12 Creative Mom-Daughter Photography Poses

Mothers and daughters often share some of the closest human connections, and with the best mom-daughter photo poses, you can capture with ease the wonderful bond they share.

Unfortunately, a lot of photographers persist with the same small set of relatively basic poses, which can lead to some rather bland results.

This guide is here to change all that. Below, I’ll share some of my favorite mom-daughter photography poses that allow you to get creative with your subjects and capture their special bond in more exciting, engaging ways.

I’ll also share some of my expert tips to make your mother-daughter photoshoots more productive and pleasant, both for yourself and your subjects.

More posing guides:

• Father-and-Son Photo Poses
• Best Family Photoshoot Poses
• Sibling Poses for Heartwarming Portraits
• Twin Poses That Work for All Ages

The 12 Best Mother-Daughter Poses to Try

When you’re working with close family members, like mothers and daughters, your goal should always be to capture the closeness and love they hold for one another.

For that, you need poses that bring your subjects together, not just physically, but emotionally.

Having them sitting or standing side-by-side is fine as a starting point, but if you want to evolve and elevate your shoots, you need to think a little more creatively.

With that in mind, here are 12 of my favorite creative photo poses to use with moms and their girls.

1. The Tender Embrace

A hug is one of the purest and most beautiful ways in which people show love and care for one another. So, it’s a perfect pose to kick off this list, capturing that powerful, unbreakable, loving bond between a mother and her daughter.

What I love about the hug is that there are so many ways you can modify or twist it a little to get the exact shot you want.

You can have the daughter clinging to her mother’s leg, for example, or have both your subjects standing together, turning them to face one another in a deep and cozy cuddle.

Poses like this often help subjects relax, and that, in turn, leads to more natural photographs and more successful shoots.

2. Twin Airplanes

Next, something a little more out-of-the-ordinary. In this pose, the daughter has to climb onto her mother’s back, and both subjects stretch out their arms, as though they’re pretending to be planes.

It can be a little tricky to get the balance right at first, but having the mother lean forward a little should help. This pose can also get quite uncomfortable quite quickly, so you don’t want to leave your subjects in position for too long.

I like to use a camera with a high burst rate to capture as many shots as possible in a brief amount of time. That way, my subjects only have to strike the pose for a short period before they can take a breather.

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3. The Seated Hug

I’m heading back to the hug for this pose, with a twist.

Here, we ask both subjects to take a seat. It could be on a sofa, a bench, a bed, or even a fluffy rug on the floor. Then, have the daughter lean into the mother, who then wraps her arms around her child, or vice versa.

This is one of the best poses for capturing the precious connection that only exists between a mother and her daughter. It represents their love, bond, and lifelong commitment to look out for one another.

4. Kiss on the Cheek

Next up, another pose that involves a physical display of affection between mother and daughter: a cute little peck on the cheek, to be precise.

Angles are key for this pose. I like to have the mom sitting down, facing forward into the camera. Then, have her daughter stand or kneel by her side, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

You can also flip the script and have the mom kiss the daughter, too. Like a lot of the poses on this list, this one is especially easy to modify to suit the specific mood and goal you’re going for.

5. Lying on the Belly

Some of the poses on this list demand a certain level of physical effort and exertion, but not this one. This is one of the more relaxing, accessible, easygoing poses that subjects of all ages should be able to enjoy.

All they have to do is lie down on their stomachs, side by side. You can even play around with this pose and have a little girl lying on her mother’s back.

Either way, with both subjects nuzzling their heads together, linking hands, and smiling brightly into the camera, this is a pose that’s almost guaranteed to deliver some truly wonderful results.

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6. The Lift

This is a great pose for moms with daughters who are on the younger side, since the daughter should be quite easy to lift up into the air and hold in place for a short while, giving you time to take your shots.

Lighting is important in a pose like this. Since both subjects are facing each other, there’s a risk of one of their faces having too much shadow on it.

To solve that, I like to position a light overhead, right above the subjects, which often helps illuminate both of their faces. Alternatively, you can take this image outside, letting the sun do the hard work for you.

7. The Take-Off

Next, it’s another airplane-themed photo pose for moms and daughters to try, and this playful pose can produce some super cute photographs, if you get it right.

Have the mom lie down in a comfortable pose, ideally with something soft underneath to support her body. Then, have her lift her daughter, asking the girl to stretch out her arms, like a plane.

This is one of those poses that can be a little tricky to hold for an extended period of time. As such, you need to move fast; get your angles and lighting right beforehand, so your subjects won’t need to hold the pose for too long.

8. Over-the-Shoulder Embrace

Next, it’s yet another type of hug pose, and the reason why there are several hug variations in this list is that this truly is one of the best go-to poses when you want to capture love and compassion between any two people. That includes moms and daughters.

For this one, have the mom seated (or standing, if you’re working with an adult daughter of similar height to her mother). Then have the daughter stand behind her, with her hands over her shoulders, leaning forward in a gentle hug.

It’s a pose that represents closeness, unity, compassion, support, and everything else that makes mother-daughter relationships truly unique.

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9. Walking, Holding Hands

This is one of my favorite beginner-friendly mom-and-daughter photo poses to use, because it works no matter how old your subjects are and almost always produces truly charming, lovely results.

All your subjects need to do here is hold hands and walk together. From there, there are dozens of ways you can play around with framing, angles, and so on.

You can have them walk towards the camera, looking over at one another with a smile, for example, or have them walking away from the camera, hand-in-hand, as though they’re setting off on another big adventure together.

10. Pointing at Something in the Distance

Here’s one of my favorite mom-and-daughter photo poses to use when I’m shooting in exterior environments: the point.

Have your subjects standing side by side, but angled away from the camera, as though they’re looking at something off in the distance behind you. It often helps to actually designate an object or point on the horizon to have them look at, for consistency.

Then, have one of them raise their arm and point at what they’re looking at. It’s as simple as that, and the results can be breathtaking.

11. Piggyback Ride

Next, I’m switching back to one of the more physical poses that works best for moms with very young daughters, ideally in the preschool or elementary school age bracket.

Here, you want the little girl to climb on her mom’s back for a piggyback ride. Have the mom support her daughter’s legs to help them both get comfortable. From there, it’s up to you how you frame the shot.

Positioning yourself at a slight angle to your subjects can work well, with them both looking into the camera or beyond it, at something the viewer can’t see.

However, I also find that this pose works well when you capture it from the side, with both mom and daughter gazing off into the distance, ready to face the world together.

12. Dancing

Last but certainly not least, the dancing pose. This is one of my favorites, for two big reasons.

First, it helps the subjects relax and have fun, which is always so important when it comes to capturing authentic, amazing shots.

Second, it’s one of the most flexible poses. There are lots of ways to work with it, and you’re always guaranteed to be surprised by the results.

This isn’t even a fixed pose, per se. It’s more of a mood. You simply ask your subjects to dance together. The mom might twirl her daughter around, for example, or the pair could link hands and begin to boogie with one another.

All you have to do is capture those precious instants where everything lines up just right. I recommend using a high burst rate and a wide aperture to let in the light and give yourself the best chance of taking the perfect picture.

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4 Professional Tips for Mom-Daughter Photoshoots

With the mom-daughter photo poses listed above, you should find it much easier to plan out your family photoshoots and shift naturally from one pose to the next, producing top-notch images to add to your portfolio and wow your clients.

But poses aren’t the only thing that matters. Here are four more top tips to improve your mom-daughter photo sessions.

Mix Things Up

A lot of beginner photographers, in particular, make the mistake of only using a few familiar poses during their photoshoots. I find it’s much better to mix things up, spending short amounts of time on each pose before shifting to another.

This not only provides you with a more varied and eclectic mix of images to sift through and edit later on, but also creates a livelier and more dynamic environment for your subjects to enjoy.

Add Props

Props are always worth considering when it comes to family photoshoots. There are lots of ways you can work them into your mother-daughter poses to produce even more exciting results.

Flowers, books, fruit – there are lots of possible props to work with. It’s worth asking your mom-daughter duos if there are any special items, in particular, that they’d like to include in their images.

Use Fluid, Flowing Clothing

Dressing your subjects appropriately can make all the difference, and when working with female figures, like moms and daughters, I often like incorporating loose, flowing fabrics in the form of dresses, skirts, scarves, and so on.

Dressed this way, your subjects can flip, throw, and twirl their clothes during the shoot, adding more movement and energy to the images you capture.

Keep Your Subjects Comfortable

Remember: a few of the poses in my list are quite physical, involving the mother lifting or carrying her daughter, which can be a little taxing over time.

Keep that in mind. You don’t want to wear out your subjects or put them under unnecessary pressure. Use active poses in moderation, and give your subjects time to rest, as and when they need it.

Final Thoughts

Whether you have your subjects dancing, hugging, holding hands, or pretending to play, these creative mom-daughter photo poses should help you more easily capture the special bond they share.

Try out several of the poses above in your next photoshoot to find your favorites.