Photographing men: Taking male portraits and how to pose a man

After 1500+ photoshoots and a decade of learning I wrote the Model Photography Handbook to help other photographers take better portraits. Today I share some tips for photographing men and taking great looking male portraits.

A popular question is how to pose a man so we’ll cover that. I’ve worked with male models for agencies in the UK, Paris, and across Europe but I’m perhaps best known for my female B&W portraits. (I’ve taught model photography workshops worldwide since 2014).

How to photograph men –

• Male portrait photos ideas
• Poses for men (example images)
• Tips on how to pose men
• Men photoshoot ideas
• Organising a male photoshoot
• Photo ideas for men
• Male portrait styling ideas
• Clothes for male portrait session
• Mens grooming
• Male portraits with tattoos
• Accessories and footwear

Photographing men, All men

I get paid to help with poses for men for guys looking for new photos yet have no modelling experience.  Male portrait sessions in London studios and mens lifestyle shoots on location.

I photograph men whether a male model, business man, DJ, fitness guy, artisan, fellow photographer or even average Joe looking for more swipe rights on his Tinder account! Girls like to look beautiful and men just want to look cool.

Posing a guy

Girls photograph better in certain poses and posing men is no different.  I enjoy the variety of photographing men and woman as I can use different lighting and lenses.  Not one setup suits every portrait or client and that is what keeps it fun.

Mens Photography

Below are some mens photography ideas from various male photoshoots using medium format film, 35mm film, 35mm digital and medium format digital.  I tried to include a wide variety of poses for men, with different experience levels and with me working with a range of cameras.

Poses for men – example photos

See the selection of photos sharing below captured on different formats for ideas on poses for men. (Click any photo shared below to see the camera/ lens/ film/ developing details).

Medium format film photos of men

35mm film portraits of men

Medium format photos of men

Digital 35mm male portraits

Tips on how to pose men

Chapter 30 of my Model Photography Handbook talks about posing, both female models and how to pose men. 3 tips I share when it comes to posing men include –

#1 – Posing men to shape their body as V (when photographed from the front). Think of any super hero cartoon character and they often have these strong looking inverted triangle shaped torsos. The V shape signals strength and it looks good when posing guys.

#2 – Photographing men from the side, shape body like a C. Think of typical wedding day photos of the groom or best men. Photographers often stand guys against a wall then get them to lean forward towards the camera. Like tip #1 this helps to show strength by bringing the chest and shoulders forward. Pushing the hips back slims the waist and hides any potential beer gut issues!

#3 – Pose men to look cool not pretty (Pose girls to look pretty). Think of classic poses from your favourite movie. Rather than smiling at the camera for every photo, try your best serious face/ “blue steel” pout pose. (It might take some practice to begin with).

Men photoshoot ideas

What help can I share regarding men photoshoot ideas? In my 50 chapter Model Photography eBook I cover every aspect of a photoshoot, whether it’s my usual female models or photographing men. The basics are the same for both. Consider the following –

• Finding a model (Chapter 1 – free models, Chapter 2 – paid models)
• Moodboard and photoshoot ideas (Chapter 7)
• Picking your location (Chapter 8)
• Packing the right camera gear (Chapter 12)
• Considering your portrait lighting (Chapter 29)

It’s good to have a plan and organise all these things before the day to ensure your photoshoot runs smoothly.

Photo ideas for men

When I get paid to photograph men (or to teach model photography workshops) my primary job is to make guys look good on camera. Often they will have zero experience so you need photo ideas for men in your mind before you arrive to the session. Every guy is different so you can’t use the same ideas for every shoot.

Male portrait ideas

Without sounding like a broken record, chapter 28 of my book covers different styles of portraits and chapter 32 discusses strengths and weaknesses. This is really important when considering your portrait ideas for men or women. As I explain in the book, I feel it’s the job of the photographer to identify the strengths of your sitter/ model and then use those in your portrait ideas when planning your photoshoot.

Tips for male photography

If we focus on guys and male photography, think of the classic features a good looking man has when you see the lead actor in a movie. The more of these attributes a man has the easier it should be when it comes to taking great photos of men.

• Strong jawline
• Broad shoulders
• Slim waist
• Bright eyes
• Defined cheekbones
• Fuller lips

Photographing men vs girls

If you look at the list above, many of these desired features when photographing men are the same as those females are trying to achieve. The athletic build (you can fake to an extend with clothes as we’ll get too). Defined face shape (girls often rely on makeup to shape their faces and use lip filler for fuller lips).

Male portrait styling ideas

Next, let’s cover male portrait styling ideas and upping your game. If you see a good looking guy in the street or on Instagram it might not be an accident that they look great. Yes some people are born with all the desired attributes but a lot comes down to male styling.

We are born with a certain look (good or bad) so we have to make the most of what we’ve got. It sounds obvious but you need to keep yourself in good shape with regular exercise and eating clean. (I personally try to maintain a defined six-pack 12 months of the year even though I’m a very average looking guy that lacks most features on the list above! It just makes me feel better about myself).

Clothes styling ideas for men

The cheat code is then mens grooming and styling for men. Find a style to suit your build, personality and lifestyle. For men that book me for dating app photos I explain that depending on how I style them will attract different types of women. Who do you want to attract from your photoshoot images? Perhaps we highlight different sides of your personality with 3 or 4 different looks to give you a variety of images.

Male portrait session – Clothes

Chapters 14 and 15 of my Model Photography A-Z Guide Handbook discuss clothes ideas for photoshoots. It always surprises me when I know how to style models better than they do themselves. (You wouldn’t think this if you saw me in the street but I seem to know what looks good on camera for others).

With simple use of clothes I can make you look really good or really bad for your portrait session. Obviously the goal is to capture you looking as dapper and cool as possible so with that in mind I often suggest 3-4 looks (outfits).

For all my photoshoots, female models or a male portrait session, the individual normally brings their own clothes unless we are working with a brand. Let’s say the photos are for a dating app I might suggest you bring the following 3 outfits.

1. Smart formal look (Suited and booted)
2. Classic look (Simple t-shirt and jeans)
3. Sports look (More casual relaxed fit)

Clothes for male portrait photography

Clothes can be such great hack for a portrait shoot or just in general. As I discuss in chapter 15 of the book, smart use of clothing can transform your look (and natural shape) for the better. The goal is to highlight your strengths and hide your weaknesses (as I describe it). Select clothes that accentuate your good attributes and mask the flabby bits. (The same tips are true for men and women). If I just copy and paste some of the tips from chapter 15, here are a few examples –

• Low waist trousers lengths torso 
• Jackets with shoulder pads broaden shoulders 
• Turtle neck tops help improve apparent jawline
• Fitted tops will exaggerate shape (good or bad)
• Oversized clothes help broaden very slim figures
• Layering clothes adds size and bulk

Men’s grooming

In addition to clothing you also have mens grooming which can include hair style, facial hair and we can include tattoos too. All of these can add to your final photos. If a guy has long hair use it in the photos. Some men have no hair so they often enjoy wearing hats as part of their style. You need to consider all this when planning your photoshoot and clothes to bring.

Some guys have cool facial hair and this works great to fake a defined jawline. A sharp beard gives the appearance of a chiselled face shape but might hide the double chin underneath.

Male portraits with tattoos

If a guy has a tattoo then use it in your photos. Maybe it’s just an arm tattoos or perhaps a full body art, male portraits with tattoos can look super cool.

Accessories for male portrait shoot

When I’m booked for a male portrait shoot I recommend accessories to bring in addition to the basic clothes. You can add a lot to a portrait photo with a few simple accessories. When photographing men my favourite accessories include –

• Eyewear (Any – sunglasses and normal glasses)
• Watch (A nice watch can draw attention to your outfit)
• Jewellery (Some guys wear a neck chain, rings, bracelets)
• Headwear (Cool hats can transform a look instantly)

Photo ideas for men – Footwear

In addition to clothes, styling and accessories don’t overlook footwear when planning your photo ideas for men. If you are planning a male portrait session and all photos are half body shots footwear isn’t important but otherwise I request at least 3 pairs of shoes for 3 outfit changes.

• Formal shoes
• Sports shoes / trainers
• Casual shoes

For full body images for a mens photoshoot you then change the footwear with each outfit change. (Chapter 16 of the book covers footwear).

Headshots for men

One type of mens photography is headshots for men. This is often actors needing headshots for their portfolio or perhaps a photoshoot for a new LinkedIn profile picture. Headshots can be done in the studio or on location. Here are a few examples.

Master your portrait lighting

As someone that has taught model photography workshops for over a decade, the biggest struggle most people have is lighting. Check out my Portrait Lighting 101 article for tips and techniques. I use light to shape the face and make it look more defined. Smart use of lighting can be used to sculpt the body shape too, male or female.

Edit smarter – Use Lightroom presets

The fastest way to ruin your nice photos is bad editing. We’ve all done it and I went through that learning phase too. I had to find a better solution so I spent a few years developing Lightroom presets for my cameras. Now I just apply my MrLeica LR presets and in one click the photos are done. (You will still need to fix your exposure if you didn’t get it right in camera*).

This allows me to send all models ALL photos where most photographers might only send 5-10 edits. Models LOVE this (and if you read my Model Photography eBook, models love less edited images, where they can still recognise themselves).

Model photography do’s and don’ts

Chapter 23 of the eBook covers the do’s and don’ts when it comes to model photography. Here is a YouTube video of me interviewing a model asking their opinion on the topic. (Chapter 48 of the book are tips from models and what they love. Chapter 49 is models sharing what they hate so you don’t make the same mistakes!)

How to photograph men and women

If you want to learn how to photograph men (and women) check out my eBook. Topics cover everything from getting into model photography (and the basics) up to mastering your portrait skills. Despite me primarily photographing female models you can apply many of the same skills and tips for to how to photograph men too.

Knowledge is power!

If you are a wannabe model that loves to learn reading my eBook will help you appreciate how photographers think and what you can do to look your best. (When you start posing for photos you will likely know more than your photographer on the topic so you can then help them get great photos of you!)

Join me for a model photography workshop

If you want to join me for one of my London workshops I hire models for us to work with. Male or female, just let me know your preference and I will organise everything.

Remote teaching via Patreon and YouTube

For those that can’t attend a workshop I also teach and inspire via Patreon. We have almost 1000 members now worldwide and I share exclusive content each week in addition to videos on the YouTube channel.

Jump on a Zoom call

To discuss any of the topics covered in this article in more detail feel free to get in touch and we can setup a call. I’m happy to help on anything from camera skills, clothing ideas, exercise to eating clean and dieting. (I completed two full Ironman triathlon events so if I didn’t teach photography I’d likely be a PT or help people enjoy a healthy lifestyle!)