From WordNet (r) 2.0 (August 2003) [wn]:
posing
n : (photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for
a photograph or portrait); "he wanted his portrait
painted but couldn't spare time for the sitting" [syn:
sitting]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Pose \Pose\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Posed; p. pr. & vb. n.
Posing.] [F. poser to place, to put, L. pausare to pause,
in LL. also, to place, put, fr. L. pausa a pause, Gr. ?, fr.
? to make to cease, prob. akin to E. few. In compounds, this
word appears corresponding to L. ponere to put, place, the
substitution in French having been probably due to confusion
of this word with L. positio position, fr. ponere. See Few,
and cf. Appose, Dispose, Oppose, Pause, Repose,
Position.]
To place in an attitude or fixed position, for the sake of
effect; to arrange the posture and drapery of (a person) in a
studied manner; as, to pose a model for a picture; to pose a
sitter for a portrait.
[1913 Webster]