when talking on positions, it all depends on the subject, most ppl look good with a 45degree profile shot, sometimes siting high, siting on a stool. when the subject is standing sometimes the problem is in the arms, it can disable the whole posture. what excactly are you looking for? male, female. the best is experimenting for yourself so you can get an idea on what posture looks good with what subject. something very important make your subject relax the subject is pretty big to have a definitive answer
I guess most people copy something they`ve seen that they like, consciously or otherwise, and there`s nothing wrong with that.
There are so many different ways to go now, not just with the pose but with the look of it.
When we do kids in our studio, we`re coming away from static poses and encouraging them to jump around all over the place. We use wide angle lenses (which is sort of against the usual advice - you SHOULD use a slight telephoto) and we really like that ultra-narrow depth of field look you can simulate in Photoshop when the face is pin sharp but the focus falls off very quickly in front and behind.
Probably your best bet is to get hold of a book on it and try to work towards the stuff that you like best.
well im focusing on women and girls in my current project...standing and with plain backgrounds...but sometimes, even if they are relaxed, the arms are awkward, and i dont really know how to fix that
This is one of the best portrait photographers that I have found. Her work really made me think about the way that I take portraits. Maybe you will get some ideas off her site too.