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Making a portrait with a basketball

Explore how holding, raising and briefly releasing a familiar object change the hands, gaze and space in a portrait.

Yenra Photography · Published October 16, 2026

A familiar object can suggest a gesture before you choose a pose. A basketball gives the hands something to hold, the gaze somewhere to travel and the frame another shape to include. Begin with a comfortable still picture, then see what you and your portrait partner would enjoy changing.

These three Nekocon 2013 photographs are arranged as held low, held high and briefly released. This is a new teaching order for separate moments. Their capture records remain with each picture; the selection is not a continuous throw.

Begin with the ball held still

The ball rests between both hands near the waist. The blue outfit fills the center of a narrow setting, with gray walls extending behind it. A small plush figure remains visible at the lower right, adding another detail to explore.

A held pose gives you time to look together. Ask your partner where the ball feels comfortable and what expression they would like to try. Notice how the hands sit around its curve and how much of the person and setting you want to include.

Your own portrait can use a basketball or another ball that is easy to hold. Choose a clear place with room around you. Standing and seated positions both offer useful possibilities; let your partner's comfort guide the starting point.

Let a raised ball change the gesture

The ball is held above the face and the gaze follows it. Bent arms make another frame around the head. Tall wall shapes and open space above the ball contribute to the upward direction of the portrait.

Compare the hands and shoulders with the first picture. Moving an object can invite several small changes at once. You might notice a different elbow angle, a turn of the face or a new space between an arm and the body.

Try holding the ball higher, lower or to one side, choosing a position your partner can comfortably maintain. Make a picture, then pause and look together. A held gesture already gives you a complete experiment in expression and framing.

Leave room for a brief release

Here the ball is separated from the hands near the top of the picture. Raised arms and an upward gaze connect it visually with the person below. The small gap between hands and ball makes this moment different from the held poses.

If you both want to explore movement and the space allows it, agree on a gentle short release and a simple cue. Leave room above the hands, make a few pictures and let your partner set the pace. You can stay with a held variation whenever that feels more useful.

Review the ball's position, the expression and the room around the gesture. A frame made a little earlier or later may show a relationship you enjoy. The exercise can succeed through a small discovery about timing, without a particular height or sporting result.

Keep the gesture and the person connected

The source times are 12:46:15 for the first picture, 12:47:52 for the held-high view and 12:46:23 for the released-ball view. Their order here helps us compare gestures while each photograph keeps its own record.

For your next portrait, choose one change to explore: the position of the ball, the direction of the gaze or a little more room around the hands. The earlier movement lesson offers an optional next step for experimenting with exposure time.

Keep a photograph you both enjoy and a short note about what made the experiment useful. Your partner's favorite gesture can be a good starting point for another session.

Look back with curiosity.

• How does the ball change the hands and gaze?
• Where would a little more space help?
• Which comfortable gesture would you both try again?

Keep exploring

Exploring props in a portrait · Exploring movement in a portrait · Planning a portrait together

Browse the complete Nekocon 2013 gallery.