Have you ever wondered how to pose with your friend or couple? Or wondered how a pro photographer would do it? Here are the best poses that will get you started.
Get inspired with these collection of friend posing pictures and pose ideas for couples. This compilation of best pose ideas makes a good practice session before taking pics with your partner or mate.
These are creative poses and ideas to be used at a photoshoot.
1. Stretch it out pose
My go-to for both guy-girl and girl-girl poses is a “stretch it out” pose. This has become my favorite photography pose suggestion because it is versatile and not too “troublesome” to remember. If they are wearing long sleeves, have her pull the sleeves off one arm. And with shorter sleeved tops or t-shirts, reverse it so your subject has the bottom over their face (whether that’s a skirt, tights or shorts).
Stretch it out pose is one of the most popular pose in modelling shoots. Because will show the V shape of body which creates a long and lean physique.
This kind of pose will be used together with your partner. The pose is simple and easy, but could still show the love and bond you share with each other.
2. The fake walk
The fake walk is one of my favorite poses to do. It’s known as the Invisible Photographer Pose.
The fake walk is one of the go-to poses for most fashion models. A fashion photographer may ask you to do this pose in a photoshoot or even if it’s your friend asking you to take a picture, wearing something dramatic (like a long dress), this pose looks amazing. You can easily turn around and strut away — bonus!
The “Fake Walk Shot” is a really fun trick that will make your friends look like models. Pretend you are going someplace really interesting. I have had a lot of fun doing fake picnics and walking to exotic locations for this shot. Mix it up by having the couple get dressed up, doubling their distance, or turning around midway through.
3. Back to back
The back to back pose is a fun and easy one to do with your friend. It works great if you are already in make up but it’s also great if you want to add some flare to your shoot or even if you want to keep it natural.
Now, let’s talk about back to back pose. This pose is somewhat similar to the previous pose in which they are facing away from each other. But here, this pose only requires one person (usually you) who is in front of the camera while one of your partner is behind you and he is covering his eyes with an arm.
Back-to-back pose is a wonderful pose for any kind of photograph with two people in it. When you will be posing together in this position, it looks great and impressive. You can also try more photos by extending the arms to make the pose more natural and impressive.
4. Flamingo pose
One of the most widely used poses for couples is the Flamingo pose. It’s one of my favorites as well because it’s always nice to have someone join you on your photoshoot and this pose is perfect.
Let’s say you’ve teamed up with a friend/your significant other to bring out the flamingo pose. You’re both going to be standing in an awkward pose right? Well, I think it should look good on both of you guys.
The flamingo pose is a good typology for a group photography. The group is usually randomly composed of persons in front of a white background. The most common variants are the 3 and the 6 person setup with 2 or four persons in the front row and a rear row of two or four persons, respectively (such as the image below).
5. Hold hands and tilt heads
One thing that I find stunning is when I see pictures of two people holding hands and tilting their heads to each other. Why is it so romantic? Even though we are all familiar with this pose, you will be amazed how beautiful this image can be!
Holding hands and tilting your heads 90 degrees to each other is a very cute pose. It’s good for couples photos, or just friends if you want to look cute together in some pictures.
There is no doubt about it that the best pose for two people in the photoshoot is always holding hands between them. However, the main issue with this amazing gesture is that it will be great for engagement photos, but not so much for wedding photos. But, you can still make your wedding photos awesome with this simple tilt heads pose! This pose might not be as popular as “holding hands” but it’s definitely had its moment of glory in the world of photography.
6. Walk towards each other
Walking towards each other is a great way to start a pose. And if you’re wondering why it’s such a good start, it’s because the model gets to show off their outfit and the photographer gets to capture 2 subjects in one frame.
If your idea of a photoshoot is to just stand in the same pose together, then you’re doing it wrong. You need to be across from your subject, and while facing each other, walk towards each other while shooting. That way you get different poses and don’t look repetitive. Also it adds movement to the image and catches the attention of the viewer.
The idea here is to pose with your friend/couple in a romantic way and that you must look directly into the camera. The best part of this photo is we might not be able to see your face but you can imagine what you’re doing with your partner.
7. Lean back line bosses
How do you show that two people are friends? You lean your heads towards one another. What about if they are a couple? Lean back like bosses. But why does it work so well?
The lean back line boss is a pose that I have been using a lot, to great effect, in shoot setups where I am looking for natural looking and relaxed photographs. The pose allows the subject to lean back and away from the camera which is often a more natural body position for the subject and results in more relaxed body language.
Honestly, you can probably do this with a friend or your couple. I did it with my fiancée and it was awesome and very intimate. I’ve seen a lot of these lean back pose ideas photos on Pinterest and they look really trendy for a portrait shot.
The concept for this photo is simple. The photographer tells the group to lean back far while the camera is up high shooting down on them. This type of photography lends itself to showing off an elaborate background which you would want to have some prior knowledge about, but that’s not impossible.
8. Lean forward for close up
Leaning forward is one of my favorite poses for taking pictures of people. Both parties lean forward to achieve a close up shot of the model. It can be used on its own or as part of a pose with your partner/friend. This pose is really easy to do and it just looks cool!
One of the best poses when it comes to photography and your photography skills is a lean forward pose. This is a great pose if you are thinking about taking pictures for your social media or creating memorable images. And the best part is that this pose can be used to connect with all kinds of different people: family, friends/couple etc.
The leaning forward pose can be used to make people in a group photo look like they’re all friends. It’s generally a good idea to have your subjects slightly overlap, but not too much. If you feel that you’re photographing friends more than couples together, you could also try photographing the couple closely and putting the group members in the background.
9. Cross your legs
When taking photos cross your legs with your other hand resting on top of your knee, this pose looks superb and also adds to the sense of playfulness and fun.
When you shoot photos of your friend or couple, you can pose them in many directions. Cross legs is always a good option to increase flexibility. It is quite easy to know when one of your friends has their legs crossed – and it can be pretty obvious too in photos if you forget to get the correct pose!
The pose where you stand with one leg crossed in front of the other can be quite sexy. An alternative to this pose is to have your legs slightly apart, but turned out, so that one foot points towards the camera and the other foot points away from it. This foot positioning elongates the leg and makes it look better.
10. Hug each other
Hug and kiss your spouse or partner. This pose is usually for couples but you can try it with your friend too. You will be looking at each other lovingly as you wrap your arms around each other while looking into your partner/friends eyes, and even kissing on the cheek. No matter what type of photo shoot you are in, doing this pose will certainly make the photos look beautiful.
Hugging is the best thing about dating couples. It brings you together like magnets. As a photographer, that’s when you grab your camera and capture a really amazing shot.
One of the most romantic poses you can take together is to hug each other. This is a fun pose that anyone can pull-off but it will mean more to your special someone if it’s just the two of you. Take advantage of this pose when photographing two people.
11. Grab your friend to beach
Every year, we plan a trip on the beach to take pictures with my friend. The reason behind this idea is to take pictures with a person closer to your heart. This way you can feel that your relationship is getting stronger with each passing day.
12. The sun-kissed pose
This pose is perfect for picturesque beaches and sunsets. The bright colors and soft background makes this a popular choice for couples and friends. The trick to pulling off the Sunkissed pose is making sure that both of you are standing at an angle which leads the eye to your faces rather than your toes in the sand.
It’s summertime, seems like everyone has taken a vacation or planning to take one soon and the sun is shinning down. Nothing makes you feel more refreshed than a nice tan! That is why we chose this pose. It gives your photos a natural look that will help them stand out from the competition!
The sunkissed pose is an illusion shot. It’s supposed to represent two people relaxing in the sunshine.
13. Peek-a-boo
Peek-a-boo pose is a fun pose to do with your friend/couple. It can be used for any type of shoot, from Boho to Glam. This pose makes your friend or couple look interesting and cool giving a nice appeal to your shoot.
It takes two to do a funny peek-a-boo pose. So, when you’re finding it hard to get the right angle, ask your friend or your partner to help you turn and “peek-a-boo” out of something. This can help you get some angle you couldn’t think off and will make your picture so much funnier!
14. Sit and stare like twins
One of the classic poses that can be super cute is sit and stare at each other, and hold like you are twins. This poses is very cheeky and works best with a friend or couple, and preferably one which both of you play well together.
This is a cute activity for couples. All you need to do is each sit in the same pose and stare at each other. This requires great concentration and timing so you’ll have to be really serious about the match! It’s hard to keep from laughing but try your best. Help each other by keeping your face looking at the camera exactly as it should be. When you match your gaze with someone else, make sure to look at them rather than the camera if possible.
15. Block the sun
Block the sun is a very simple and casual pose. The idea of this pose is to block the sunlight from behind you. It doesn’t really matter where the sun coming from, as long as it’s not coming directly from above your head. You should have some shade on your face and also between you and your friend/couple.
There is a misconception that bright outdoor shots are harder to shoot. And when the sun’s blazing, it seems like a good place to start. The truth of the matter is that there are many ways to shoot in the sun, and plenty of beautiful images can be created in the process.
16. Walk and look back
One of the greatest thing when you know how to capture a photo with your friend is that it will not only make you look great but your friends too. The walk and look back photoshoot pose is the one. It’s very simple and easy.
One of my favorite poses for a couple or just a friend is to walk with each other, looking back at the camera. The photo is taken while you are walking towards the camera and then you turn around to look back at the camera. This is a great pose because it looks like it’s a candid moment and you really enjoyed making that face as you were walking. I like this because there is no awkwardness and there’s something very comfortable about it. Putting your friend or partner in this pose also makes them feel very close to you.
