Sitting poses for photos: chair, bench, steps and floor

How do I sit so I look good in photos?

Sit forward, not back. A deep seat makes people slump, and a seat edge makes them sit tall. Turn your torso a little toward one side, rest a hand on your knee or lap and keep your head up. Look past the lens or at something near it.

The Posepass cues for seated poses are sit tall, lean slightly forward, and look past the camera. They fit a chair, a bench or a step.

How should the photographer shoot a seated person?

Waist height is the default. Hold the phone level, step a little to the side for a diagonal view and keep the feet in the frame. If the shot is to the waist, such as at a cafe table, chest or eye level is better. The 1x lens suits most seated frames.

The Wikipedia page on perspective distortion explains why a phone too close to the knees makes them look huge. Step back, then zoom with 2x if you want to fill the frame.

1. Sit near the front of the seat with weight forward.
2. Turn the body a little to one side of the phone.
3. Place hands on lap, knee or a cup.
4. The photographer sets the phone at waist height and steps to the side.
5. Check feet, head space and level, then shoot a burst.

Which sitting poses are easy?

These come from everyday habits and need no training.

• Bench side sit: turn sideways on a bench with hands on your lap.
• Sit on the steps: elbows on knees, looking away.
• Cup in both hands: a cafe table, a warm cup, eyes down or out of a window.
• Chin on hand: elbow on the table, close-up at eye level.
• Floor sit: legs crossed or knees up, back straight.
• Rock sit: a rock at the beach with the horizon behind.

What do I do with my hands and feet?

Hands rest on the knee, on the lap or on a cup. Avoid hiding them under the legs or clasping them in a tight fist. For feet, cross the ankles or place both flat, and angle the toes a little. The photographer should keep shoes in the frame, because cut-off feet look odd.

For a seated shot that ends at the waist, hands are the main prop. See what to do with your hands in photos.

How do I sit in a cafe or on a bench with another person?

Face each other at a slight angle and rest a hand on the table. The photographer shoots across the table from the side or over the shoulder. Posepass has Over the shoulder and Coffee date for this, and the directions say to shoot over the shoulder of the person opposite and keep the table edge at the bottom of the frame. The cafe photo ideas guide has more.

How do I sit on the ground without looking messy?

Sit on a coat or a towel and choose a clean spot. Sit up from the hips, cross your ankles or draw one knee up, and keep your arms off your legs, resting on the knee or the ground. A phone at waist height and a 1x lens give a natural look. At the beach, put the horizon on the lower line, which is what Posepass asks for in Sit in the sand.

What if the light is poor indoors?

Move near a window and turn your face toward the light. Window light on the face makes a soft, even result, while a window behind you leaves your face dark. The Posepass direction is window light on the face, not behind. Hold the phone steady with elbows tucked or rest it on a table.

How many seated photos should I take?

Take five for each pose, with a small change between frames: look away, look down, laugh, shift a shoulder. Keep the best and delete the rest. A seated pose is easy to hold, so it is a good one to use when you want to relax between standing poses. The pose library shows setups for every seat.

How do I pose seated at a bench in a dress or skirt?

Sit near the front, angle your knees to one side and cross the ankles. Rest your hands on your lap or on the bench edge. The photographer stays level with your waist so the lens does not look up at your knees. A seat turned a little toward the lens keeps the shape clean.

What are good seated close-ups?

A close-up of a seated person at a table needs only a phone at eye level and a plain background. Rest your chin on a hand, hold a cup near your face or look out of a window. Posepass has Chin on hand and Look up from the cup, which use eye level and a frame that fills the head and shoulders. The direction is to step in until the face fills the top half.

Keep movement small. A slow blink, a breath and a glance at the cup give a natural frame.

What should the person with the phone avoid?

Seated shots go wrong for predictable reasons.

• Shooting down from standing height, which shortens the legs and hides the face.
• Cropping at the knees, which leaves a floating torso.
• Letting the table edge cut through the hands.
• Forgetting to check the horizon behind a bench.

What is a good seated pose for a couple or friends?

Sit side by side and angle your knees toward each other. Lean in a little so the heads sit close, and rest hands on knees or the bench. Posepass has Bench lean, Steps for two and Bench row, which use a phone at waist height and a frame that shows everyone to the feet. The cues are talk to each other and sit tall. Keep the group a step back from the edge of the bench so no one hangs off.

Seated groups look more relaxed when each person sits at a slightly different angle.

How do I shoot a seated photo outdoors?

Pick a seat with a clean background and soft light. A bench in open shade beats one in strong sun. The photographer crouches so the lens is level with your waist and checks the horizon behind the bench. At the beach, put the horizon on the lower line and keep a little sky above your head.