8 easy best friend poses for 2, and who holds the phone

The easiest best friend poses for two, in the order to try them: holding hands side by side, a hug from the side while you look at each other, heads together with an arm around the waist, a cheek-to-cheek hug, arms around the neck of the friend behind you, a jumping hug, facing each other holding forearms, then joined hands raised overhead. Prop the phone at chest height with the timer, or hand it to someone with the pose on screen.

All eight come from Onpose’s with-friends set. The rest of the set, including the lifts, the carries and the ground pose, is in the best friend poses for 2 hub, along with the full timer setup for two.

Who holds the phone?

With only two of you, there are three options, and only two of them work for these poses.

Option 1: nobody (propped phone, timer, burst)

The default, and the most flexible, because you can shoot as many rounds as you like without asking anyone for anything. Prop the phone, line up one of you as a stand-in, mark both spots and run the timer. The step-by-step version is in the hub’s timer setup for two.

Option 2: a third person, briefed by the overlay

A passerby, another friend, a sibling. The overlay fixes the usual problem with asking someone to take your photo, which is that they can’t see what you have in mind. Open the pose, hand them the phone, and say three things:

1. “Keep the ghost’s feet on our feet.”
2. “Hold it upright at your chest, not up at your face.”
3. “Keep tapping until we stop.”

That’s all the direction most people need; the longer version is in how to teach someone to take good pictures of you. If your photographer is tall, ask them to bend their knees a little: a phone held at a tall person’s eye height looks down on you both.

Option 3: one of you, at arm’s length

That’s a selfie. It’s fine for two faces close together, but none of the eight poses below fit in an arm’s-length frame, because they all show at least half of each of you. Use option 1 or 2.

For a wider guide to shooting without a photographer, see how to take pictures of yourself, and for posing basics that work alone or together, how to pose for photos.

The eight poses, easiest first

Each pose adds one new thing to the one before it, and the first five share a single phone position.

1. Two standing, hands held low

What it adds: standing on the same line. Stand close, one of you slightly behind the other’s shoulder, and hold hands low between you. One of you lifts her free hand behind her head. Check on screen that your feet are level with each other’s. First-timer trap: standing stiff and straight. Fix: both soften your outside knee.

2. Side hug, eyes on each other

What it adds: looking at each other. One of you wraps both arms around the other’s waist from the side; the front friend holds those arms, and you turn your faces toward each other instead of the lens. First-timer trap: staring at each other so hard it looks like a contest. Fix: one of you looks at the other’s eyes, the other looks slightly down.

3. Heads together, arm around the waist

What it adds: heads together, faces to the lens. Stand close with your heads touching; one of you puts an arm around the other’s waist and the other holds that arm. The reference pulls a pout, but a smile works too. First-timer trap: leaving a gap at the hips. Fix: step in until your sides touch all the way down.

4. Cheek-to-cheek waist hug

What it adds: a full hug. Turn in to each other, wrap your arms around each other’s waists with the forearms crossed in front, and press cheek to cheek with both faces to the lens. First-timer trap: hugging so tight your shoulders hunch up. Fix: keep the hug at waist height and let your shoulders drop.

5. Arms around the neck of the friend behind

What it adds: depth. One of you stands half a step behind; the front friend reaches back with both arms around the back friend’s neck and tips her head back toward the lens, usually with the taller one at the back. Being half a step farther from the lens, the back friend will look a fraction smaller, which is expected. First-timer trap: pulling down on the neck. Fix: rest your forearms on the back friend’s shoulders and keep the grip loose.

6. Jumping hug

What it adds: movement. Face each other and hug tight while one of you kicks a foot up behind, and both turn your faces to the camera. Bring the phone about 2 feet (60 cm) closer than for the first five. First-timer trap: both faces buried in shoulders. Fix: both turn your heads toward the camera, cheeks together.

7. Facing, holding forearms

What it adds: profile. Turn to face each other, hold each other’s forearms at about waist height and look at each other, so the camera sees you side-on. First-timer trap: standing so far apart that your arms go straight and tense. Fix: bend your elbows and take a step closer.

8. Joined hands raised

What it adds: height. Stand slightly staggered, each raise one arm and join hands overhead, and clasp your other hands low. Move the phone back so your joined hands stay in the frame, and a little lower so your arms reach into the sky. First-timer trap: arms going up at different moments. Fix: count down together and let burst run through the lift.

Shooting all eight in one go

Leave the phone in one spot for poses 1 to 5, bring it closer for 6 and 7, and move it back for 8. Once the overlay’s opacity is just right, leave it alone. Two or three bursts per pose is plenty. Go through all eight, then review together and redo the two you liked most with whatever you learned along the way.

Browsing the poses and lining up with the overlay are free; taking and saving the photos needs Onpose Pro.

Common mistakes

• Looking at different things. One of you is at the lens, the other at their friend. Fix: one shared cue per burst, said out loud.
• Skipping the stand-in check. You walk into the frame and you’re both off to one side. Fix: line up one of you first, mark the spot, then start the timer.
• Clashing outfits. Two loud patterns fight each other. Fix: one pattern at most, or share one color.

FAQ

What are cute poses for 2 best friends?

Heads together with an arm around the waist, a cheek-to-cheek hug, and facing each other holding forearms. They need no practice and look natural.

How do you take a picture with your best friend without a tripod?

Lean the phone against something at chest height, like a wall, a bench with a bag behind it or a café table, and use the timer with burst. Or hand it to someone with the pose on screen.

What do we do with our hands?

Give each of you a contact point (held hands, a hand on a waist, an arm around a neck) and a different job for your free hand, so you’re not mirror images.