Sometimes the hardest part about being in front of the camera, is figuring out how to pose.
How should I stand? What do I do with my hands? Does this look weird? Do I look natural?
When I first started creating content for my instagram I was pretty clueless about posing.
And even someone who has been doing this for years like myself can still to this day feel like a deer caught in headlights when the camera is shining on me!
To help make your next instagram photoshoot that much easier, I’ve put together this guide on easy and cute instagram poses for you to try out.
Next time you find yourself in front of a camera give a few of these poses a try and I bet you’ll love the results!
And be sure to follow me on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest. I share a lot of travel content on those that never make it to the blog!
And if you’re looking for more photoshoot ideas and guides you might also want to check out these posts:
- How to do a Photoshoot at Home by Yourself
- 33 Creative Home Photoshoot Ideas to Try Now
- 22 Stunning Spring Photoshoot Ideas
- 20 Outdoor Photoshoot Ideas
- 20 Creative Fall Photoshoot Ideas
- 22 Creative Winter Photoshoot Ideas
- 11 Creative Solo Valentine’s Day Photoshoot Ideas
Now, onto the guide of cute poses for instagram!
Cute Instagram Poses – Standing
We’re going to start this guide on poses for your instagram photos with standing poses.
Each of these poses are fairly simple but will make your photos a lot more dynamic than if you were just standing there doing nothing.
You’ll quickly see that even just the slightest variation will give you a new look in your photos and help you to appear more natural in them.
1. The one handed skirt/dress flick
When I first started getting into travel photography my absolute favourite ways to pose always included wearing a long skirt or dress and flicking it around.
This was not only because the result looks great, but it just so happens to also be one of the easiest ways to pose!
The most difficult thing to figure out when posing for your photos can often be what to do with your hands, and this solves that problem by giving you something to do.
You’re going to stand either facing the camera or away from the camera and grab your skirt or dress with one hand, then just flick it up over and over again while your photographer snaps your photos!
Since this pose involves a fair bit of movement, have your photographer shoot on continuous/burst mode which will allow you to capture the movement better.
I’m sure you’ve seen photos like these all over instagram, as the dress/skirt flick is a very popular and easy to do pose.
2. Flick your skirt backwards with your leg bent and toe pointed
Another variation of the skirt flick is to take your skirt in both hands and bring it forward, then flick it back behind you.
There are a few variations of this pose you can try. You can do smaller and more subtle movements like I did in the below photo, with one leg slightly bent and toe pointed.
Or if you want to get a little more creative and try something more dynamic you can do something like I did in the below photo!
The result has almost has a bit of a dancers pose look to it which creates a really beautiful photo (and makes you look a lot more skilled than you are – trust me, I’m far from being a dancer)
Don’t worry if you don’t get this one on the first try, it took me many tries to get this photo!
3. Flick your skirt up on both sides
Another great skirt flick photo to try for your instagram photos is to grab the bottom of your skirt on both sides and flick both sides up simultaneously.
When you do this the result should be something like the above photo!
4. Look away from the camera
Now that we’ve done a lot of standing poses using a long skirt or dress, here are a few simpler standing poses!
Looking away from the camera is probably the easiest pose you can ever do because you don’t have to worry about how your face looks.
I always hate when I look over my photos after a shoot and realize that in half of them I either have a weird expression or my eyes are half closed.
This completely solves that problem so you don’t have to worry about what you’re doing with your face at all.
5. Turn your back to the camera and look over your shoulder
Here’s another variation on the above!
As you can see even the slightest change in your positioning creates a completely different look for your photos, and they don’t have to be complicated!
Next time you try shooting some photos with your body facing away from the camera, try also looking back over your shoulder towards the camera.
This pose is cute and a little coy, I love how it looks!
6. Hold onto your hat
I’m going to reference this a few times in this post, but sometimes the most difficult thing when it comes to posing for instagram photos is just figuring out where to put your hands!
Once you have something to do with your hands, all of a sudden your pose and overall air becomes a lot less rigid and more relaxed and natural looking.
In fact, when I was an actress the easiest way to look natural on camera was to keep busy and have an activity to do. The same goes for your photos!
If you’re wearing a hat for your shoot, one of the easiest ways to look more relaxed and natural is to hold onto your hat almost as if the wind is about to take it.
Even something just as simple as this can really make your photo more interesting than if you were just standing there doing nothing.
7. Look down with your hat covering your face
Hats are one of my favourite props and I almost always have a hat either on or in my hands in my photos.
If you’re looking for another way you can pose for your instagram photos using a hat this is an easy one!
Stand with a wide brimmed hat on and look down so that the hat is covering your face.
This pose definitely works best for portrait photos that are more up close.
8. Do a power pose
If you want to look strong and confident in your photos this pose is for you!
Stand with your feet shoulder length apart with one foot pointed forward.
Pointing your foot towards the camera elongates the legs and is the easiest way to make you look taller and leaner in your photos.
Another great tip to make you look taller is to have your photographer shoot with the camera angled upward from below.
9. Lean against something and put one knee up
If you want to look a little more casual than just standing there a great pose to try is leaning against something.
This will give you a more chill and relaxed vibe, plus interacting with something always makes photos look more interesting, candid, and natural.
I do this one a lot when I am shooting photos with cars, but you can also lean against a wall or other objects like a hay bale which I did in the above photo I posted to my instagram!
Although you don’t have to life one leg up, I do find it makes the pose just a little more interesting than if you’re just leaning there.
Just make sure you point your toe to elongate your leg!
10. Show your side profile
You’ve now tried photos where you posed facing the camera and facing away from the camera, now it’s time to show your side profile!
When you break it down like this you can really see that even something as simple as facing in a different direction counts as a different post to try.
When we are standing in front of the camera our minds can often blank as we try to run through a rollodex of complicated pose ideas.
But you really don’t have to do anything too complicated, and even facing in different directions will add variety to your instagram photos which is the most important thing.
11. Stand with your side facing the camera and look away
I know I’ve already said it here before but one of my favourite ways to pose is looking away from the camera.
It really takes the stress out of shooting because you don’t have to worry about your facial expressions!
This is a slight variation on the looking away with your body facing away from the camera pose.
This time you’re going to have your side facing the camera and look away!
Super easy, but super cute pose for your instagram photos.
12. Shield your face from the sun / Salute
This is definitely a pose that has shown up time and time again on my instagram!
As I’ve mentioned before, the key to looking more natural in your instagram photos is keeping your hands busy.
When you have something to do with your hands you look a lot more relaxed and the photos look a lot more candid and natural.
An easy pose that looks cute in photos is to shield your face from the sun (kind of like doing a salute).
This pose will make you look like you are looking at something off in the distance and looks really cute!
13. Brush your hair out of your face
I think half of the time when I do this pose I am not actually meaning to do it as a pose, I’m really just trying to get my hair out of my face.
But it’s another cute pose idea that looks natural and candid, plus gives you something to do with your hands so you don’t have to stress about what to do with them!
Pro tip: I also often hold my hat in one of my hands so that hand is busy too.
When both hands have something to do you will look more natural and you won’t have to think about what you’re doing!
14. Flick your hair
I absolutely love how movement makes photos look more dynamic.
To get a fun “flying hair” look in your photos you’ll want to stand in one spot and flick your hair/head back and forth.
You’ll want to make sure your photographer is shooting with a fast shutter speed so that you properly capture the movement and your hair is not blurry.
I also find it’s easiest to shoot photos like this that have a fair bit of movement on burst mode.
This allows you to capture a lot more frames in one go meaning the chances one of them will have turned out great are a lot higher!
15. Kick the air
Last winter I had so much fun shooting a bunch of photos for my winter photoshoot guide, and this pose was definitely one of my favourites.
Kicking the air/snow/sand makes for such a fun and cute pose idea that’s so easy to execute.
Try this one out next time you’re shooting in the snow or on the beach!
Cute Instagram Poses – Moving
We’ve already covered lots of poses that involve subtle movements in this instagram posing guide.
Movement can really make your photos a lot more dynamic and interesting to look at.
In this section we will cover poses that involve more movement (no more just standing there!).
16. Twirl
Twirling is one of my favourite ways to pose in my instagram photos because it’s so easy!
The resulting photos end up being super cute too!
I bet you’ve seen this super popular pose all over instagram, because I know I see it all over my feed!
My favourite way to do twirl photos is by wearing a long skirt or dress.
But as you can see from the above photo, even shorter ones look cute too!
Pro tip: Make sure you shoot these on burst mode. Since you’re moving a lot most of the photos will end up not being good. Burst mode will allow you to capture more frames and you’ll likely end up with a photo you like much quicker.
17. Walk away from the camera
Walking is an easy way to add some movement to your photos without making things complicated.
Try walking away from the camera while your photographer shoots on burst mode.
I always find it easier to do this walking slowly rather than at a regular pace!
18. Slow walk towards to camera
Basically the complete opposite from the above photo idea is to slowly walk towards the camera!
As mentioned above the easiest way to do this is by walking slower than you usually would.
This gives your photographer more time to capture photos before you get too close!
19. Walk across the frame
The last walking pose to try out for your instagram photos is to walk across the frame (basically from off camera on one side to off camera on the other side).
I especially like doing this for very scenic photos I am shooting with a wide angle lens like in the above photo!
20. Run away from the camera
I love the carefree vibe running away from the camera creates in my photos.
Although it’s a lot harder to “get the shot right” because there’s more movement, when you get it right it’s totally worth it and the result is so pretty and dreamy!
You could also try running towards the camera or across the frame but don’t forget about your face as you’re running!
Sometimes when you’re so focused on shooting a specific movement it’s easy to forget about your face and realize afterwards you have a goofy expression in every photo.
21. Jump in the air!
Perhaps not the easiest pose on the list but jumping can look so cute in photos!
With this one it’s really all about the right timing.
And don’t forget about your facial expression when jumping!
Cute Instagram Poses – Sitting
The following is a list of easy sitting poses you can do for your instagram photos.
Each of these ideas will make your sitting instagram photos look a little more natural and less purposefully posed!
22. Hold your drink
As I’ve mentioned time and time again in this post, the easiest way to look more natural in your photos is to keep your hands busy so they aren’t just hanging there awkwardly.
When I’m taking photos in a restaurant or sitting on a patio my go to move is to grab my drink and hold it up while smiling at the camera!
The result is cute, natural, and doesn’t look forced in any way!
Extra bonus points if your cocktail is super instagammable.
23. Rest your head against your hand
Another cute sitting pose for your instagram photos is to hold one hand up and lean your head against it.
Super easy but makes you look a lot cuter than if you were just sitting there awkwardly!
Note how I am still holding my drink giving my other hand something to do!
24. Tuck your hair behind your ear
Another easy way to make your sitting photos a little more interesting is to just tuck your hair behind your ear.
This pose ends up look super naturally and candid, almost as if someone took the photo without you knowing they were doing it.
25. Sit on your knees
This is such a simple pose but I just love how it looks in photos don’t you?
Rather than just sitting down on your butt, sit on your knees.
Doing this props you up a bit and will make you look taller when you’re sitting down.
I’m all for body positivity but I’m also for poses that are more flattering and this is definitely one of the more flattering sitting poses.
26. Reach for something
Another super candid way to pose in your instagram photos when you’re sitting down is to reach for something.
This works great when you’re sitting at a restaurant or cafe (you can reach for your drink, a pastry, etc), a picnic scene, or even a random flower field like I did in the below!
27. Sit facing away from the camera
By this point you know I just love facing away from the camera in my photos.
It really is the easiest way to pose!
Not only is it easier but it looks super candid almost as if you were caught without knowing someone was taking your photos.
If you want a super easy pose for your instagram photos this is it!
28. Throw up a peace sign
Who doesn’t love a classic peace sign pose?
29. Cross your legs and point your toes towards the camera
Sitting poses can be tricky and posing like this is a great pose for elongating your body.
When you are sitting down cross your legs and tilt them towards the camera with your body tilting away.
Make sure that you have your toes pointed as well to really elongate the legs!
You’ll find with this pose your legs look much longer than they are, it’s a great trick.
30. Put one hand/arm up
I kind of did this in the above photo too but it’s really one of the easiest ways to make your photos just a little bit more interesting.
31. Lay down on your stomach and prop yourself up
I love laying down in photos, especially on my stomach in some sort of picnic setting!
The photos always end up looking super cute and once again because you’re not facing the camera you don’t have to worry about how you look!
It’s such an easy pose and creates a dreamy sort of look.
Cute Instagram Poses – Using Props
Although some of the instagram poses I shared above did include props, I thought I would create a whole section for you to show different ways you can interact with props as well as some prop ideas!
Interacting with a prop in some way is one of the easiest ways to make yourself look busy and ensure your hands have something to do.
This is going to give you a much more natural and candid look to your photos!
32. Hold a camera (or other object) up to your face
33. Hold a flower or bouquet of flowers
One of my favourite props to pose with is flowers!
Flowers are so beautiful and just add a perfect girly touch to your photos.
Even the most simple of photos can be made more beautiful by adding a flower or bouquet of flowers!
34. Cradle a jug of flowers or other prop
Although this is pretty similar to the above concept it’s just another way to pose with your flowers!
I feel like cradling a jug/pitcher/vase of flowers creates a more dreamy sort of photo.
Try it out next time you’re shooting instagram photos and see what you think!
35. Stop to smell the flowers
Rather than just holding your flower/bouquet of flowers try faking that you’re smelling them!
This looks so cute and candid in photos.
I use this pose a lot in my instagram photos and I always love the end result.
36. Read a book
If I was to pick my all time favourite prop to pose with it actually wouldn’t be flowers, it would be a book!
I just love the look of pretending to read in photos and you’ll find me doing this in a lot of my instagram photos.
Although you really can use any book in your photos I always prefer grabbing a vintage looking book or taking the slip-cover off of my hardcover books.
I find this just looks best in photos!
37. Hold a prop (like a fruit, coffee cup or what have you!)
Just holding or interacting with a prop in your instagram photos can make them look a lot more dynamic and interesting!
Having a prop to play with or hold keeps your hands busy and will keep your mind off of the fact that you’re in front of the camera.
Try holding and interacting with different props!
Whether it’s a coffee cup, glass of wine, basket of fruit or what have you.
38. Look into a mirror
I love over the shoulder mirror shots!
Mirrors are a great prop you can pose with for your instagram photos.
Whether posing in front of a wall mirror or using a handheld mirror you can really play around with this and get a great effect by using your reflection in the glass.
39. Hang out of a car window
This is a pretty popular pose on instagram and I’m sure you’ve probably seen it in your feed a few times!
Open your car window and try doing a photo hanging out of the window.
I tried this for the first time last winter when I shot photos for my winter photoshoot ideas blog post and it was one of my favourite photos I took!
40. Hold a map
Another road trip style pose you can try for your instagram photos (other than the above) is to use a map as a prop!
I love how maps look when they’re used as props in photos!
Final Thoughts
As I’m sure you can see from this post there are really so many different poses you can try for your instagram photos!
The best part is that your poses don’t have to be too complicated.
Even just the slightest variation can make a big difference in the final look of your photos.
Hopefully this guide to instagram poses to try out for your next photoshoot has given you some inspiration and will make your next photoshoot that much easier.
By the way if you’re looking for more photoshoot ideas you might want to check out these posts:
- How to do a Photoshoot at Home by Yourself
- 33 Creative Home Photoshoot Ideas to Try Now
- 22 Stunning Spring Photoshoot Ideas
- 20 Outdoor Photoshoot Ideas
- 20 Creative Fall Photoshoot Ideas
- 22 Creative Winter Photoshoot Ideas
- 11 Creative Solo Valentine’s Day Photoshoot Ideas
Be sure to keep up with me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok and Facebook if you aren’t already!
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