So many of us hate to get our picture taken, often because we think we look bad in photos. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Here are some tips for looking your best in photos the next time someone tells you to “Say Cheese!”:
- Get your winks the night before. A good night sleep will help you look bright eyed and refreshed, minimizing dark under-eye circles and red eyes.
- In general, don’t aim your face directly into the camera. By turning your head slightly away from the camera (while still looking into the lens), your face will have a more flattering shape.
- When faced with the camera, people have a tendency to give a big smile and jut out their chin. To avoid the “all chin” look, keep your neck stretched out slightly to avoid a double chin but tilt your chin down just a bit. Ladies, you can get away with doing this even more so.
- Forced smiles are never pretty and a big giveaway is a smile on your mouth but not in your eyes. When you “smile with your eyes” (a phrase that anyone who’s worked with me has heard before), your whole face moves, including your cheeks, your forehead and your eyes. Next time you’re smiling naturally, notice the changes in your face and try to recreate that.
- Another way to prevent a forced smile is to think of something that makes you happy or chuckle. Sincere, natural smiles make our eyes shine brighter and our face light up, something that can’t be faked.
- For full-body shots, angle your body three-quarters towards the camera, with one shoulder closer to the lens than the other. Ladies, put one foot slightly in front of the other and turn them out a little, with your weight on the back foot. Guys, your stance can be a bit wider and more centered over both feet; feel free to casually put your hand in your pants pocket. And, like our parents always told us, stand up straight!
- If you’re at all concerned about your weight in photos, here’s an interesting rule: If you’re wider than you are thicker, turn your body more to the side. If you’re thicker than you are wider, aim your body towards the camera, turned just slightly away. Also, make sure not to hold your arms directly against your sides as that makes anyone’s arms, no matter how large or small, appear larger.
- Lastly, if you’re posing with someone else, tilt your heads towards each other a little to create a feeling of closeness.
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