Thread: No Fail Photography Poses

I'm getting a photo shoot done tomorrow and I am looking for examples of some great no-fail belly dance poses. Visual examples please! ..g.:

When I had my shoot with Michael Baxter, who is fabulous BTW. He told me to browse other dancers sites and look at all the different poses and face expressions. Sometimes a great face expression is better than any pose. You don't have to smile and look at the camera for every picture. A good photographer should give you some pointers and let you know what would look best and correct what doesn't look good. Example, move your head so you don't have a twisted neck or double chin. Be careful of looking up, you don't want up the nose shots. Lol. You could do a few movement shots then go into the poses. Keep in mind most poses are over exaggerated so it will feel uncomfortable and you may even be sore the next day. Lol. Meaning, poses aren't how you would typically stand, you usually stretch a bit further and holding it a few seconds can be hard. Good luck and have fun! Post pics!

please remember your face makes the photo. without the right expression even your body looks great the photo is useless. and you cannot fake expression. it has to come from your heart. and during the shoot you have to believe that you're the most beautiful princess in the whole universe. practise your face in front of mirror. practise smiling, and not smiling because sometime the lighting and your costume and background demand non smiling face. dreamy expression, lose in the music kind of look. when in doubt, think of sex and relax your mouth (have it slightly open). that usually makes good expression. these are tips my boyfriend the photographer told me.

Thanks y'all. I hate the "dead face." Or the too sexy pout.

I trolled dancer galleries endlessly for ideas for both of my photo shoots. I good tip (I only did this the second time) is to print photos out and bring them with you to show the photographer - otherwise you may go blank and not be able to remember some of the coolest ones you wanted to do!

My advice: forget about poses.

Take a boombox and some dance music with you, and DANCE while the photographer shoots. Take fast, energetic, upbeat music to inspire you to joyful, sassy, cheeky, and happy moods. Take some beautiful taqsim music to inspire you to meditative, introspective, and dreamy moods.

Play the music and dance, and let the photographer capture the best moments. If your dance naturally leads into a pose, keep moving, even it's slow, while in that pose to keep the energy/tension levels engaged in your muscles.

Originally Posted by *Shira*

My advice: forget about poses.

Take a boombox and some dance music with you, and DANCE while the photographer shoots. Take fast, energetic, upbeat music to inspire you to joyful, sassy, cheeky, and happy moods. Take some beautiful taqsim music to inspire you to meditative, introspective, and dreamy moods.

Play the music and dance, and let the photographer capture the best moments. If your dance naturally leads into a pose, keep moving, even it's slow, while in that pose to keep the energy/tension levels engaged in your muscles.

Shira, I agree with this comment completely except for one thing: The photographer needs to be able to shoot this way for it to work. Some photographers are great at movement. Some shoot models who pose statically. I've worked with both and while both have merit, you need to come at the proccess in two completely different ways.

Originally Posted by _Sarai_

Shira, I agree with this comment completely except for one thing: The photographer needs to be able to shoot this way for it to work. Some photographers are great at movement. Some shoot models who pose statically. I've worked with both and while both have merit, you need to come at the proccess in two completely different ways.

If you're doing some still and some moving shots, do the still ones first, so you aren't flushed or glistening from having been dancing for an hour!

Originally Posted by andalee-oriental

I'm getting a photo shoot done tomorrow and I am looking for examples of some great no-fail belly dance poses. Visual examples please! ..g.:

andalee,

Saw your post, and what Mahira and others have said about expression in belly dance photos seems quite salient.

If you like, I have a posing guide that I've developed for my remote studio photo shoots. Happy to help! It is alas still text based so far, but it does elicit some easy visual work that you can do yourself to prepare for your shoot. I've found that even a few minutes of such prep work has worked rather well in the studio.

If you like, I can reply via email to you with this write-up. Also, I'll mention a few characteristics about light that you may find useful when you're at your shoot.

If you have interest, I'll reply to your email here:
mab@cruzio.com

Hope you have a fabulous shoot!

Blessings and Light,
raksphoto/Michael

google/images/ bellydance for ideas too...make sure you have good posture for posed stuff...practice facial expressions in the mirror, and use music you really love even if it isnt bellydance

sarai is right about making sure what you have in mind is the way the photographer works. I prefer movement and even when posing encourage constant adjustments; but I have seen some photographers that pretty much seem to like to keep clients very still.

If you use props, really only the veil tends to look good in movement; I've had dancers try to use canes and swords and even though they are fine for posing; dancing with them doesn't "usually" offer anything.

Remember that the pictures will be 2D so to speak...holding an arm out toward the camera or a leg doesn't always work as well as sideways...unless the photographer is going for a specific effect of having something in front or back really out of focus for whatever reason.

And what most have said about the facial expressions is right on. I've shot one dancer that kills me with the sexy face (and it's not sexy) but for the most part, when you smile. hopefully you can do it naturally; but try not to push up your eyes/forehead into crinkles when you do; stay relaxed.

And just let go a bit. Sure people get uptight having their picture taken; but you gotta drop that. The photographer should have seen it all by now if they are experienced and you are a performer; so forget the worries; they show in your face and body.

That's all I could think of off the cuff; but it's hard to give advice without knowing you a little personally and how you react in shoots or knowing your photographer and how good they are.

Oh, so I had my photoshoot and I wanted to tell you something about what I learned.

I've been told by dancers to arch your back when posing to get a nice chest area and to smooth the tummy.

Um, well this didn't work for me. It made me look un-natural and it made my stomach pooch. My photog kept on telling me to relax my chest and shoulders and then pull in my tummy.

On our way home, he said, "Megan, just do what Tyra says." I'm like, "Huh, what does Tyra say?"

Tyra says girls with BIG boogies need to actually curve their chest inward. I was like "Argh!" I don't necessarily think that is true for all belly dance poses, a concave chest is really more editorial style, but it was helpful advice.

Not all women are built a like so posing would depend on body size and shape. Of course, good posture is always key, but if you are already curvy you probably have to do less to show it off.

In the end, it paid off to force my boyfriend *aka my photog* to watch America's Next Top Model. LOL!

If I arch my back in pics it makes my boobs look like they are coming at you. Lol. So I don't do that. I like to lift my arms up and bring in my tummy for smoother belly pics.
Are you going to post any pics from the shoot? Did you have fun?

Originally Posted by mahira-michelle

If I arch my back in pics it makes my boobs look like they are coming at you. Lol. So I don't do that. I like to lift my arms up and bring in my tummy for smoother belly pics.
Are you going to post any pics from the shoot? Did you have fun?

Pics are on "The Rest Belly Dance" forum. I did have fun! I always like being the center of attention! ..g.:

I don't think it's so much arching the back...I've never said liked that myself...but it's just about making sure your posture is right. But with a bellydancer; you guys normally have pretty good posture and keep your muscles tight (as possible) through your midsections anyhow.