Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Poses

Poses carry cultural weight. They denote our notions of gender. They're also aesthetic and artistic in their creative choices. Poses, while usually performed unconsciously, are actually serious stuff.

Which is why I study them. And always have. I was criticized as a child for trying to emulate and adopt feminine poses so, to conceal my innate nature, I went underground. I learned how to swagger like a cocky boy when walking in public. I learned how to grow and flex manly biceps. At times, my exaggerated masculinity bordered on parody but it allowed me to pass unnoticed.

In private, I'd experiment with feminine poses but they felt forbidden to me. When I'd occasionally perform one in public to see what happened, I  always got immediate, negative reaction. People can't handle gender non-conformity, even by strangers. It disturbs most people's sense of how things "should" be.

Lately, I've become bored with my standard repertoire of poses for modeling here on the blog so I decided to consciously add some new ones. I don't know if you'll like them or not, but I want to stretch my muscles, literally and figuratively.

Poses can create visual illusions that enhance our femininity. As you know, I wrestle with contorting a non-feminine (cylindrical) shape into the conventional hourglass figure. With limited success. I'm aware that many women struggle the same way with similar issues.

Poses can help. A good one can do magic -- make our shapes look different than they actually are. In July, I have a bevy of new poses I'm going to unleash on you. I'm eager to hear for your responses, thumbs up or down. Successes will be incorporated into my future femininity; failures will be discarded as necessary efforts toward that goal.

Here are some of my past attempts at posing -- which have a lot more conscious effort in them than you might believe.






















Do you have a favorite pose for modeling?

26 comments:

  1. I freaking love these! You have such energy in your photographs. These are all so different and each portray a different mood. Can't wait to see what you have lined up for us in July :)

    xo Azu

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    1. Thank you! Yes, I experiment with different looks and attitudes to explore every possibility. Doing it is so joyful for me.

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  2. Love your poses ... can't wait to see what you are going to "unleash" on us!!!

    Love you lots Ms Ally ... thank you for allowing us to be part of your life and sharing your struggles and triumphs with us and trusting us to give you honest feedback.

    I must say that the photo with the apron immediately made me think of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Just not the right colour shoes. And I ADORE the last photo!!!

    And of course your James Bond photo is super sexy!!!!

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    1. Thank you, Lynn. You have been my most fervent supporter and your love has kept me afloat during hard times. Love you back!!

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  3. Posing is harder then it looks especially when you are doing it for the camera. I would think today it is becoming more acceptable for non gender conforming behavior? Excited to see your new poses and you have a great set of gams! Also check out the book Picture Perfect Posing on Amazon.

    Allie of ALLIENYC
    www.allienyc.com

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    1. You would think (and hope) that people are becoming more accepting of gender non-conforming behavior but... sadly, that's not true. I continue to experiment and the results are disheartening. What I hear from others doing the same is also bad news. *sigh*

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  4. Posing is such a fascinating subject, I completely agree, and like yourself, has studied it a good deal over the years - particularly in terms of the poses adopted my women (in photos, movies, etc) during the eras that I most dear.

    There are some that are almost never seen in advertising (or elsewhere) today (such as posing with both hands on the handle of a parasol that is typically centered in line with the middle of the wearer's body) and yet which were so sweet, fun and well suited to the era they hail from. Some of these poses felt natural to me off the bat, others have become more so the longer I've worn vintage, and others never really worked for me - perhaps because I don't see myself as a model (at least not in the classic sense of that word), which was who would have typically adopted them back in the day.

    It's really exciting that you're actively expanding your posing repertoire, Ally. I certainly look forward to seeing what you have in store for us on that front.

    Have a great tail end of June,
    ♥ Jessica

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    1. How brilliant of you, Jessica, to add the historical dimension to this! Yes, of course, poses evolved over time and certain ones instantly telegraph the time-period when they were popular. I like this insight and will incorporate it into my new study.

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  5. I love how you capture femininity, I find posing for pictures daunting and usually end up looking stiff and wooden. I love to wear hats and usually place the hat at a jaunty angle and then when picture taking dip my head so the pose looks a little mysterious or coquettish - Thank you Princess Di for inspring my love of hats and the shy pose style of peeking out from the brim.

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    1. I know what you mean, Dar,about "looking stiff and wooden." I looked that way when posing as a man for years. Interestingly and ironically, I now feel more comfortable -- and natural -- posing for pictures as a woman than a man. I've developed female poses whereas I look "stiff and wooden" in male pictures. Oh, and you look great in hats!

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  6. I hate posing for my pictures, which is why I have 3-4 standard poses that I've fiddled with over the years. My stair pose is my favourite - I love the illusion of my long legs in it.

    Your poses look beautiful - they have that magical blend of artificial and real to them. Your hands are lovely!

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    1. Your poses are classics, Sheila. They work so well.

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  7. I think I need to take some lessons from you. Already these poses are great so I wonder what else you'll be able to come up with.

    I often find that when I look at the camera I feel artificial. I try to take many of my poses looking away. Maybe I feel too vulnerable, I'm not sure.

    bisous
    Suzanne

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    1. Photographers often try to loosen models up by chatting with them to get them to forget they're being photographed. Instead, the models respond to a human being rather than a camera. If you can get in that mindset, your poses become more natural.

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  8. Posing is definitely an art form and it's tough to get right. You do a stellar job...I especially love the one on the chair with the striped socks. I sometimes feel like I need to mix mine up because I tend to fall back on the same poses over and over again. I'm like Suzanne, I find myself looking away from the camera a lot. It's definitely not something that comes natural to me though that's for sure!
    Debbie
    www.fashionfairydust.com

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    1. I *love* how women sit with their hips ajar and legs beneath them. It's almost impossible for me to do that because of my body-type and lack of practice. But I try...

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  9. oh I love these, Ally! Esp the champagne toting pose - such fun and joy in your face. Posing can be challenging, even for us cis's. We have to experiment and find what feels authentic, and still appealing to our readers. May I say again, those legs! xox
    -Patti
    http://notdeadyetstyle.com

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    1. Patti, you're my cis sis! (Cisgender sister)

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  10. So true! The pose alone can define a gender and that's what makes it so exciting to experiment with!

    -Kati

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  11. You are so good at posing! I do find it hard to pose other than standing and grinning! I love the one with you in rainbow socks.'Cute' is the perfect word for it!!Xx

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  12. These are very well done. I never gave this topic much thought, but you are right, they way we arrange our bodies and face reveal a lot! Love this!
    xx, Elle
    http://www.theellediaries.com/

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  13. These poses are all fabulous! I really like the first one - it's so glamorous! I feel as though I do the same pose over and over again for the blog...I really need to freshen my poses up.

    So glad we've connected! I'm looking forward to seeing more of your lovely posts!

    ~Lindsey

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  14. Love the first glamour shot of you, as well as your whole look in the shot with the violet dress.

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  15. I absolutely love the one with the champagne bottle and the ones where you are curled in the chair in your socks!!!! I have the hardest time posing and usually try for slightly more candid pics because of this issue.

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  16. Thought provoking piece, Ally. It's interesting hearing your first person account about conscientiously augmenting your poses to fit within expected gender norms. When I started as a fashion assistant and assisted on a lot of shoots steaming clothing and preparing the outfits for models to wear, I'd always take note of how they posed. Fortunately, it's made taking pictures a lot less awkward! xx

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  17. I'm terrible at posing. I just move into different poses slowly while husband holds down the camera button on the motion capture setting!

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