#9: Mysteries of posing for photos.

Having spent the last three months travelling the world I have understandably been using my camera more often than I normally would.  In New Zealand, for example, you are more likely to see a glacier or mountain than you are in, say, Bromley.  Therefore you would rarely find me without a camera gripped firmly in my sweaty hand.  I have no problem taking pictures of scenery, I even managed to take a few panoramic shots which could easily have been mistaken for professional photos, my issue is posing for pictures.  Accordingly, I will be discussing the following:  what is the correct way to pose for a picture?

The simplest method is the basic 'stand and smile' pose, but even this is rife with difficulties.  Aside from the smiling, you also have to hold all your wobbly bits in so a chubby situation is avoided.  Excellent.  The real problem I have now is what to do with your arms, and by this point you've got facial cramps to contend with because you've been smiling for too long.  So do you go for a hands on hips look, or one hand on hip?  If so what do you do with the other arm, just let it hang there like an orang-utan?  I often make the mistake of putting my arm round the nearest person, who is normally taller than me, so I look like I'm trying to climb them, rather than embrace them.  By this point I usually give up and go for a comedy pose, which is not becoming at a formal event.  If, by this point in the pose, you're still smiling, you have your legs to arrange, if they are to be included in the composition.  I don't have a clue what to do with them and to be honest I normally forget they're even attached to me.  Resulting in many inappropriate pictures of me like this:

or this...

One thing I like about taking pictures of other people, other than me not being involved in them, is the second after the flash goes where everyone lets their stomach go and the smiles disappear and at least one person says "I blinked, do it again".  If your camera does two flashes, you're sometimes lucky enough to capture this hideous moment.  A little trick I like to try every now and again is to pretend to take a picture of a group of people but actually film it, and see how long they will stand and smile for.  It results in quite a funny video!

I'm determined to discover the secrets to posing without looking stupid.  I may tweet Tyra Banks for advice.

Wish me luck,

Luce x