Best Poses for Party Photos

The best party photo poses tend to avoid looking like poses at all — small adjustments that read as natural rather than stiff make the biggest difference.

For solo shots

• Angle the body slightly rather than facing the camera dead-on.
• Give hands something to do — hold a drink, touch your hair, rest on a nearby surface.
• Shift weight onto one leg rather than standing straight and even.

For group shots

• Stagger heights and depths instead of lining everyone up in a flat row.
• Have people lean in slightly toward the center.
• Let one or two people mid-laugh or mid-talk instead of everyone looking at the lens at once.

Let the flash do some of the work

A direct flash naturally adds energy and spontaneity to a photo, which takes some of the pressure off the pose itself needing to look perfectly candid.