Portrait Photography Posing Tips: Using Prompts for Beginners and Experienced Photographers too!

PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHERS- IMAGINE THIS: You are smack in the middle of a photography portrait photo shoot and suddenly your subjects become stiff and unnatural? What can you do? Well this would be a wonderful time to incorporate the use of prompts in your session.
First the basics: what are prompts? Prompts are phrases that can be used to help your client or model loosen up or become more natural during the portrait session. Using prompts can give you the opportunity to help your client find that magic moment of authenticity that we all strive for in our portraits. These are the stand out moments that generally translate into outstanding photographic images.

Photo Credit: Alissa Beth Photography

Having a series of prompts written down or memorized is an excellent strategy for both new and experienced photographers. It may even be useful to store them in your phone for quick access during a photo-shoot so that your guaranteed to elicit some natural emotions in your client and have a portfolio of images that evoke true emotions after the photo-shoot is completed.
We asked the members of the Facebook groups Portraits and Photography by Photo Box Designs and Inside the Photo Box Photography and Photoshop what some of their favorite prompts are . Here are their responses:
1. "Show me how you feel about back to school this year" by Hillary Boutin of Hillary Lynn Photography

Photo Credit: Hillary Lynn Photography

2.“Hold mama’s hands and give her a smooch!”- Jessica Bauer of Jessica Bauer Photography & Design

3. "Say POOPY" - Melissa Miller of Bitt'O"Honey Photography Melissa says this makes kids laugh all the time. I would guess it would make the adults laugh too! 
​4. "Pretend you have been stuck home in the house for months because a crazy virus is attacking the world and all you ant to do is drink wine and clean!" Photo Credit: Alissa Beth from the Facebook Group Inside the Photo Box Photography and Photoshop

Photo Credit: Photo Box Designs/ Alissa Beth Photography

5. "Think of something that makes you smile"- Andrew Kavanagh of the amazing Facebook Group : Photoshop and Lightroom.
6. "Hold hands & when I ask a question look at whoever you think the answer is...Who has the stinkiest feet?- Caitlin Lynch of Capture by Caitlin.

Photo Credit: Caitlyn Lynch

7. "Check out the party on the balcony above/next/below you - jokingly "don't get caught" - gets them to lean out and smile usually"- Keri R Duesing-Fowler 
8. “Look at your belly and think about how you’ll tell your baby about how he got his name”- Cynthia Russo of Original Cyn Photography

9. "Smile like you are a princess"- Sandra Fike
10. "Gaze into each other's eyes and think about forever"- Melodee Page Hughes 
12. "Reach up as high as you can and see if you can touch the top. Where's Mum? can you see her? Look down there, what can you see? Show me how you sit on a chair."- Stacey Rowely of Photog-a-box Photography

13. "Kiss with your teeth". Jade said, "usually when I say this to my clients they look at me like I have two heads and I have to promise them that even though they feel silly, it will look good! Once the awkward giggles and teeth bumping are done we get ones like this!!" - Jade Nelson of Jade Nelson Photography
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f you are a photographer and are interested in learning the process of photographing in the box and talking with other creative, like minded people, then consider joining the THRIVING Facebook Page: INSIDE THE PHOTO BOX PHOTOGRAPHY AND PHOTOSHOP. This is the largest Box Photography Page on Facebook, with over 20,000 members learning Box Photography! Isn't that amazing!
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Photo Box Designs and the Facebook Group "Inside the Photo Box" also give away a FREE 3 BOX TEMPLATE along with guidelines on how to build the box and edit the photos. Grab your FREE template here: Photo Box Designs Store.
We also have a fabulous sister group Portraits and Photography
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