Sepia is a brownish tone used in photography.
While sepia pose is not a standard photographic term, it sometimes describes a common aesthetic in sepia portraits, which reflects the historical use of sepia prints.
Color
Sepia, commonly used in photographic context, is a dark brown-grey pigment originally derived from the ink of a cuttlefish. Today, even digital cameras often include a sepia option.
Pose
Usually, photographers use sepia for more elegant or rustic-looking photos, and often models' poses reflect a 19th-century aesthetic of propriety.
History
Photographers in the early 20th century used sepia paper, which was extra sensitive to light; therefore, their negatives had to minimize contrast and use delicate lighting. Certain close poses and minimal shading helped sepia prints develop more crisply.
Slang
Often the term sepia pose refers to a shot in sepia that reflects a sense of nostalgia, historic photography or an intimate portrait.
Pop Culture
The book "Trance" by Christopher Sorrentino uses the phrase sepia pose to describe the positions in which his characters sit, like "a 19th-century family group."
Tags: sepia pose, sepia prints