Skirt - C/O Chi Chi Clothing | Top - Missguided | Shoes - Oasis (Similar here)
This might be my most requested post ever! People seem to be under the impression that my poses are good, but to be honest even now I sometimes look at my photos and think, "What the hell was I doing!?" However, I have been perfecting the art of looking OTT in public for over four years now so I feel like I have picked up a couple of tips and tricks to making the whole process far less uncomfortable than people imagine it to be.
I just want to start by saying that the whole process of taking outfit photos does require a fair bit of confidence: something I really didn't have when I first started out. You can read all about my tips for gaining confidence when shooting in public here!
Start Somewhere Secluded
If it's your first time shooting, I'd definitely recommend starting somewhere secluded, or at least off a main street. The place I took the photos in this post is set back from a main road so I only really saw about five other people during our photo taking sesh. You don't want to start somewhere like Peggy Porschen's (aka crowd city) if you don't feel super confident posing in front of a ton of people, so it can help by practicing what works in locations like this.
Keep Moving
The final shot you see on my Instagram is not the only one I took! In each shoot I normally take around 100 shots, of which about 5 are decent and then I pick the one I post from that. So don't be afraid to take tons of photos doing lots of different poses!
Just keep moving, rotate your body, hold up your head, put your head down, kick up your heels...just keep going with it! You're more likely to get the snap you like if you have a large variety of different photos to choose from.
This will also help when you're trying to decide your Posing Presets (more on that below).
What Do I Do With My Flailing Hands?!
I have always had a serious case of flailing hands and arms (think wacky-waving-inflatable-arm-flailing-tube-man), even when I used to do singing and musical theatre. I once did a performance class where the director actually made me sit on my hands while singing because I was waving them about so much.
I think having something to hold is a great way of freeing up at least one hand, if not both! Whether it be a bag, a bouquet of flowers or a doughnut. I don't own a huge variety of bags, so I often find myself with both hands free like the photos in this post, so I have to work with the outfit instead. Hands in pockets, hand in hair and hand holding skirt are some great ways to occupy your hands.
Act Goofy
This sounds so weird, but my all time favourite photos are ones where I was just acting like a total nutcase during the shoot! Yes, that does include the pics in this post. I mean, really when you look at that first photo, what am I doing!? The whole time I was acting goofy, spinning around and just generally being a bit crazy. But I'm usually making my boyfriend laugh which in turn makes me laugh and those photos are the best!
A good shot is natural and you have to just move with your body. If you look like you're having a good time then people will have a good time looking at you too!
Serious or Silly?
Kind of carrying on from the last point, there are kind of two types of poses you'll see on Instagram: serious or silly. I prefer the silly ones because you can get some really fun, unique shots that have a bit of movement to them. But a lot of people do also go with serious ones (think legs straight, standing still, intense stares). What you do is entirely up to you, but a lot of people accidentally fall into the serious category when they feel nervous, in which case the shot can just look uncomfortable.
Whatever you decided to do, remember to do it with intent. Know why you are there. You are taking this photo because you're gorgeous and you're showing the world your style.
Posing Presets
Much like people have 'presets' for their pictures, in my head I store a set of 'Posing Presets', which is normally about 8-10 poses that I now just naturally do and then repeat to get photos. Some of them work better in certain situations, but normally at least one will fit the bill!
You can build up these preset poses over time by experimenting with shots and deciding what you like best, then storing it for next time. If you look at my first ever outfit photo it's an absolute mess because I literally had no idea what to do. But over time I have learned what looks good. It also makes outfit shoots much quicker as I have an idea of what I want.
Have Fun!
This is just the most important part in my opinion! I can't even describe the number of times I've gotten upset with photos and I've looked back at them later and I can just see the sad expression on my face, even if it's not obvious to everyone. The best photos happen when you're enjoying what you're doing, so if you at any point feel like you don't want to do it anymore then just leave it for then, take a break and come back later. There's no point in doing something you don't want to do!
I really hope this post has helped you even a little bit to get out there and start shooting photos! Like anything, it's a skill that requires practice and it's completely fine to not nail it first time. The more you do it, the more comfortable you'll become and the easier it'll be!
I'd love to know if you're planning on undertaking an outfit shoot for the first time! x
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