

How do I direct children?

Make it a game with a clear, short job. Ask them to run to a mark, jump on three or find something in the frame. Kneel to their level, since a phone held above a child shrinks them and flattens the face. Shoot a burst, because children change expression every second. Praise the action, not the look: great jump, that was fast.

Keep sessions to five minutes and stop on a good one.

How do I direct someone who hates being photographed?

Do not call it a photo session. Shoot while they walk, talk or do something they like. Keep the camera low and unannounced, then show the first frame so they see it looks fine. Most people who dislike photos have only seen bad ones. Offer them a good one and the resistance drops.

Never comment on their body. Compliment the light, the moment or the walk.

What are common directing mistakes?

Four mistakes come up again and again.

• Giving five instructions at once.
• Saying hold still, which makes people freeze.
• Waiting too long after the setup, which turns a smile stiff.
• Not checking the frame until the end, so a tilted horizon repeats ten times.

How do I direct a walking shot?

Mark a start and an end. Ask the person to start at the mark, walk slowly toward you and stop at the second mark. Shoot a burst as they approach, then once more when they stop. Tell them to look ahead, not at their feet, and to let their arms swing. The Posepass direction for walking poses is to shoot when the back foot lifts, and the cue is walk slowly, small steps.

How do I know when to stop?

Stop when the energy drops or after three poses, whichever comes first. A good last frame is a laugh. Tell the person the next one is the last, then take it, show the best result and thank them. People remember how a shoot felt, and a short, kind one makes them willing to do it again.