How to pose your hands at your next branding photoshoot

Hands can be so incredibly awkward and somehow tend to get in the way when you don’t know what to do with them. Trying to pose for your business portraits is already making you step out of your comfort zone. Don’t fret. Posing your hands is easier than you think.

“What do I do with my hands?”

This is one question all of my clients ask and I totally get it. We all need help with posing in general and adding in those hands and fingers to create images for even greater impact. Yes, you heard that right. Your arms, hands and fingers play an important role by adding just the right emphasis to your image when placed well.

Let’s dive into why and how we pose those hands of yours.

Prep your hands and bend those wrists

• Moisturized hands and manicured fingernails make all the difference. Let’s go from scaly skin and chipped nail polish to hands that complement the rest of your look.
• Remember that the joints in our body are there for a reason – to bend, to show movement. Use that to your advantage and bend your elbows, wrists and fingers to point, embrace and frame to better tell your story and aid in your marketing message.
• Pretend that your fingers are feathers and place them ever so gently on your arms or face. They should barely touch your skin. It helps you look relaxed and confident.

Let hands draw attention to your face and body

• place hands in your pants pocket, on your lower hip or tight on your waist to bring shape to your body in just the right places.
• Let your fingers float around your face like feathers, barely touching your cheeks or moving your fingers through your hair to bring attention to your eyes, your smile or emphasize an emotion. Do you want to appear like you are pondering an issue or brimming over with happiness? Let your hands and fingers do some of the talking.

Use your hands to show an action or hold props

• Especially in branding photography it’s easy to use your hands to hold any of the props that help tell your branding story. A phone, a mug, a book, a product you make or items you use as part of your services.
• Use your hands to show an action. Your hands will know what to do because you’ve done these motions over and over in your daily live. It’s a great way to show what you offer in your business and probably my favorite part of any branding photo shoot.

One last little tip that works in any situation where you just don’t know what to do with your hands: pretend like you’re washing your hands, nice and slow. Try it!