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Do you feel like it’s really difficult to find the right “Instagram poses” for each shot and you are wondering how other girls constantly come up with different poses for Instagram that look flattering?
Don’t worry – I’ve been there too. When I started out on Instagram in 2018 with @fernwehsarah I literally had NO CLUE on how to pose for Instagram! Whenever Markus picked up the camera, I was like “Ummm – what should I do? How should I stand? Should I stand at all?”.
However, over the last two years, I developed a number of “signature Instagram poses” that I simply pull whenever I feel uncreative (but want to get a shot somewhere!). They are kind of a “fall-back option” that I have used a lot (so I know that they work).
Of course, these Instagram poses are not “mine” – they have been used by millions of other girls on Instagram before me too. But it takes a while to figure them out – so this is why I decided to share my best poses for Instagram with you today!
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“Standing” Instagram Poses for Girls
Alright, let’s first start with some poses for Instagram in which you are standing because you will likely be able to do them in most places!
My #1 signature pose for Instagram – “Walk that way…”
Ohhhh, I have sooo over-used this pose. But you know why? Because it works! It is super easy to do and it just looks great. Plus, I don’t have to think about how my face looks :D.
To pull this Instagram pose off best, just oh-so-casually stroll away from the camera! Leave one foot behind the other and either touch your hair or your hat (every Instagram girl needs an awesome hat anyway!). Very often with this Instagram pose I also pull out my skirt to the side (or throw it!)
Instagram Poses – The Y Pose
Ohhh, the infamous Y pose! Yes, you have probably already seen this Instagram Pose quite a lot! It’s very common among travel accounts (such as mine!) – but hey, it really works!
Just make sure that both your hands are roughly on the same level (trust me, it’s not as easy as it sounds) – this Instagram pose definitely lives from symmetry!
The “inverted Y” – “Gaze at something in awe” Instagram pose
Okay, so this Instagram pose is pretty similar to the infamous Y pose – just that you put your hands down and away from your body. Tilt your head upwards and face something as if you were “in awe of what you see” (fun fact: I usually am – I am like a girl that is just amazed by the world most of the time 🙂 )
Obviously, this Instagram pose only look good if you have a fancy background – imagine this in front of a brick wall and it looks pretty dumb. 😀
Lean against a wall and put one foot up
So this is my “go-to” Instagram pose for walls, doorways or similar stuff. Just make sure that it’s your “front leg” that you put against the wall – looks much more flattering!
With your hands, you can again touch your hair (always great :D) or let them casually fall down – or lift them above your head! Don’t face the camera – look either down or up or back with this Instagram pose!
Btw – you do not always need a wall for that – be creative what works for this Instagram pose!
Lean against a wall and face a 45° angle forward
This is one of my more “fashionable” Instagram poses for girls that I use when I am the focus of the image (or my outfit!). Just casually lean back with your shoulders against a wall (do not touch it with your butt!) and face a 45° angle away from the camera.
If you look straight into the camera, this pose looks stiff – just try to be “all casual” with it!)
Hold on to something and lean away
This is another pose for Instagram that I use when it comes to fashion-focused shots. Just grab hold of anything and let your body fall away from it – there’s usually something that this pose works with!
Also, this pose looks great if you are facing away from the camera!
A cute Instagram pose – one arm up!
If you don’t like the Y pose, this Instagram pose for girls might be more for you. It’s again a pose facing away from the camera – just reach out for the sky with one hand and let the other fall down.
It’s a very cute and playful pose for Instagram – it works great for travel pictures, but not so much for fashion!
“Look me in the eyes, baby” – face the camera while walking away
This is one of the exemptions where I really like looking into the camera for Instagram. It just has this little sassy or cheeky vibe to it and it really helps the viewer feel like they are there with you!
For this Instagram pose just walk slightly away and then turn your head back to the camera. Make sure to pull the shoulder facing the camera DOWN a bit – or it will look really weird!
“The strong girl” Instagram pose (shot upwards!)
I usually HATE shots from below – they are difficult to not look VERY BIG in them! However, they can also be pretty powerful. In order to make them look good, you need a great Instagram pose.
Put one leg to the front towards the camera, and stretch upwards with the opposite arm going up. You can either fully stretch out that arm – or just pull up your elbow. The other arm just casually falls down.
This is a “tricky Instagram pose” to make it look good – but I didn’t want to skip it because I already got some really cool shots from it!
The classic “Follow me” Instagram Pose
Oh, this one’s another classic Instagram pose for girls! Very often, it’s used for watch advertising (btw – mine’s above is not. The watch (a Nokia Steel HR) was a birthday present from Markus – Nokia hasn’t noticed that I exist 🙂 ).
Walk into whatever landscape you are in and pull your photographer (aka, Instagram husband) behind you – that’s it! If you want to be able to see the hand you will need an ultra-wide-angle camera though (I use my Samsung Galaxy S 10 for that).
You can also do this pose looking back into the camera!
“Moving” Instagram Poses for girls
So these “poses” for Instagram are not actually classical poses (meaning, you are not staying still!) I love these poses for three reasons:
- They look and feel very natural – so they are great if you are not too confident about posing in public!
- They are QUICK! It literally takes only a few seconds to get multiple shots and one will be good!
- They are dynamic – and people like dynamic pictures on Instagram!
So #1 secret behind “pulling off” these Instagram poses is THE BURST SHOT! Just keep the shutter on your camera or phone pressed and it will take dozens of pictures while you quickly move around!
My Instagram Pose favorite – Whirl around!
Just whirl around for a few times while someone keeps the shutter pressed on your phone and it will look super cool!
Obviously, this pose works better with long hair and flowy “Instagram dresses” – but it’s not limited to that!
Moving Instagram poses – “Run, girl, run”
One of my latest “addition to my Instagram poses” is running towards something. I really need to record a video of this – because it looks ridiculous! It’s more a “jump and run” thing – but this gives great results.
Tip: Use the ultra-wide angle lens of your camera again if you have one – it makes this shot even more dynamic!
Walk past something sideways
So this “moving” Instagram pose is again great if you are rather shy with posing! Just walk sideways through the picture while your photographer keeps the shutter down.
I usually try to look back a bit while walking – but that’s because I don’t like how my face looked from the side 🙂 Looking forward while walking is definitely less cute and more a “fashion pose” for Instagram!
“Sitting” Instagram Poses for Girls
Time to sit down girls! Obviously, you might not be able to pull off these poses everywhere – but very often, you’ll find a spot that’s not too dirty to sit.
Most of the time, it looks better (or, “more Instagram”) if you are NOT sitting on a chair – but anything else (like, a railing or the floor!)
Sit sideways, put your legs up and lean back a bit
Time to show your legs, girls! This is a great Instagram pose for girls to show you legs – just put them up somewhere and lean back a bit with your “front arm” behind you
What’s really important here is that you LOWER your FRONT LEG a bit more than the “back one” – it’ll give you those desired long legs (mine are NOT LONG naturally…). Your “back arm” either goes on your knees – or to the back as well!
“Could you put one leg down?” – a sassy Instagram pose for girls
This pose is really similar to the one above – just that you only put one leg up and one down.
Obviously, this pose does not work everywhere – you need to sit somewhere considerably low or one a corner where you can let one leg fall down and put the other one up.
Your “front arm” is behind or beside you on where you sit – the “back hand” is either on your should, in your hair or between your legs (as if it casually fell from your knee)
The sitting “X Pose”
If the famous standing Instagram pose is called a Y pose – then this is definitely an “X pose”! I think it’s one of the cute Instagram poses – but at the same time, it looks fashionable!
Just bring your knees together, your feet apart and put your hands on your knees. Be careful not to pull up your shoulders up too much – or you will end up “without a neck”.
You can also do this shot facing the camera directly – tell your photographer to make sure no one can look under your skirt though (if wearing one)
Sit down on a border and kneel forward
This Instagram pose works great if you are sitting on a very small elevation – like a border of a boardwalk, or a step!
Pull your “front knee” a bit higher, stretch out the “back leg” and put your “back elbow” on your “front knee” while putting your hand under your chin. Your “front hand” goes next to your butt on the floor.
I really love this pose because it’s great for curvy girls too (like me!). This way I don’t have to worry about any rolls forming on my belly when sitting down – because it’s covered by my knees!
Cross your legs and arm “oh so casually”
Again, this pose is great if you are sitting on a boardwalk or a little step! Stretch out one leg slightly and pull the other one below it to the back. Your arms also casually cross while lying on your lap for this pose.
I personally think this looks best from the face while facing away from the camera at a 45-degree angle!
Accurately put your legs next to each other and look down
This is a very cute pose for Instagram! It’s a bit of this “oh I was so in my thoughts and didn’t notice at all that someone took a picture” (haha. Totally believable. :D)
Just put your legs next to each other (or cross then very slightly BELOW the knee!) and look down. You can touch your hair or leave your arms relaxed – remember, you are TOTALLY NOT AWARE that someone takes pictures! 😀
“Enjoying the sun” Instagram Pose
This Instagram pose is great when you are shooting in harsh light (sunny day around lunchtime) – lots of poses will look bad because of hard shadows. And while you can certainly edit these with Lightroom – you should also optimize your pose.
Make sure that your body faces the sun and look straight into the fun with your face up. Your hands go behind your back and you lean slightly back, just as if you were just “enjoying the sun”. 🙂
How did you like these poses for Instagram?
Have you used some of them already yourself consciously (e.g., the Y pose?).
Let me know in the comments below which ones you like and which ones you maybe think are so “past”!
Also, if you are struggling with more Instagram challenges – make sure to sign up for my newsletter! I frequently share tips on how to grow on Instagram and how to work with brands with my email subscribers!
