Being photographed – some of us hate it, others pretend to hate it. Whether you stand begrudgingly or pose like a star, you can’t beat our professional tips on how to look better in pictures.
For the Shoot
Obviously it helps to know about a shoot in advance. (Even though you’re not in a Parisian loft with a guy named Stefan barking at you, we’re still gonna call it a shoot). Regardless of the scale or formality, a little planning goes a long way.“Now give me your purest allure,” barked Stefan.
1. Get comfortable. Got a favorite outfit? Rock it. Do what it takes to feel as cool and relaxed as possible in your own skin.
2. Find a background that’s interesting and appropriate, but not distracting. As we’ve said before, white backgrounds can wash out light skin tones, but colorful backgrounds can cast an uncomplimentary hue across the skin. Find a happy and personal medium, whether you’re in front of a brick wall or a distant, soft-focus landscape.
3. The sun is your friend, but not your best friend. Morning and late afternoon shots avoid squinting, grimacing, and the harsh shadows of noon.
4. Shoot a lot.**** This ain’t 1904, so feel free to shut a thousand shutters in search of that perfect image.
5. Have fun with the photographer. A candid grin looks a million times better than a forced smile (remember every yearbook picture ever).
For ya Body
Posture is hard, right? It’s like, do your job, bones! It’s important to refine what feels like a really awkward position in the pursuit of a natural-looking photo.
6. Stand tall. Beyond being totally good for your mental and physical well-being, it conjures a certain swagger that’ll have people saying, “Good thing someone took a picture of this person, because, wow!” Still, you’re not on the cover of Time, probably, so don’t face the camera directly.
7. Face your body slightly away from the camera, but too much will look like a goofy glamour shot. Try standing with your feet pointing 45º away from the camera. From there, twist at your waist so your chest is almost facing the camera.
8. This is going to sound weird, but: extend your neck and turn your head slightly away from the camera. Bring your forehead a wee bit forward a bit and tilt your chin down. It might feel awkward, but the pose helps define the edges of your face.
For ya Face
Your face is for sure the most important part of the picture.
9. Find your happy place (or if you live next to a donut shop like us, your second-happiest place). A couple seconds of meditation relaxes your face, brightens your smile, and protects from photography’s arch nemesis: blinking. Have your photographer give a countdown. Take a deep breath, relax, and slowly open your eyes with a smile before the picture’s taken.
10. Put your tongue on the roof of your mouth. This will shape your chin and jawline, plus keep your smile from getting too huge. In a perfect world: the huger the smile, the better. Alas, the prices we pay for beauty.
11. No flash. Ever. Think of flash as the best way to look worse in photos. If you can’t escape it, diffuse the light with something translucent (thin fabrics, wrappers, whatever).
12. Tone down your shiny skin with a damp cloth, which doubles as a thing that feels good if it happens to be hot outside! Wearing makeup? Try oil-blotting papers or tissues. Don’t worry about it too much, though. Most of us aren’t blessed with movie star complexion.
Post production
Remember, PicMonkey’s Touch Up tools are perfect for fine tuning portraits, virtual cosmetics, and fun transformations!
