Portrait Photography How To

Posing a model properly can make or break portrait photos, especially when using a single flash to light the images. In the video below, you’ll learn eight simple poses for achieving attractive results.

As photographer Michael Zeibel explains, careful posing is particularly important when shooting single-light portraits, because of the shadows that go along with this basic approach. Here, he enlists the help of an attractive model, to demonstrate how to make the most of this simple lighting technique to create beautiful portraits that will make you and your model proud.

Zeibel explains why the eight poses he recommends are effective, and he demonstrates why a few others are not. The challenge, when shooting with a single light, is to utilize poses that illuminate a model’s face and body from all important angles. Zeibel explains how to reveal what he calls the “chocolate sides” of a model, so take a look, and see how it’s done.

You can find more powerful lighting tips on Zeibel’s YouTube channel. And be sure to look at a recent tutorial we posted, demonstrating how to shoot sensual boudoir portraits at home with natural light.