Posing rule: if it is obviously staged, look straight at the camera and own it

Fabrizio Rausa's core posing philosophy is that you should not do things on camera that you would not naturally do without a camera present. If you are standing in front of the Eiffel Tower looking away into the distance, no one believes that is candid because nobody just stands there like that without a photographer. So if you are going to pose, commit to it. Look directly at the camera and look like you own the place. Ninety-nine percent of the time, looking away in a clearly staged photo makes it worse, not more natural. The only time looking away is acceptable is when you are genuinely doing something with your hands or body in the frame.