9 Posing Ideas for Cute Instagram Photos
Posing for Instagram pictures can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. Most women struggle with being comfortable posing for photos and with getting a photo they love. I still struggle with this half of the time.
While scrolling through my Instagram feed, I’ve realized after years of posing for Instagram pictures that I have several go-to poses that help me feel more comfortable posing for Instagram pictures. I get asked all the time about posing, so I decided to share my go-to poses on Instagram. I got so much good feedback that I decided to turn it into a full blog post. You can mix and match and tweak these poses to have 10 cute Instagram poses for your future posts.
Don’t let being in front of the camera scare you. Here are my top 10 Instagram posing ideas for you to try!
#1: The Dress Flick
This one is super easy and super girly. All you need is a flowy skirt or dress. Simply create movement in your dress or skirt by flicking it away from your body. It can take some time to get the perfect shot as you need to capture the movement in your outfit as well as figure out what to do with your hand.
You can walk forward and pull your skirt away from your body and then lift your hand up above it. For a more creative angle, lower the camera to shoot from a lower angle and flick your dress towards the camera. You can also twirl and take the photos from in front or behind. If you twirl, keep your arms and hands high enough that they don’t get in the way of your skirt.
#2: The Face Touch
There are lots of ways you can use this one. You can use one hand or both hands for these. For using one hand, you can lean forward with your chin on your hand or just rest a finger on your chin like you are thinking. You can also tuck your hair behind your ear with your hand.
If you want to step it up and use both hands, you can rest your chin in both hands or hold your face with both hands. Try shaping your face as well with one hand higher near your forehead and the other lower by your chin. The lower hand can pull your hair out as well.
With both hands, you can also cover your nose and mouth and look to the side or run your hands through your hair. Hold them both up by your forehead with your palms out, but do something with your hands to draw more attention to your face.
#3: The Sun Block
This pose also requires your hands but can create a fun shadow effect. It’s also a great way to block the sun if you tend to squint in your photos. I didn’t realize how often I use this one until I started looking through my photos. Place your hand out in front of your face between your face and the sun to get the shadow on your face.
You can also put your hands across your forehead with palms down to block the sun from your eyes in a more natural pose. Use one hand or both depending on what makes sense for the photos.
#4: The Look-Back
This one is great if you are like me and self-conscious about your arms. You turn to where you are slightly facing away from the camera and then pop your shoulder up towards your face. This makes your arms look slimmer. Your legs at a 90-degree angle or a little more.
With the lower half of your body, if your legs are at a 90-degree angle, you can stand straight. If you turn your legs a little further away from the camera, try popping your hips forward. You can also separate your hips or bring one leg out and pop the hip to shape your body quite nicely. If you have a dress or skirt, you can use your hand to pull your skirt up slightly with your hand by your hip (which helps pop your shoulder up to your face).
With your arms, you can cross your arms or hug your arms. If you are self-conscious about your arms, you can also hand on your hip with your fingers towards your back.
#5: The Lean In
This is another pose I use more often than I thought. For this pose, try sitting on your knees and sit back on your heels. Then lean your upper body forward and put your hands on your knees with your shoulder popped up. Face slightly away from the camera for the best angles.
You can also sit cross-legged and lean forward with your hands on the floor in front of you or with your hands resting across your knees. You can also rotate your upper body a little to mix this pose with the Look Back pose.
#6: Props
Props are a great way to add to your photos and take some of the focus off of you if you are self-conscious posing. Some great options for props to use in cute Instagram poses are hats, food, umbrellas, books, etc.
Once you have your prop, use it in natural ways to get natural poses. For example, you can keep food near your face, hide part of your face behind a book, throw your hat in the air, and pose holding your umbrella up as you would normally carry it. It doesn’t have to be new ways to use the props to get great photos. The best part is that the props give you something to do with your hands if you aren’t sure what to do with them.
#7: The Knee Up
This one looks super cute in photos. When sitting down, place your knee up and rest or lean your elbow on it. You can also sit with one leg crossed and the other one hanging if you are sitting on a ledge or in a chair.
For an interesting angle, kneel down so that you are resting on one leg with the other out in front of you partway. Lean forward with your elbow on the knee that is out in front and shoot from a lower angle to show off a tall building behind you.
#8: The Arms Up
This one doesn’t mean your arms have to be straight up in the air. This one is mostly to help you move your arms and get some movement in the photos. It also gives you another option for something to do with your arms. Keeping your arms away from your body usually helps them look slimmer too.
For this pose, you can put your arms up, by your side, or one arm up with the other one down. If you feel awkward, try putting your hands up and using the peace sign. Or throw your arms slightly behind you and out from your side. If you are in the sand or snow, you can throw some sand or snow up in the air with your arms up or even just pose with your arms thrown up in excitement.
#9: The Combination
These poses don’t have to stand alone. In fact, it gives you more options if you try to find unique and interesting combinations of poses. For example, hold a prop while posing with your knee up and your other hand touching your face. Combining these poses gives you even more options for cute Instagram poses to create your dream Instagram feed.
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I hope these posing tips gave you some new ideas for Instagram poses. If it feels intimidating to try these in public, test them out at home first. Set up your camera with a self-timer or use a remote to try them out at home. Get comfortable using them and see which ones you like best with your body type and style of photos.
Once you feel more comfortable posing, you’ll find they come naturally to you when you are out in public. Try not to worry about what others think and instead focus on the photo you are wanting to capture.
I can’t wait to see what you create. If you want to see videos of me going through the poses, check out my Posing highlights on Instagram. Don’t forget to tag me (@haylsa) in your photos using these poses so I can make sure to check them out!
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