To do this, stick your chin and then tilt your head forward. This should reduce the chances you end up with a double chin in photos, as it creates a slimming effect. [2] X Research source Imagine that there is a string pulling your nose up to create a more refined jaw line. [3] X Research source
Asking the photographer to count to three before he or she takes the photograph will help you time this right. [4] X Research source Close your eyes fully right before the photo is taken. Open them slowly, just before the camera clicks.
If you are female, use mascara on your eye lashes, and curl them, or apply false eyelashes. This will open up your eyes and dramatize them. Filling in your eyebrows with a slightly darker brow pencil will also emphasize your eyes. Remember that people’s features often look lighter in pictures than they do in real life. Apply your makeup in natural light, though, to make sure it looks good and also use primer. [5] X Research source To highlight the cheekbones, apply blush and bronzer. Put the blush on the apple of your cheek, and put the bronzer around the outside of your face as well as on your cheekbones. [6] X Research source
To make your smile more natural, take a deep breath, and exhale right before the photo. Keep your jaw open, and make sure not to clench it so you look more relaxed. You can also put your tongue behind your teeth when you smile to increase the natural look. Get someone to tell you a joke, and then have the photographer snap your reaction.
Try to spot patterns. Which angles, smiles, positioning looks best? Replicate it the next time your photo is taken. Models and professional photographers often use very precise angles. They study what works for a particular person in photographs and what doesn’t. Don’t just shoot randomly.
Turn your head to a three-quarter position or a 45-degree angle. This will give your features more depth. If you have a very large nose, though, you might want to look at the camera straight on, as that pose will reduce the size of your nose in pictures. [7] X Research source
To replicate this, put one hand on your hip and angle your body to the side. Now, turn your head towards the camera. Celebrities will do this pose two ways. Either they will put their left hand on their hip and left leg out, or they will put the right leg out with both hands on their hips. Some experts say this pose will give you an automatic “tummy tuck” in pictures. It’s an immediate slimming effect. [8] X Research source Facing straight forward makes the body look wider.
If the person holding the camera is shorter than you are, sit down when they take the photo to create the downward angle. If you’re taking a selfie, hold the camera slightly above your head, and tilt it at a downward angle. If someone (say a child wielding a camera) shoots you from below, you’ll look overweight and like you have a major double chin (even if you really don’t). That’s almost no one’s most flattering angle.
Figure out which side of your face looks younger and photographs better. Do this by studying many photos of yourself. Then try to position your face in photos to highlight your better side. The side of your face that is stronger, more structured, and more defined is usually the side that is “best. ”[9] X Research source One study found that most people’s left sides are their “best side. ” Research has found that highlighting the left cheek creates a more positive emotional response in surveys. [10] X Research source
Dig your fingers into the crown of your hair right before the photo, and scrunch the hair. It will make your hair look less like you have a “helmet head,” too. Back comb the hair at the crown of your head, and use a little hairspray on it when styling your hair for a photo. Use a curling iron to curl back a piece of hair at the crown.
Try not to stand directly next to a person who is much slimmer than you are. Props or other people’s bodies can hide body parts that you don’t particularly like (the stomach, the arms). Cinch your waist with your hands. Put one hand on either side of your waist but position the hands so they face inward several inches. Do not be the person who stands closest to the camera because that is likely to make you appear even bigger than you are, especially if everyone else is standing at the same length from the camera. If you’re a lot shorter than someone else in the photo, try not to pose alongside a frame of reference (meaning something we all generally know the height of, such as a mailbox).
Money is a stronger sound, and it will turn the corners of your mouth upward. This will create a genuine looking smile. The problem with the word “cheese” is that it turns the corners of your mouth downward, creating a poor angle.
If more of your legs are visible in the photograph, such as by wearing a short skirt, they will look longer. Swimsuits cut high at the hip and skinny jeans with flare bottoms also create the illusion of longer legs. Patterns can be very distracting in photos. Blue and red photograph well; there is a reason politicians often use them![11] X Research source Sleeves will keep the focus on your face, not your arms. Fitted clothing usually looks better in photographs than baggy clothing does. Collared shirts are nice for framing the face.
This also helps the camera’s automatic settings settle on a good color balance, so it means your skin won’t look too yellow or pink in the final photo. Take a lot of pictures. Very few people look good in pictures all of the time. So if you take more of them – many of them – you can choose the ones in which you look best.
It’s a good idea to take pictures when the sun starts to set. If you pose for a photograph when the sun is at its height, the downward sunlight will create bags under your eyes and highlight other facial imperfections. You will look younger at dusk because the light brightens up the area under your eyes, making you look younger overall. Light is also more diffused on cloudy days, so it will lessen the lines on your face. Similarly, you could use your camera’s flash in sunlight because it will even out skin tone and create a brighter effect that is more flattering.
The reason for this is that alcohol can make your eyes look droopy, in addition to causing other issues (your makeup may have started to run, and so on). The bottom line: almost no one is at their best in photos after a couple of drinks, so avoid it. [12] X Research source
Putting a filter on the photo or slightly boosting its brightness can even out your skin and even make your eyes look brighter. Crop the photo to highlight the parts that look better. Boosting the color and saturation of the photo can give your skin a slightly brighter hue. You’ll be amazed at the difference a little enhancement can make.
