Today I’m giving you a peek inside my little, black book of posing… sharing my best posing tips for moms! When it comes to posing, the best way to think of it is like you are playing with the Barbie mix-and-match fashion book…
Do you remember the books where you could choose a skirt, pants, shorts, or ballgown for the bottom? And then you could have a whole new set of options for the top: long sleeves, short sleeves, puffed sleeves. Then finally you were able to choose how you want her hair to be worn: up-dos, curls, long & straight, or a high pony.
That’s my secret tip for posing.
- Start with the base stance– How do you want your feet to stand?
- Then add in your arms
- And finally, choose your facial expression.
When you break it down like this, it is so simple to think of a pose in any given moment. Mix and match poses until your heart is content, and never feel awkward in front of the camera again.
Now in this blog, I’m going to be sharing my favorite poses for each category for when it comes to posing moms, so you can feel more confident for the next time you are in front of the camera. My goal is to keep these tips as simple as possible for you so you can remember these tips the next time you are in a pinch.
The BGP Motherhood Event Is Open For Booking!
Speaking of being in front of the camera, the BGP Motherhood Event is open for booking!! I would love for you to join me on Friday, April 19th 4 pm – 6 pm in Gilbert ((Greenfield & Guadalupe)
General Admission Ticket: $22 to secure your spot in the event and walk away with one good photo of you with your kids *Options to upgrade your collection & add on matted prints too!
Let’s capture a precious photo of you with your kiddos in this season. Plus, have it matted and on the table in time for Mother’s Day. Keep it on your table leading up to Mother’s Day or pass it to your husband and kiddos to wrap up as a gift – I’ll let you decide.
Learn more & buy your ticket for the BGP Motherhood Event HERE.
Plus, it gives you an opportunity to see these poses in real time! Alright, let’s get to it..
The BGP Posing System
Like I said, once you realize that you can mix and match different poses for your arms, facial expressions, and legs, your posing options are endless. However, it’s best to start with your feet and work your way up the body. Each section naturally builds on each other and will come together effortlessly. The order I always work in is feet, arms, then facial expression.
BONUS TIP: Once you’ve played with your pose, the easiest way to get variety and a lot of photos in a little time is to work in reverse order: facial expression, arms, then legs.
Posing Tips For Moms: Feet & Legs
Again, the easier we can make it the better… you’ve already got enough going on with your littles you don’t need something complex here.
Just think standing or sitting…
- Standing:
- If you are standing in your pose my best tips are to first have your toes pointed at a 45-degree angle towards the camera… essentially not standing straight on.
- You can either slide your toes together or cross one foot in front of the other.
- Secondly, shift all your weight to your back leg/hip/foot, you can do a little leg pop with your front leg
- Sitting:
- For a sitting pose, I typically still apply the 45-degree rule of sitting at an angle
- You can be crouched down & squat (keep your posture as straight as you can here … most tend to round their back over in this pose.)
- Or if you are sitting on a chair, scooch your bum all the way to the edge of the seat, then kick your legs out to the side.
Posing Tips For Moms: Arms
Legs, check! The hard part is done!
When it comes to arms, this is where your pose can start to feel really natural. The best tip here is to always give your hands something to do or hold.
- Think hands in pocket
- Holding a coffee
- Playing with your hair
- Hold onto a piece of clothing: swish your dress, hold on to your jacket or cardigan.
- Even holding your own hands together with a slight bend in your elbow… looks very natural.
As a mom, you’ve got the best props… your kids. Your hands are already full, so just embrace it!
- Hold your little one in your arms
- Hold hands with the other
- Gently place one hand on your child’s shoulder
The biggest goal here is to touch your children … this shows connection in an image.
Posing Tips For Moms: Facial Expressions
2 out of 3 steps done … and they just get easier and easier! This last step is to play with different facial expressions. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Smiling at the camera
- Smiling at each other or off-camera
- Big open smile/ laughing
- Soft closed smile
- Eyes toward camera
- Eyes looking at another person or down your shoulder
When it comes to playing with facial expressions the biggest note here is to make sure everyone’s facial expression matches … if not this can start to look very ‘posed’ and not as authentic.
It would look a little off to have one person with a giant smile (think: loud, happy, laughing, playful) and another with a soft, closed-lip smile (think: calm, more emotional, sentimental).
Posing Tips For Moms: Play with Movement
Other ideas you can play with while posing is incorporating movement… sometimes when working with littles this is your best option.
- Walking
- Twirling
- Swaying
- Hugging
- Tossing littles up in the air
Conclusion
When it comes to posing there are no hard and fast rules. These are the exact poses I use during my family sessions when working with moms: mix and match, and pivot along the way.
My hope is that by practicing these poses, you feel a little more confident to hop in the photo. Which is really a top priority!
This week since opening up The BGP Motherhood Event for booking, I’ve loved talking with so many sweet mamas… and they all say the same thing: “I couldn’t find one picture of me without sunglasses with the kids” “I’m always the one *taking* the photo, never in the photo”
It’s time for you, mama, to be in a good photo with the kids that you feel beautiful in! And that really is the heart behind the BGP Motherhood Event.
Be sure to grab your ticket to join me at the event HERE! I would love to see you there, friend!
