Posing Tips & Tricks for Seniors with Jaimy Ellis
In today’s high-tech, visual age, teens have their finger on the pulse of what’s cool and what’s not. They consume hours of visual content each day, even more so now that they attend school from their bedrooms and get shamed for spending time with friends due to the pandemic. They have developed a keen eye for authenticity and individualism, which is why it’s so important for your work to stand out as something fresh, modern and unique. You might have the best camera gear money can buy and the most up-to-date lighting system around, but none of that matters if your posing is hum-drum. Having a complete arsenal of poses at the ready, ranging from traditional to trendy, can arm you against becoming that out-of-date, boring photographer no senior wants to go to. Not only that but it will set you apart from your competition, make your future clients feel confident that you know how to make them look amazing, give each session a personalized touch, and hopefully increase your sales by having such a wide variety of looks available to purchase.
Easier said than done, am I right? Here are seven things posing tips you can do to point yourself toward posing success for each and every session.
1. Get social
Start out on the right foot by utilizing social media stories as a way for future or prospective clients to get the feeling that they already know you. Show up authentically with selfies and video of you talking to the camera. This takes some getting used to but it doesn’t take long to become comfortable talking to your phone. Share things about your business, like your “why” statement, your excitement over an upcoming project or even your favorite products for senior portraits. Don’t forget to sprinkle in a bit of random personal info like fun facts about yourself or a funny opinion you might have, like whether or not one should wear socks to bed. Document behind the scenes during sessions so future seniors can see how a portrait session works and how fun it is to be photographed by you. You’re probably thinking, “But this has nothing to do with posing…” Well, maybe not exactly. But it has everything to do with helping your subject feel comfortable with you and getting in front of the camera before even meeting you for the first time, in turn making the posing and shooting process easier for everyone involved.
