If you’re working with an inexperienced model (or an experienced model who simply doesn’t have a good feel for posing), it’s your responsibility to direct her in a way that will lead her to the desired body positions as simply and efficiently as possible.

Keep in mind, you are the only one who is viewing her from the same perspective as the camera (even models who are great posers cannot know exactly how they look from the camera’s viewpoint). To direct a model into a specific pose, you must be aware of the details that go into making that pose work. In reality, unless your model is some sort of posing savant, “Get on your hands and knees” is rarely a request that will elicit good results.

What follows is a detailed example of how a photographer might communicate with an inexperienced model in order to obtain a specific pose:

“Okay, I want to do a few pics of you from behind. Face directly away from me and go down on your hands and knees. Okay, now look over your right shoulder so I can see your face. I need you to rotate your body just a little bit to the right. Good. Now go about two inches wider with your knees and then bring your feet out a little wider than your knees. That looks good – except I don’t want your feet to be up on the toes like that. Okay, now put more arch in your back. Slide your hands out in front of you so your chest gets closer to the floor. Great. Bring the right hand a little towards me and let your fingers relax – I don’t want it to look like you’re straining to hold that position. Good. Okay, now lower your upper body even more, stopping just before your right breast touches the floor. Almost there. Arch your back and bring your hips as high as possible. Good. Now lift your head just enough so you can look back at me over your right shoulder. Softly bring your eyes right here and give me just the slightest hint of a smile. Perfect.”

And, “click” goes the camera.

Obviously, this is a very detailed example of model direction. However, the need to direct to this extent is not as rare as you might think (especially when working with inexperienced models). Admittedly, it’s a lot of time and effort to invest in just one image.

However, when you get a model into a good position, you’ll be able to take additional and unique images in a fairly short time by simply making subtle tweaks to the basic pose. Also, you’ll only need to be so precise with a model one time with each basic pose. In other words, when you ask her for that pose the next time, she’ll move into it more easily. I discuss this topic in more detail in my ebook, “Money Shots: The Insider’s Guide to the World of Nude & Erotic Photography (available for purchase and immediate download at http://moneyshotsbook.com).

Author Bio: Michael Charles is a professional photographer based in Los Angeles, California. He is the author of \”Money Shots: The Insider\’s Guide to the World of Nude & Erotic Photography\” (this book is available for purchase and immediate download at http://www.moneyshotsbook.com). For over a decade, Michael has shot exclusively in the world of nude, erotic, and adult-oriented photography. His work has been featured in hundreds of national and international publications and appears on a wide variety of prominent websites. For a complete course on the techniques, styles, moneymaking secrets, and amazing fringe benefits of nude and erotic photography, visit http://www.moneyshotsbook.com.

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