How to pose for a photo with confidence | David Suh - TED Talks Daily

Summary

TED Talks Daily: How to Pose for a Photo with Confidence | David Tse

Host: Elise Hu
Speaker: David Tse
Release Date: January 29, 2025
Podcast Title: TED Talks Daily

Introduction

In the episode titled "How to Pose for a Photo with Confidence," host Elise Hu welcomes listeners to explore the often-overlooked art of posing for photographs. As social media and digital sharing become increasingly prevalent, mastering the way we present ourselves in photos has become a universal challenge. David Tse, renowned as TikTok's king of poses, delves into empowering individuals to feel confident and authentic in front of the camera.

The Challenge of Posing in the Digital Age

Elise Hu opens the discussion by highlighting the common anxieties associated with taking photos in today's selfie-centric culture:

Elise Hu (01:46): "These days we are all getting photographed so much more than a generation ago. But if you're anything like me, it can feel uneasy to be in front of a camera."

David Tse acknowledges these fears and emphasizes that posing can be simplified with the right approach.

Simplifying Posing Techniques

David Tse begins his talk by addressing a fundamental question that everyone grapples with: "What are we supposed to do with our hands?" He introduces simple yet effective techniques to alleviate the stress of posing.

David Tse (02:25): "It's so silly because it's really simple. There's chin up and chin down."

He engages the audience in interactive exercises, guiding them through basic chin movements to demonstrate how minor adjustments can significantly impact one's appearance in photos.

The Power of Body Language

Tse stresses that posing should not feel mechanical but rather an extension of our natural body language. He draws a parallel between verbal communication and non-verbal cues, asserting that our bodies inherently express who we are.

David Tse (04:30): "Posing should be natural because it's something that you've been speaking. It's a language you've been speaking your entire life, body language."

Through demonstration, he illustrates how subtle changes in posture can convey confidence, approachability, and other emotions without the need for forced expressions or unnatural stances.

From Shy Beginnings to Posing Expert

David shares his personal journey, starting from his high school days as a shy individual who found solace behind the camera. His initial passion for photography evolved into a mission to help others overcome their posing insecurities.

David Tse (06:15): "I went to Google and typed in top three poses for a woman. Easy peasy, right? Nope."

He recounts the challenges of creating one-size-fits-all poses, recognizing that everyone’s body type and personal expression are unique. This realization propelled him to develop a more personalized approach to posing.

Embracing Authenticity in Posing

A pivotal moment in Tse’s career involved working with a client who wanted to embody a "bisexual assassin." This encounter underscored the importance of authenticity in posing, moving beyond generic guidelines to truly reflect an individual’s identity.

David Tse (08:20): "I learned that it wasn't my job to teach her how to be a bisexual assassin. All I had to do was give her space to be who she already was."

Tse emphasizes that posing is not about fitting into predefined beauty standards but about expressing one's true self. He encourages individuals to view their bodies as interconnected with their hearts and identities, enabling a more genuine portrayal in photographs.

Posing as Self-Expression and Empowerment

Tse introduces the concept of using poses as a declaration of self, a way to affirm one's place and worth in the world. This perspective transforms posing from a superficial act into a powerful tool for self-exploration and acceptance.

David Tse (09:45): "Posing is a declaration of self telling the world that you belong, that you are deserving of self-exploration, self-acceptance, and self-expression."

He guides the audience through a series of poses designed to evoke feelings of power and comfort, demonstrating how intentional body language can shape one's self-perception and the image projected to others.

Conclusion: Embracing Your Authentic Self

David Tse concludes his talk by encouraging listeners to embrace posing as a means of embodying their true selves. He reiterates that posing is not about pretending to be someone else but about showcasing who you genuinely are and aspire to be.

David Tse (11:00): "The next time you are in front of the camera, whether it's for a selfie or a headshot, please remember that you deserve to take up space, shift your balance to comfort your body, and remember David asking you, how are you and your future self showing up for you today in your body?"

He leaves the audience with a powerful message of self-empowerment, urging them to use posing as a tool for personal growth and authentic self-expression.

Key Takeaways

Simplify Posing: Start with basic movements like "chin up" and "chin down" to reduce anxiety.
Natural Body Language: Let your poses reflect your inherent body language rather than forced stances.
Authenticity Over Conformity: Embrace your unique identity and express it through your poses.
Posing as Self-Expression: Use posing as a tool to affirm your self-worth and personal identity.
Empowerment Through Confidence: Small adjustments in posture can significantly enhance your confidence in photos.

David Tse's insightful presentation demystifies the art of posing, offering practical techniques and a profound philosophical approach to how we present ourselves in photographs. By shifting the focus from conforming to standards to embracing authenticity, Tse empowers individuals to capture their true selves with confidence and grace.

Transcript

Sponsor Voice (0:00)

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try it@progressive.com Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.

Sponsor Voice (0:19)

January Gym chaos is real, but your fitness goals don't have to suffer for it. Skip the crowded gyms and embrace a better way to get fit in 2025. Bring an uninterrupted low impact full body workout into the comfort of your home with the Hydro Rower. Designed by rowers and led by Olympians, hydrow offers the largest library of immersive rowing workouts filmed in stunning outdoor locations. Kick off the new year with a full body workout all from the comfort of your home with Hydro. Head over to hydro.com and use code TED to save up to $475 off your Hydro Pro Rower. That's H Y--R-O-W.com code TED to save up $475. Hydro.com code TED TED Talks Daily is sponsored by Capital One. In my house we subscribe to everything. Music, TV, even dog food. And it rocks. Until you have to manage it all. Which is where Capital One comes in. Capital One credit card holders can easily track, block or cancel recurring charges right from the Capital One mobile app at no additional cost. With one sign in, you can manage all your subscriptions all one place. Learn more@Capital1.com Subscriptions Terms and Conditions apply.

Elise Hu (1:46)

You're listening to TED Talks Daily where we bring you new ideas to spark your curiosity every day. I'm your host, Elise Hu. These days we are all getting photographed so much more than a generation ago. But if you're anything like me, it can feel uneasy to be in front of a camera. What are we supposed to do with our hands? What's my best side? Do I have a best side? In his 2024 talk, TikTok's king of poses, David Si has a message for all of us to feel more confident and comfortable in photos and this advice works even if we're not gonna be in front of the camera after the break.

Sponsor Voice (2:25)

It is so great being up on here. I also wanna make sure I commemorate and take a quick TED selfie. Hold on. Sorry, don't mind me. What was my best selfie angle again? Anyone else have that question? A few. A few. Okay. Well, it's a question I get asked all the time as a posing coach. It's so silly because it's really simple. There's chin up and chin down. Matter of fact, can we try this from our seats real quick? Everyone just do a simple chin up. Let me take a look. Alright. Okay. Let me try to figure this out for everyone here. Chin down. Yeah. Great. Okay, how does everyone look? Good in both angles. But before I go on to solve the world's mystery of selfies from here today, let's address the elephant in the room, shall we? Because I have a feeling that not everyone here is so deeply invested in taking the cutest selfie every day. But that's okay. That's okay. This is still going to be good. Because I'll take a bet in saying that every single one of you here deserves a powerful headshot that not only reflects your identity, but your ambition and success. For the past decade, I've been photographing over thousands of people. Few you may recognize, celebrities, CEOs, but mainly people. People like you and me, who have a simple human desire to be seen and heard. And there's something this external validation seeking culture of selfies that I learned that this culture hasn't taught me is that posing for a photo doesn't have to be this terrifying experience that subjects you to beauty standards. In fact, posing should be natural because it's something that you've been speaking. It's a language you've been speaking your entire life, body language. And I'm here to show you that our body is so interconnected with our hearts and our identity. Perhaps on the chin up you felt a sense of confidence. Maybe on the chin down you felt like I was flirting with you from the stand stage. I told you, everyone looks so good here. But how does something so mechanical start to express emotions? It's not voodoo magic, because this is something that we can all do. Matter of fact, let's try this all together one more time. Okay everyone, this time just relax your shoulders with me. Yeah. Let's take a deep breath. Your nose. And out through the mouth. Beautiful. Chin up very slowly with me. Feeling powerful. Back down to neutral. Chin down, just a touch. Head toe to the side. Nose around slightly. And just the eyes down towards the ground beneath you. And just the eyes again, slowly bringing up back to me. If you felt something in here, in your body, my friends, you felt a fraction of the power of posing just using your chin up. Imagine what you can do when you use your entire body. By the end of this talk, I want to show you that you can become whoever you want to become through a single pose. But how did David get here, where he can orchestrate a whole room full of beautiful people to just flirt with him in a matter of seconds. It started in high school. Not the flirting. It was a passion. It was a simple passion of taking a photo for someone else that they would love. And it's an honorable passion. But there was a big problem posing David, what do I do with my hands? Don't look at me. I'm just a shy Korean kid hiding behind his camera. But because they didn't know how to pose, they felt awkward. Therefore, they looked awkward. And then they saw the awkward photo where they said, oh, once again, I look awkward. Further validating their limiting beliefs. But it's okay, because high school David had a solution. He went to Google and typed in top three poses for a woman. Easy peasy, right? Nope. Because David learned that everyone has different body types. I mean, how can he. Okay, that makes sense. But what if David learns the top three poses for every conceivable body types out there in the universe? Surely he would be set up for success, right? Nope. Because even if two people have the same body types, how they perceive themselves and how they want to be seen can be drastically different. This is a problem with today's definition of posing. It boxes you in based on your physical traits and your labels. Ah, you are a woman. This is how you need to present your body. Yeah, let's not. Let's not get canceled on the TED stage. My first time here, there's a client that taught me this lesson really well. She was an ex dominatrix, now author. I know, really cool. So she was getting her hair and makeup done. I went over, I said, Ms. Client, how would you like to be photographed today? She looked dead straight at me and said, david, I want to be a bisexual assassin. Yeah, let's do that. And as I slowly walked out of the makeup room, immense panic. Just what does that even mean? David went to his laptop and typed top three poses for bisexual assassins. Immediately regretted it. Eventually, I had no other options. I had to trust my process. So David guided her limb by limb, intentionally to feel within her body. And I nervously presented a photo to her. And she said, david, this is me. I learned that day that it wasn't my job to teach her how to be a bisexual assassin. All I had to do was give her space to be who she already was. The baddest bisexual assassin in the world. It's not about contorting your body to fit someone else's idea of you. It also doesn't matter if you see a version of what you believe is bisexual assassin here or not because Krista connected with herself. That is what posing is. It's a declaration of self telling the world that you belong, that you are deserving of self exploration, self acceptance and self expression. A playful promise to tell yourself that I will see myself as a work of art. A1 of 1. This. This is how opposing should feel. It should feel grounding. It should feel empowering. And this is how the shy Korean kid that you saw earlier on came to be him today. Me on stage. I mean don't get me wrong, both Davids are beautiful. But this David saw posing as a tool to. To look good, to almost pretend me. Now I see posing as a way to embody who I've become and who I'm destined to become. So the next time you are in front of the camera, whether it's for a selfie or a headshot, please remember that you deserve to take up space, shift your balance to comfort your body, and remember David asking you, how are you and your future self showing up for you today in your body? Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.