How to Pose Men for Boudoir Photography: Top 10 Poses
How to Bring Out Confidence in your Models with a Click of the Camera
Contrary to the misconception that boudoir photography is primarily for women, we are here to break the mold and explore the art of capturing the masculine allure. Delve into the top ten poses that will help you craft captivating and sensuous boudoir images, elevating your skills as a boudoir photographer. Explore these poses on the bed, chair, bench, and even standing, providing you with a versatile repertoire to enrich your male boudoir portfolio.
Boudoir Photography by Yuliya Panchenko
Pose #1: The Masculine Confidence
This standing pose exudes confidence and strength. In this pose, the model will be taking his shirt off. Have the model bring his arms up from behind to pull at the shirt. This will show off the model’s arm muscles, without blocking his face, and creating triangles to add some shape to our image. Have the subject flex and show off the bit of abs that the camera will be seeing as he pulls up his shirt.
Pose #2: The Casual Charm
For this standing pose, have your subject bring an arm up to the back of his neck or to run his fingers through his hair at the nape of the neck. Make sure he is not blocking the light on his face with his arm, this pose will allow the model to show off his arm muscles. With the other arm, have him tug his pants or underwear down to show off his V-Line and ab muscles. This is a very relaxed, cool-looking pose.
Pose #3: The Seated Seduction
Moving to posing your subject on a chair, have the model sit and extend one leg straight out, bending the knee of the other leg and crossing the leg so the ankle of the bent leg rests atop the knee of the straight leg. Make sure the model looks relaxed and casual, have them slide down in the chair if needed. For the arms, bring one up to the neck like we did in Pose #2, and have the other arm rest naturally on the arm of the chair.
Pose #4: The Relaxed Elegance
Still seated in the chair, have the model extend one leg and keep the other slightly bent and closer to the leg of the chair. Have him slide down to give a casual, relaxed look. For his hands, have him keep his hands in his pockets with his thumbs out. Have him flex his abs and capture this relaxed, erotic imagery.
Pose #5: The Bedtime Allure
Transitioning into poses on the bed, have your model lay with one leg extended and one leg bent and have their weight shifted slightly to one side. Have them lift their upper body by bending their elbow and leaning on it, the other arms going to rest naturally atop the bent knee. Have the subject flex their abs, and get ready to capture the image.
Pose #6: The Laid-Back Lounging
Once again laying on the bed, this time the subject is going to be completely on his back. Have him shift his weight slightly to one side with one of his legs. Bring both arms up to run through his hair at the nape of his neck, or just to rest there on his neck. This shows off the arm muscles and create two triangles to add some shape to the image. This is a great pose for showing ab definition, try using lower angles or photographing from directly above.
Pose #7: The Side Profile
Laying down on their side, have the subject elevate his body by bending the elbow and lifting the upper body. Bring one leg up and position the knee towards the ceiling. Relax the non-bent arm naturally, but make sure toot block the abs. You can have your model look straight into the camera to give a confident look, or have them look a little to the side to add some emotion and drama. Try capturing both full body and medium shots with this pose, and experiment with different angles.
Pose #8: Leaning into Sensuality
For this pose, have your subject sit on the floor and lean against something. Position both arms against or atop of what your subject is leaning against. For the legs, the model bend one of his knees and keep the other one extended. Have the subject lean forward slightly to make the upper body look slightly bigger, giving a strong, masculine look. Have the subject flex his ab muscles, but keep his arms mostly relaxed for a casual and cool look.
Pose #9: The Laying Elegance
This pose has the subject laying on a bench, sideways with his head facing up. Have him bend one knee and rest one of his arms atop the knee. Bring the other arm behind his head to support it, and bring his chin up slightly. Have the subject flex their abs, the focus of this pose is on the upper body and face. This pose is best shot from higher angles.
Pose #10: The Grecian Sculpted Back
This final pose, inspired by greek statues, captures the subject from behind. Have your model facing away from the camera, keeping all of his weight on one leg and bending the other, crossing them at shin level. bring the arms up and position the hands on his head, and have him twist and lean slightly to the side. This is not an easy pose, so try to capture the images quickly for the comfort of your model. This pose is best captured from lower angles.
Boudoir Photography by Yuliya Panchenko
Boudoir Photography by Yuliya Panchenko
By mastering these poses, you'll be able to create captivating and sensuous images that celebrate the masculine allure. Remember, practice makes perfect, so don't hesitate to experiment with angles, lighting, and composition to create a diverse portfolio that showcases your unique style and expertise in male boudoir photography.
About Yuliya Panchenko
Yuliya Panchenko is the founder of Believe in Boudoir (BIB TV) which is the largest boudoir and nude photography educational platform in the world. She is renowned for her expertise in the art of boudoir photography, particularly in posing and lighting. Photographers, fans, and followers call her the queen of sensuality. According to Yuliya, an artistic timeless boudoir image must be sensual, intimate, and elegant.