Everyone knows someone who is camera shy – people who as soon as the camera comes out will duck behind someone else, or just grimace and contort their face into a look of disgusted disapproval – of course it doesn’t help that this makes them look worse in photos and something of a vicious circle thus tends to begin.
However there’s no hiding from the camera in this day and age, and while you might be able to escape from a lot of pictures, there are always going to be times when you have to pose – whether it’s at your wedding, or at a big family outing.
The good news is that the camera doesn’t have to be your enemy. In fact if you know how to pose it can very much be your friend and you can really make it work for you. Some people find they look much better in pictures than they do in real life because they know how to work it. Here we will look at how to look great in pictures.
Your Jaw
One of the most important things to work on for photographs is your jaw line. A double chin = a bad picture, whereas a defined chin will make you look chiselled and model like. This is very much a matter of lighting and angle however. One way to make your jaw look better is simply to ensure that photos are taken from an overhead angle. This way your neck won’t be visible and that will make your jaw the cut off point. If you are taking the picture yourself then try holding it just above you and pointing it down.
If you don’t have that option then another thing you can do is to tilt your head back just slightly and that way you can again create more of a distinction where your neck ends and your jaw begins. It’s also a nicely nonchalant look in itself.
Rehearse
It’s not just something cliché – most of us genuinely do have a best side, and if you know which side that is then you be sure to put that side forward in pictures (tilt your head backwards and the opposite way to show off that side).
Likewise many of us don’t really know how to smile on camera, and haven’t quite chosen our best grin to put on for pictures. Unfortunately the biggest grin isn’t always the most photogenic so make sure to practice a more casual smile that nevertheless lights up your face. This way you can reproduce it on demand.
Don’t go over the top though – insane duck like pouts that try to suck your cheeks in or seductively raised eyebrows will only make you look like an idiot… If you aren’t sure then get a helpful friend or partner to help you choose your best look for the camera.
Prepare
You should also of course make yourself look as good as possible to help you out on the day. For women the right makeup can make you much more photogenic in pictures, and the things to concentrate on are an even complexion, and a little color to bring out your best features. For men the right amount of stubble and a good haircut can help to outline your best features and to frame your face in an effective way.
Aiden Watson works as an wedding photographer in Melbourne and is aware of the best techniques in photography. So he decided to come up with a blog to help others.