21 Swimsuit Poses to Try, Whether at the Beach or Poolside

Find a background that mirrors your swimsuit's motifs, color, or pattern, and aim for an editorialized concept to master your beach pose.

You may not kick it poolside with your delicate mini bag and jewelry, but piling on the accessories helps you get into the vibe of your shoot and provides your swimsuit pose with a bit more character and flair.

If you're taking a mirror selfie from the knees up, straighten your posture and lean forward slightly to ensure your full bikini or swimsuit is in the center of the frame, making for the ultimate bikini pose.

You can use your cooler or speaker to prop up your smartphone and manipulate the image so the finer details of your suit appear fully in your beach pose, along with the sun hat and jewelry that complete the look.

Perhaps one of the most classic cover-ups, a white button-down acts as a chic finish to your swimwear, especially when it comes in a classic print. Allow it to fall off your shoulders to show off every detail in your swimsuit pose, and finish with luxe, everyday jewelry, like hoop earrings.

When the beach pose photo is equally about your swimsuit and your vacation destination, find an open area and ask your photographer to capture some candid shots of you navigating the scene or just taking it all in from afar.

Whether standing in front of, beside, or leaning on one for support, palm trees or palmettos are a photographic staple and the ultimate bikini-pose backdrop.

Digital creator Shalini Acharya recommends starting off relaxed with your arms and legs stretched out to elongate your figure. Take it from there, and try a few different swimsuit poses that feel comfortable.

If you want to capture your full swimsuit while lying in the sun, hold your camera up slightly behind your head and bend it forward. You should be able to fit your whole look in the frame with ease, making for a no-fuss bikini pose you can document all by yourself.

For a bikini pose with movement, take steps toward the camera to show off your suit in action. You don't have to put on a model face, either. Allow yourself to be natural, adjusting your top or underwire just as you would if a camera wasn't in your face.

Kneel on the sand with the ocean as the backdrop behind you, and adjust your accessories — including your cover-up and sunglasses — taking them off and putting them back on for your photographer, who will provide continuous shooting. Take your pick of the portraits, and curate them into an album for a beach-pose series.

Digital creator Shahirah Ahmed's signature bikini pose is a leg cross, whether sitting or standing. As for her hands, she gracefully tucks her hair behind her ear. "This pose elongates my legs, elevates my posture, and the one arm adds a powerful touch," she says.

This bikini pose is all about showing off a look that comes with three or more pieces in the same print. Opt for a clean background, such as a white wall, and adjust yourself so that every piece is in direct view. Draw attention to the details, like a waist belt, by touching them lightly with your hand that isn't holding the camera.

Draw attention to your hat, and the way in which it completes your bikini pose, by pulling it down over your face and showing off the complementary colors.

If you're wearing a suit with alluring side details, like string ties or a high leg, lie alongside the edge of the pool and arch your back to emphasize your favorite elements. Bonus bikini-pose points if you also slip into sneakers and just so happen to be parked up at an infinity pool in front of a bright blue sea.

In order to show off the details of your bikini, such as a halter neckline or the ruched fabric on your bandeau top, kneel down and lean back, allowing your cover-up to fall off your shoulders so the full emphasis is on your coordinates.

Nikki Gamble opts for an organic, unedited bikini pose when shooting vacation content, allowing followers to see what she's actually doing poolside. She doesn't have a go-to background, but instead focuses on what her body looks like naturally. "When you feel confident inside, it shows on the outside," Gamble says. "Embrace the stretch marks, or power lines, as I call them, the blemishes . . . they are normal and are what make you you."

If you happen to be on vacation, the tropical atmosphere off to your right or left will likely be as alluring as the confidence you display in your swimsuit. Standing up above it all, strike your bikini pose in front of a zoomed-out camera lens.

Another way to capture your look in its entirety, matching cover-up and all? Have your photographer try a few different seated swimsuit poses from a bird's-eye view.

Walk along the shore, and search for a rock to elevate yourself above the sand. While you're setting up, have your photographer begin snapping photos as you adjust your accessories, and make sure they're all front and center for your beach pose.

When your suit makes for a bright contrast to the alluring pool beside you, try some candid bikini poses right by the edge of the pool.