HOW TO DIRECT PEOPLE IN PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY - Beyond posing
01 – The camera is rarely the difficult part
One of the questions I hear most often from photographers is: “How do I get people to do what I want?” How do I tell someone where to stand? What should they do with their hands? How do I get a person to move naturally? How do I make someone who has never modelled before look comfortable? I think we often start with the wrong question. Before you can direct someone, you have to make them trust you. Because people don’t really want to be directed by a stranger. They want to know that they are in good hands.
02 – It starts before the first photograph
For me, directing people begins with communication. How you walk into the situation matters. Are you open? Are you friendly? Do you smile? Are you genuinely interested in the person in front of you? And perhaps most importantly: Do you look like you know what you’re doing? I don’t mean being arrogant or trying to dominate the room. Quite the opposite. I want to create the feeling that everything is under control. That I have a plan. That I know where we are going. That the person doesn’t have to worry about whether they are doing something wrong. Because once that trust is there, everything becomes easier.
03 – I don’t start by posing people
One of the first things I usually do is almost nothing. I find the light. I find the location. I make sure the conditions work. Then I might say: “Come over here. This light is beautiful.” Maybe they put their things down. I look at what they’re wearing. “That works really well.” Maybe I make a compliment. Maybe we laugh. And then, sometimes, I take the first photograph right there. Not because I am looking for the perfect pose. I’m looking for the first real moment. The moment before the person starts thinking too much about the camera.
04 – Let people be themselves first
I believe you can only really direct someone once you have given them permission to simply be themselves. For the first few minutes, I don’t want to control everything. I want to watch. How do they naturally stand? How do they move? How do they hold themselves? What happens when they laugh? Where do their eyes go? What feels comfortable for them? That gives me something to work with. Because every person is different. There is no pose that works for everyone.
05 – Positive feedback changes everything
I also talk a lot while I photograph. And I mean genuinely positive feedback. “Yes.” “That’s great.” “Stay there.” “That looks really good.” It might sound like a small thing, but it changes the atmosphere. People who are nervous need reassurance. They need to know that they are not failing. And when someone starts to relax, you can feel it. The shoulders drop. The expression changes. The movements become more natural. The person stops trying to look like a model. And starts becoming themselves. That is when the interesting photographs usually begin.
06 – Then I show them the proof
After several minutes, there is often a moment when I show the person one of the photographs. And I love that moment. Because suddenly they can see what I’ve been seeing. They see the light. They see the expression. They see themselves differently. And very often the reaction is something like: “That’s me? How cool.” That photograph is more than just a good picture. It is proof. Proof that they can do this. Proof that they look good. Proof that I know what I’m doing. And once that happens, something changes. The trust becomes much stronger.
07 – Now I can actually direct them
This is the part many photographers try to do too early. Once the person trusts me, I can start giving more specific instructions. Try this. Turn slightly. Look over there. Move your shoulder. Hold that. And now they are willing to follow me. Not because I am forcing them into a pose. Because they have already experienced that my direction leads somewhere good. That is a huge difference. Direction works best when it comes from trust.
08 – You don’t need to control everything
I also don’t believe in giving twenty instructions at once. Too much direction creates tension. The person starts thinking about every body part. What are my hands doing? Where are my feet? What about my face? Am I doing this right? And suddenly the photograph becomes stiff. I prefer to give one small direction and then watch what happens. Then another. Then another. There is a conversation happening. Not between words. Between movement, light and reaction.
09 – The photographer sets the energy
This is something I have learned over many years of photographing people: People often mirror the energy you bring into the room. If I am nervous, they feel it. If I am stressed, they feel it. If I am disconnected, they feel it. But if I arrive open, positive, relaxed and excited to create something, that energy usually comes back. You cannot expect someone to feel comfortable in front of your camera if you make them feel uncomfortable behind it.
10 – The goal isn’t a perfect pose
The goal is to make the person forget they are being photographed. That doesn’t mean there should be no direction. Quite the opposite. Good direction creates freedom. You give someone enough guidance that they stop worrying about what they are supposed to do. And then they can simply be present. That is when a portrait starts to feel alive. You don’t direct people by controlling them.
You direct them by giving them confidence. Confidence that the light is right. Confidence that they look good. Confidence that you know what you are doing. Confidence that there is no wrong answer and once a person feels that confidence, you can take them almost anywhere. That is when directing people becomes much less about posing. And much more about connection.
