pose

Pose refers to the arrangement of a person’s body in a particular stance or position, typically held for a purpose. It can be static or gestural and is used in art, photography, dance, sport, and everyday communication. The word derives from Old French poser, meaning to place.

In art and portraiture, models assume poses that convey character, mood, or narrative. Painters study anatomy and balance; contrapposto is a classic stance with weight shifted to one leg that creates a dynamic pose.

In photography, modeling, and 3D graphics, posing directions shape the image. Standard or editorial poses are guided by professionals, and a neutral T-pose is used in computer graphics to align limbs for rigging.

In computer vision, pose estimation identifies key joints and tracks pose through time. Applications include sports analysis, rehabilitation, augmented reality and virtual reality, and animation, with challenges such as occlusion, diverse body types, and lighting variations.

Culturally, poses function as nonverbal communication in rituals, performance, and social media; in yoga and dance, named poses describe sequences with specific postures. Pose thus spans practical alignment for function and aesthetic expression, as well as technological analysis and symbolic meaning.