YenraPhotography

Learn photography

Field notes · Look · Try · Compare

Making a portrait with folded arms

Use a comfortable arm position as a starting point while exploring small changes in expression.

White sleeves cross in front of the pink costume while the face turns toward the camera. The folded arms provide a clear shape below the portrait.
White sleeves cross in front of the pink costume while the face turns toward the camera. The folded arms provide a clear shape below the portrait.
Makoto Yokomizo, AKB0048 · Photograph: Yenra · Archive tags: Melody Muse Cosplay, ycard
Captured: 2015:02:13 14:25:52

Yenra Photography ·

A comfortable arm position can give a portrait a simple starting shape. Once your partner has found a position they enjoy, you can explore small changes in expression or gaze without asking for a completely new pose.

These three Katsucon 2015 photographs retain a recognizable arrangement of crossed white sleeves beneath a pink costume. The face changes slightly from one frame to the next. Look at those variations without treating folded arms as a sign of a particular personality or mood.

Begin with a comfortable folded-arm shape

The white sleeves cross below the face, creating a recognizable shape against the pink costume. The hands rest within that arrangement while the face turns toward the camera. Notice the outline of the sleeves as well as the expression.

For your own portrait, let your partner choose how to stand or sit. If folding the arms feels comfortable, begin there; if it does not, hands resting in a lap or another easy position works just as well. The useful starting point is a position your partner can enjoy.

Notice a small change in expression

The arms remain in much the same position while the mouth and head angle change slightly. A small variation is enough to make a second photograph worth comparing.
The arms remain in much the same position while the mouth and head angle change slightly. A small variation is enough to make a second photograph worth comparing.
Makoto Yokomizo, AKB0048 · Photograph: Yenra · Archive tags: Melody Muse Cosplay
Captured: 2015:02:13 14:25:53

The next photograph keeps much the same arrangement of arms while the mouth and head angle change slightly. Move between the two faces and notice the difference without needing to name an emotion. A small change can be enough to make another picture worth keeping.

Invite one variation rather than a list of corrections. Your partner might change their gaze, turn their head a little or choose another expression. Make a photograph, then pause and review together. There is no need to maintain a tense position or reproduce the example exactly.

Compare a broader smile

A broader smile changes the face while the crossed sleeves remain recognizable below. This is one option in the set, not a better expression everyone must copy.
A broader smile changes the face while the crossed sleeves remain recognizable below. This is one option in the set, not a better expression everyone must copy.
Makoto Yokomizo, AKB0048 · Photograph: Yenra · Archive tags: Melody Muse Cosplay
Captured: 2015:02:13 14:25:54

A broader smile appears in the third portrait while the crossed sleeves remain recognizable below. The expression changes what you notice first, even though much of the clothing and pose stays similar. This is another option in the set, not the expression every portrait needs.

Compare the photographs together and ask which variation your partner prefers. A smile is optional, and folded arms do not tell us whether someone is confident or defensive. Keep the photograph you both enjoy and one small idea for another comfortable portrait.

Look back with curiosity.

  • What shape do the sleeves or forearms make?
  • Which small change is easiest to notice?
  • Which position and expression felt comfortable to your partner?

Keep exploring

Exploring hand gestures in a portrait · Exploring gesture and expression · Choosing portraits together

Browse the complete Katsucon 2015 gallery. Follow a photograph into its original neighbors and see which small detail or portrait variation catches your attention next.