Are you perpetually camera shy? If you feel that being photogenic is all luck and no skill, you’re wrong. Whether you need to take a head shot for LinkedIn or just want to photograph better in vacation pictures, I have gathered four picture taking tips to help anyone and everyone look better in photos.
Laugh
Laughing gives you a genuine smile. When I’m concentrating too much and need to look relaxed, I think of the last time I laughed uncontrollably. This technique works great for those who always look like they’re being forced smile in photos. The smile that is left at the end of a laugh is usually the image that comes out the best.
3/4 Shot
Face on head shots are not the easiest photos for anyone. Unless you’re required to have completely straight, dead on head shot, I would avoid it. Showing three quarters of your face is usually easier because 1. You can pick your favorite side to show most and 2. you can tilt and angle your face without it being obvious. It also seems to come off as more natural in my opinion. If you really, really must have your whole face forward, I suggest rolling your shoulders back and tilting your chin. Since my neck is on the shorter side, I always tilt my chin upward; especially if photographers are taking the shots higher than my eye level. If you were blessed with a longer neck, then you may disregard this all together.
Enhance Makeup for Bright Lights
This requires a bit more skill and knowledge of the lighting in your photo’s location. For studio lights, you want to create some dimension on your face by contouring. It doesn’t need to be extreme! just enough to show the shape of your cheeks, eyes, eye lids, and brows. Often times, bright lights combined with foundation can make faces look flat. That is why it’s important add the dimension back in your face after concealing blemishes.
Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize
If using powder foundation, make sure your face is moisturized before applying or mist your face afterward. Any dry patches will be more obvious in bright lighting and flash photography. If your face gets oily, you can always blot it or add a little powder, later. It’s much harder to add moisture without ruining the look, therefore, start off with your face prepped. This goes for guys too, because dry flaky skin doesn’t discriminate!
I hope these tips helped you, let me know your best picture taking tips in the comments below.
Want to see more of my modeling adventures? Check out the Pitbull Freedom video or my portfolio.
