How to pose feminine

Posing is playing

Nobody is born with a cover face. Posing is a few tricks and a lot of fun. Draw a card, stand in front of the mirror and give it a go. On the day itself, Laurens shows you how.

Pick a date See the session

A guest looks over their shoulder into the camera, in front of a brick wall melting into blur.

Draw a pose

Stand in front of the mirror and hold each pose for five counts.

Warming up first

No science, just fun. After this the rest is easy.

The Big Laugh
Hand on your chest, head back a little, and laugh out loud. Fake is fine.
Why: A warm-up of ours, not science: doing something takes the tension away.
Watch out: If it turns real, that’s perfect.
A real photo of ours
The Full EXTRA
Arms up, legs wide, everything big. You can’t go too far.
Why: Another warm-up: after the silliest pose, the rest seems easy.
Watch out: Nothing. Let go.

Standing

The classics, with a small shift in weight and shoulders.

The Gentle S
Turn your body a little away from the camera. Weight on your rear leg, front knee loose. One arm hangs with some space beside your waist; the other hand rests lightly on your upper thigh.
Why: Uneven weight gives your shoulder, waist and hip each their own line.
Watch out: Don’t push your hip far out: a little is enough. Keep breathing.
Crossed Ankles
Weight on your rear leg. Place your other foot lightly across your ankle, toes pointing comfortably forward. Fingertips of one hand at your waist, the other arm loose.
Why: Your legs taper, and your arms make two different lines.
Watch out: Don’t cross so tightly that you wobble, and don’t turn your knees inward.
Hand at Your Waist
Feet slightly staggered, shoulders turned a little. Place the hand nearest the camera at the side of your waist, and move your elbow out until you see space between arm and body.
Why: That small gap shows the line of your waist. An arm flat against your body merges with it.
Watch out: Don’t squeeze your waist, and don’t point your elbow at the camera.
The Small Step
Just take a small step, at an angle to the camera. Let your rear heel lift and your arms swing a little, with a small bag in one hand if you like. Look just beside the camera.
Why: Doing something takes the stiffness out, and the in-between step often makes a lovely photo.
Watch out: No catwalk with crossing feet, and no big strides.
Over the Shoulder
Turn your feet and hips mostly away from the camera, weight on your far leg. Turn your upper body back a little, then your face, as far as feels good. Keep your shoulder low.
Why: Your shoulder line runs at an angle, and your gaze still connects.
Watch out: Don’t strain your neck, and don’t lift your shoulder into your jaw.
A real photo of ours
Your Earring
Weight on your rear leg. Bring your far hand to your earring or hair, elbow below your shoulder. The other arm hangs loose. Glance down, then back into the camera.
Why: Your fingers have something to do, which calms them by itself.
Watch out: No limp wrist or spread fingers, and don’t hold it for long.
Hips Forward
Feet slightly apart, nearly facing the camera. Weight on one leg, other knee loose. Keep your hips facing forward and turn only your shoulders a little. One hand low on your hip.
Why: For more hip shape: your hips stay wide in the frame while your shoulders get narrower.
Watch out: Don’t twist your waist too far, and don’t arch your back.
The Assured One
Weight on one leg, shoulders turned a little. One forearm loosely across your ribs, the other hand lightly on your upper arm. Look straight into the camera.
Why: Feminine doesn’t have to mean small or shy. This is calm and sure.
Watch out: No fists or raised shoulders, and let your fingers show.
The Hug
Turn a little, weight on one leg. Wrap your arms loosely around yourself at waist height, one hand at your other elbow. Head slightly tilted, look down or close your eyes.
Why: Your arms make a shape around your body, even if you’re built straight. And it feels nice.
Watch out: Don’t squeeze yourself, and don’t lift your shoulders.
Glass in Hand
Weight on one leg. Hold a glass at chest height, your other hand holding a small bag low. Elbows clear of your body. Glance to the side.
Why: An object gives your hands a job, and then you forget them. That’s why photographers ask for this when you feel stiff.
Watch out: Don’t grip it, and don’t hold the glass in front of your face.

Sitting

Calm, and good when standing is hard.

The Angled Chair
Sit on the front of the chair, back long. Angle your hips and knees away, ankles loosely crossed. Turn your shoulders back a little, hands apart on your legs.
Why: Angled legs and arms clear of your body keep the shape readable.
Watch out: Don’t lean back, and don’t aim your knees at the camera.
A real photo of ours
The Portrait
Sit with your body turned a little and your face back to the camera. Shoulders low, long through the crown, lean slightly forward from your hips. Try your chin level, then a touch down.
Why: Your body and face point different ways, which adds depth without a complicated pose.
Watch out: Don’t tuck your chin far in, and don’t jut your jaw.
Legs Crossed
Sit securely, hips turned a little. Cross one knee over the other, keeping the other foot planted. Back long, one hand near your upper knee.
Why: Compact, with a clear diagonal. Not comfortable? Cross your ankles instead.
Watch out: Don’t force it, don’t lean back, and don’t aim your knee at the camera.
At the Table
Sit at a table, lean forward a little from your hips. One forearm diagonally on the table, your other hand near your temple, fingertips nearly touching. Look into the camera.
Why: The table supports you, which calms you. Your hands point to your face.
Watch out: Don’t lean on your hand, as it squashes your face. Don’t lift your shoulders.

Artistic

Here light, lines and fabric make the photo. They ask nothing of your figure.

Silhouette
Stand side-on in front of a bright light or window, chin level, feet slightly staggered. Keep your elbow clear of your body, so light falls through.
Why: Only your outline counts now. It’s one of the most beautiful ways to show a profile.
Watch out: Don’t let arm and body merge, and keep your hands visible.
Your Back
Turn your back to the camera, weight on one leg. Loosely hold your wrist behind your lower back, and turn your head just enough to show your profile.
Why: Your back, clothes and posture become the subject. Broad shoulders look beautiful here.
Watch out: Don’t force a look over your shoulder. A profile is enough.
The Scarf
Take a big light scarf and throw it up. Take a step, look through it or upward. Do it ten times: each one is different.
Why: The fabric makes the big shapes, so your body doesn’t have to. And moving takes the tension away.
Watch out: Don’t freeze for the photo. The movement is the point.
Strong Lines
Stand square to the camera, feet apart, shoulders wide. One hand at your waist with a sharp elbow, your other hand at your collar. Look straight into the lens, no smile.
Why: Right angles convey strength, says photographer Lindsay Adler. Your shoulders aren’t something to hide here, they’re the shape of the photo.
Watch out: Half-bent looks accidental. Make every angle on purpose.
Against the Wall
Lean your upper back against a wall, feet slightly forward, knees loose. Hands in your pockets or by your sides. Turn your face to the side and look up a little.
Why: The diagonal adds movement without curves. And the wall supports you.
Watch out: Don’t arch your back, and don’t lift your chin too far.
The Zigzag
Sit securely on a stool, feet staggered. Lean forward a little from your hips, one elbow on your thigh, hand loose. Keep your head up.
Why: Your torso, thigh and forearm form angles. It’s graphic, and doesn’t depend on your figure.
Watch out: Don’t slump, and don’t point your elbow at the camera.
On the Floor
Sit on a cushion. One knee up, your other leg stretched out at an angle. Forearm on your knee, your other hand on the floor behind you. Back long.
Why: Uneven arms and legs make the picture, not your waist. It also feels less like posing right away.
Watch out: Not if it hurts your knees: a chair works too.
Hands as a Frame
Hold one hand at your temple and the other below your jaw, fingers loose, the side toward the camera. Don’t quite touch your skin. Look straight ahead.
Why: Your hands frame your face. Big hands can join in here: they’re beside your face, not in front of it.
Watch out: No palms toward the lens, and don’t press your cheeks.
Toward the Light
Turn one shoulder to the camera, lift your chin a little and look up toward the light. Let your face rest.
Why: The light falls on your eyes and neck, and you don’t have to look at anyone. That makes it calm.
Watch out: Don’t look up so far that it’s mostly the whites of your eyes.
Light and Shadow
Stand in stripes of light, for example from a window with blinds, and look to the side. Slowly move your head until the light falls across your eyes.
Why: The shadow tells the story, and your face becomes part of the shape. Here the light does the work.
Watch out: Don’t force anything. Let the photographer show where the light falls.

The illustrations are made with AI to show the pose, on all kinds of bodies. They aren’t guests.

What feminine posing is

A way of taking photos, not a test. Photographers work with a small shift of weight, shoulders turned slightly away, some space between arm and waist, and hands that stay loose. People often read that as feminine, but it’s a habit, not a rule. What you like always wins, and straight and strong is fine too.

Built straight? You have two ways

Many people have broad shoulders and narrow hips, little waist and big hands. There are two good answers to that. You can make shape: a small shift of weight, hands at different heights, your arms around yourself.

Or you use what’s there: strong straight lines, your back, a silhouette, fabric that moves. Right angles convey strength, and your shoulders become the shape of the photo. The artistic poses above ask nothing of your figure. Both are good, and you can choose differently for each photo.

Start with your weight

Put your weight on your rear leg and let the other knee go. Your hip moves over a little by itself, and your body gets a gentle S. You don’t need more.

Turn your shoulders a little

Straight on to the camera, your shoulders are at their widest. Turn your body a little away and your face back, and they look narrower. Let them drop too: breathing out helps. Don’t let your arms lie flat against your body, as that makes them look bigger.

Your chin

Photographers often ask for your chin slightly forward and down. That lengthens your neck and defines your jawline, but doesn’t soften it. For a softer jaw, try your chin level and your face turned slightly. The light does the rest.

Your hands

Hands give away tension. Show the side rather than the palm, the back or a fist, with a little space between your fingers. Don’t press them against your face, as they spread out, and give them a job: an earring, your waist, a bag. A forced limp wrist doesn’t help.

Not everything at once

Hip out, back arched, ankles crossed, limp wrist and a pout all at once quickly becomes a performance. Pick one or two. Photographers change only one thing at a time as well.

The mirror game

Draw three cards and hold each pose for five counts. See what you like and what you don’t. Feeling brave? Set your phone’s timer and take photos. Nobody has to see them.

On the day itself

You don’t have to memorise anything. Laurens shows you, you copy, and you can look along on the screen. Saw a pose here you liked? Just say so.

Where this comes from

We read what portrait photographers write and what crossdressers and trans women recommend themselves. Real research is scarce: a 2000 Amsterdam study found wide sitting seen as more masculine and closed sitting as more feminine, and an Italian study with computer figures found something similar about standing still and moving. Nobody has tested these poses. That’s why we call them tricks.

Pick a date

Questions

How do I pose more feminine?

Put your weight on one leg, turn your body a little away, leave space between arm and waist, and keep your hands loose with the side to the camera. Pick one or two at a time.

Do I have to practise before the shoot?

No. Laurens helps you during the session. You may practise, because it’s fun and you get used to yourself.

I feel stiff and a bit silly. Is that okay?

Almost everyone does at first. That’s why you can start with something daft, like the Full EXTRA. After that the rest is easy.

How do I sit well in a photo?

On the front of the chair, with your back long, your knees angled away from the camera and your ankles loosely crossed. Don’t lean back.

What do I do with broad shoulders?

Turn your body a little away and let them drop if you want them to look narrower. Or show them: with strong lines and your back, they’re the shape of the photo. It’s a choice, not a must.

I have no curves. Can I still pose feminine?

Yes. You can make shape with your arms and a small shift of weight, and in the artistic poses light and fabric do the work. Feminine doesn’t depend on your figure.

Posing is playing

Draw a pose

Warming up first

The Big Laugh

The Full EXTRA

Standing

The Gentle S

Crossed Ankles

Hand at Your Waist

The Small Step

Over the Shoulder

Your Earring

Hips Forward

The Assured One

The Hug

Glass in Hand

Sitting

The Angled Chair

The Portrait

Legs Crossed

At the Table

Artistic

Silhouette

Your Back

The Scarf

Strong Lines

Against the Wall

The Zigzag

On the Floor

Hands as a Frame

Toward the Light

Light and Shadow