Senior Photos - Top 5 Favorite Poses for the Guys

As a photographer that photographs a lot of high school seniors, I have my favorite go-to poses for senior photos. I have some that I include in almost every session that I know parents and seniors love, then we can get creative. Seniors love to come to their session with ideas, but if they don't--no worries, I've got you! Keep reading to find out my top 5 favorite senior poses for the guys to make your senior photos stress free and a breeze! Don't worry though, I'll do my top five poses for the girls next.

The first image I like to do with my male high school seniors, I call 'making the dough.' I tell them to present they are making pizza dough. They grasp their hands together either in a fist or flat. I'll have them look left, look right, then look at me. I like this pose because it gives them something to do with their hands without being a distraction.

I also like to include a squatting pose for my male high school seniors. This truly depends on what it comfortable for them. They can look directly at me with their serious face, look away, or give a genuine smile. Some of my seniors like to include this photo along with images of their cars--which works perfectly.

I also like to pose my high school seniors with their hands in their front pockets or their thumbs in their belt loop. This is a comfortable and a natural position, so it doesn't seem force. I encourage them to either just put the thumbs in the pocket or to keep the thumbs out of the pocket. When you put your full fist into your pocket, your hands get lost. Having some limbs out is key to pulling up this look.

Teenage boys love showing off their biceps any way possible, right? By crossing their arms and gently flexing, their muscles are at their peak. This is a pose that works great for sports shots. If you want a more dramatic lit shot, I will use off-camera flash.

And lastly, I love the shot arm behind the shot. This can be achieve by 'scratching the neck' or running their hands through their hair. The result is an effortlessly cool image. I always tell them that it's super awkward to take and they may feel silly, but the results are always some of their favorites. Keep in mind these are some the basic poses that I like to start with. I have so many more options up my sleeve and prompts to help the session feel less awkward. Out of the top five poses, which was your favorite.