Strike a pose! This famous lyric also happens to be one of the biggest elements to being a model. Posing is a skill that all models will need to have, and one that is certain to be expected of them. Regardless of age, posing for a photoshoot is simply part of the job description. When starting out as a child model, your child will have to practice posing in order to get better and book more jobs. There are many ways to become better at model poses, so we’re mentioning just a few of the ways your child can improve their posing skills.
Although ‘practice makes perfect’ is a cliche, it still rings true when it comes to modeling. The more your child model poses at home and practices different strategies, the more comfortable they will be doing so in an audition or on a job. The key is to constantly be snapping pics of them while they are practicing so they can see what they need to improve on. Maybe they make an uncomfortable face when in a specific pose, or maybe their arm isn’t bending the way it’s supposed to? The only way to fix these is by practicing and working to improve their posing skills.
One of the great ways to learn new poses while practicing at home is to take a bunch of fashion magazines and try to copy the poses that professional models are making. Look at the top models who are at the top of their game, and have your child work at copying the best in the biz. This allows them to add more poses to their repertoire which will make them even more bookable. Again, make sure to take pictures of them practicing these poses so they can see where they need to improve.
Action poses for action shots are a big part of child modeling. If they are looking to book with sports apparel brands then they’ll need to work on their action poses as well. This will take a little more work because usually it involves movement which can be hard to emulate. The best way would be to take pictures of them as they are playing a sport of some kind and then try and copy the natural action pose they are making while playing the sport. For example, during a soccer game snap as many pics as you can of your child running, kicking, sliding, etc. Then when you get home have them practice those specific poses.
You’ll want your young child model to keep their poses moving and alive — yet for the photographer's sake, they should be changing their poses slowly. Aim to switch positions every three seconds, that way whoever is shooting them will have ample time to capture what mood they are trying to express with each pose.
One posing skill that any child can learn is to take direction. This also happens to be one of the most attractive qualities a model can have. When a child model learns to listen to their photographer, the shoot will go much more smoothly — which will mean booking more jobs in the long run. Another tip, when looking directly at the camera, have them practice looking behind the camera, this creates a more natural and candid look.
As you can see, the best way for your child model to improve their skills is to practice different kinds of poses in all different kinds of scenarios. This will give them the best opportunity to add different poses to their portfolio. Whether they are action poses, high fashion poses, or poses for headshots, they will have the skills needed to book the jobs they want. If you think your child would be interested in kids modeling, please reach out by visiting Bensimon Models & Talent and contact us today.
