1. Posture
2, Angle
3. Face
4. Style
5. Fun
– I hate to break it to ya, but your Mama was right. You gotta stand up straight! Our posture sucks these days. If you’re like me, you’re hunched over a keyboard (computer and musical) all day and all night. This is the fastest way to look slimmer in any photo you take and it’s super easy. I used to dread having good posture in photos because I thought it emphasized my rather large chest so, I did the whole “hunched over model thing.” Holla if you’re a bigger chested gal like me! But, over time I realized that this posture not only made me incredibly sore after a shoot, it did nothing to elongate my body and actually made me look heavier. So stand up straight!
– Angles, angles, angles! Standing straight on to the camera is not a very flattering pose. Even slightly turning your body so you’re facing the camera at an angle can drastically change the outcome of your photo. Try out a few different angles to see what looks best. Pro tip: it’s not always what “feels” best so get in front of your mirrors!
– On that note, let’s talk about your face! It’s gorgeous, right? But you’ve taken about 75 selfies today and hate all of them. You’ve got to learn your faces! Stand in front of your mirror and practice different facial expressions and emotions that you want to convey. Sometimes we think we’re making an “edgy” face, but in fact, we just look mad or confused. Once you start practicing different faces you’ll start to learn what expressions look best in photos. You’ll also start to get more tuned to the face you make. Do you tend to tighten your lips when you get nervous? Work on that! Is the smile you’re making forced or natural looking? Once you spend time practicing your faces, you’ll start to feel wildly more comfortable in front of the camera. And trust me, you might feel like a total dork when you’re practicing. Just go with it…
– The clothes make the man or woman, right? How many times have you LOVED an outfit but then saw yourself in the photos and hated it? (Raising hand shyly.) Yes, we’ve all been there. If you can’t afford to hire a stylist or Art Director (hint, hint) make sure that you follow a few styling guidelines. Don’t wear clothes that are too tight. Unless you have a master photoshopper on hand, you’ll want to be able to comfortably move in your clothes. Too tight and you’ll feel too restricted and you won’t want to move around. You also won’t like the tiny bumps and rolls that come from wearing clothes that are too snug. Another great piece of advice, wear clothes that elongate your body. Stay away from really busy patterns or clothes that cut off in the wrong places. Wear styles that emphasize the parts of your body that you love!
– My last bit of advice is the most important! The number one way to take a better photo is to adjust your ATTITUDE! Are you having fun? If not, you’re probably not going to get a stunning image. Find ways to relax before and during your shoot. Not trying to advocate alcohol, but would a tiny glass of bubbly make you a wee bit happier? You might try to do a quick 10-minute meditation or gratitude check before you snap your shots. Anything that can help you get into a stellar mental state before you shoot will make your photos POP. If you start to shoot and you find yourself feeling less than amazing. Ask your photographer for a quick break to regroup. There’s no rush, own your attitude and you own your shoot!
See, you look better already! Want to look EVEN BETTER in your next shoot? Click here.