Posing for Pole Pictures

(Part 1 of How to Take a Great Pole Pic)

You have the camera, and you have the pole tricks, but for some reason your pictures are falling short of your expectations.

Why?

Well, when it comes to looking good on the pole, there are three key things in play:

• your body and posture
• your facial expression
  and
• the angle of the move in relation to the camera.

So, here’s what you have to do….

1.   Think About Your Posture

If you want to take flattering pole pictures you will need to learn what positions and angles flatter your body the most.

There is no magic rule, but there are a couple of guidelines, which I will discuss in a moment. First I want to mention that (apart from the select few who are utterly and unfathomably gorgeous no matter what they are wearing or what face they are pulling) there is really no such thing as someone who is ‘just photogenic’.

In actual fact, photogenic people simply know how to pose for the camera. To some, this talent comes naturally, and to others it is a precise and thoroughly practiced art.

So the best thing you can do for yourself, and your pictures, is throw aside all notions of modesty and practice posing! You can learn a lot from a mirror, as long as you’re not blinded by self loathing or excessive vanity (both of which can be equally destructive).

Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Get to know ‘your angles’. For instance, some people never photograph well front on, so try titling your head a little to left and tipping your chin up or down slightly. Take pictures of yourself from lots of different angles, and figure out which are most flattering to you. Take note of whether you have a ‘best’ side. Most people do – and it can change depending on your expression.

• Work with your shortcomings. Instead of trying to pretend your flaws don’t exist, work on hiding them through body positioning, or by drawing attention to other features.  For example, those with big foreheads should take care when doing the classic pose in which you tuck your chin down and look flirtatiously up through your lashes. Why? Because there’s a thin line between looking like a seductive temptress and an extra terrestrial. (Trust me, I have a big forehead, too!)

• Play up your assets. If you know you have a nice derriere, then stand a little side-on, and give your back a subtle arch to emphasise your curves. If you have great legs, then bend one knee in a ‘flamingo pose’, or stretch one leg towards the camera.

And yes – all this STILL applies even if you are upside down on the pole!

(Hey, no-one ever said looking good was easy!)

 

You should always be aware of pointing your toes, should always know what each arm and each hand is doing, and you always should be reminding yourself to stretch your torso, hold your shoulders back, and turn to face the camera at your ‘best angle’.

Keep trying and you’ll soon learn what works for you.

 

In the mean time, here are a few ‘quick fixes’:

• To help create the much coveted hourglass figure, angle your hips diagonally to the camera, or twist your shoulders so one shoulder is forward and higher. If you don’t have much of a waistline, bend one knee in front of the other, as if you’re trying desperately not to pee yourself.
• Suck your stomach in. Think of drawing your belly button up towards your ribs AND back towards your spine.
• Hold your shoulders back and down, and make sure your hips and back are ‘neutral’ (not hunched for example). Take a deep breath in to lift up chest and shoulders.
• Push your neck forward. If you’re upside down, this means letting your head drop backwards a little.
• Point your toes (this starts all the way up at your quads – your whole leg should be engaged and elongated).

2.   Get the Positioning Right

Keep in mind that most moves have their ‘best side’. Sometimes it’s the move itself, sometimes it’s the way your body type works in this particular position. (In my case, I have never been able to get a flattering picture of a Cross Knee Release front on!)

As an example, take a look at these two pictures of an inside leg hang. The angle has only changed by a few inches, but it makes a big difference! (Also, yes, the hand position varies slightly – but you get the idea.)

So what makes the right hand side picture a better one?

• The model is side-on to camera (as opposed to having her back facing us)
• Her hips are slightly away from the pole and her chest  is visible on the other side of it. This accentuates the curve in her back.
• She is stretching her neck (or looking down at the floor). Consequently, that shape of the move is not abrubtly truncated, instead it continues flowing through the tips of her body.

So if you find a picture of someone doing, say, a butterfly, and you think it looks fantastic…take note of whether the camera is on the left or right, whether its the outside leg or inside leg that’s at the forefront of the picture, and where the model is facing, for example.

If you can’t tell your camera person what side they should be trying to shoot, you can’t expect to get a glamorous picture back.

Learn from other people. I keep a collection of other people’s pole pictures on my computer, so I can look through them and see what I think works and what doesn’t in regards to angle, lighting, poses etc.

3.   Never Underestimate ‘The Pole Face’

‘Pole face’ is the name affectionately given to the ridiculous, and often unflattering, expressions our faces make when we perform pole tricks.

The more widely known ‘tomato face’ is a notable cousin of the pole face and is distinguished by excessive red colouration and/or swelling of the face. If you’re suffering from tomato face, my best tip is to BREATHE!

Red faces are often unavoidable when you’re upside down for any length of time. But you can help the situation by taking slow deep breaths through your nose, before, during and after your pole move.

We all seek to make our moves look effortless – and it is often our pole face that betrays us. So, if you’re really struggling to pull off a smile… then don’t smile!

Far better than an awkwardly strained grimace would be a face tilted up the ceiling, with eyes closed, for example. In other words, if you’re finding it hard to appear relaxed, then get creative with your expressions. In fact who’s to say you even need to face the camera?

In time you will become stronger, and moves that used to strain you will stop doing so. At this point your pole face will make its quiet exit (only to sneakily return later… just in time for your next impossibly difficult pole trick, of course!).

To Summarise

• Point your toes
• Be aware of how you are holding your arms and hands
• Breathe throughout the pose, to avoid a strained looking face
• Learn the ‘best side’ (or sides) for your pole moves
• Let your camera person know what side they should be trying to photograph. Better yet, show them a picture of the move as you would like yours to look.
• Know your body type and spend time figuring how to work with your flaws and accentuate your assets
• Suck your stomach in, and let your back arch a little
• Hold your chest up (take a deep breath in and see how much your posture improves!)
• Forget about modesty or vanity, experiment in front of a mirror and take plenty of practice photos too!

But enough from me – what are your best tricks for looking good in pole pictures?

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