Post by leunas on Jul 27, 2006 4:30:46 GMT -5
When it comes to having my sister's photo taken, she only has one look. We call it the passport photo look. You know, the one - her eyes are like the eyes of a dead fish staring at you from a bed of ice cubes. Her facial expression is more at home in a mug shot. By the way, the image shown here is not my sister but Nick Nolte but the resemblance is uncanny! Unfortunately, the passport photo look runs in our family. So her photo problem is also ours.
Is being photogenic genetic? While looking great on cam comes naturally to some people, we were told it's something of a skill. And if it's a skill, even a monkey can pick it up, right? So if you're tired of looking like crap in every pic you're in, these tips may help transform you from ugly duckling to something less ugly.
- Wear the right clothes. Certain colors complement certain skin tones, others tend to bring out the worst. If you have no idea what colors look good on you, do some research or perform a trial-and-error using a digital camera.
- Hide your blemishes. Photographs can easily hide certain features you don’t like. If one side of your face looks unappealing, try the other side. If either side registers poorly, try the back of your head. Just joking!
- Determine your best angle. Jennifer Aniston said everybody has a good and bad side. But she's freaking Aniston. What the h311 does she know about bad sides anyway? But beyond hiding your blemishes, finding the right angle for your face can be tricky. Again, experiment and look for your most flattering angle. Then stick to that angle if that means threatening the photographer with physical assault for not accommodating your request. The classic pose is to place your body 3⁄4 toward the camera with one foot in front of the other and one shoulder closer to the camera than the other. This won't work for everyone and every photo op, though.
- Hide a double chin if you have them. Tilt your head down slightly and position yourself so the camera is a little above your eye level. Or if the photographer is shorter than you are, put one hand under your chin as though you’re resting your head on your hand with the thumb side of your hand out of view). But don’t rest any weight on the hand or the skin will be placed in an unflattering position. Another trick, rest your tongue against the roof of your mouth.
- Stick your neck out. This goes well with the 3⁄4 pose to the camera mentioned in Tip #3. Imagine you're a giraffe, lift your neck but slightly tilt your head down so your chin doesn't thrust out. This improves facial definition and helps make wrinkles and flabby skin look less obvious.
- Relax. It's not a mug shot (see even dishy Nick looks bad when tense). Saying cheese with a frozen look results in an odd facial expression. If you’re nervous in front of the camera, which adds insult to your frozen cheese face, take a deep breath and exhale naturally. Relax your arms and shoulders. Smile or strike a pose as you exhale. Holding your breath makes you look tense or choking on a piece of food (frozen cheese?). Try to ignore the camera. The more comfortable and relaxed you appear, the better the photo will turn out.
- Think happy thoughts. Which means don't think about how all your previous photos turned out like mug shots. A happy memory will bring a genuine smile on your face. A forced smile makes you look...well you know how you look. Imagine something really funny or think of people who makes you happy. If you don’t like your smile or your teeth, you can go for a more subdued, closed- or partially-closed-mouth smile. Either way, the happier and more relaxed you are, the better.
- Smile with your eyes. Smiling eyes project happiness and beauty. Try a happy, somewhat mischievous expression of the eyes. How do you make your eyes smile? Imagine that the camera is a person you have a crush on walking into the room. This will bring on a wider open eyes and a relaxed smile. Smiling with our eyes is something we all do but many of us are not aware of it. Practice the smiling eyes in front of a mirror and learn how to do it on cue.
- Don't slouch. Good posture can dramatically improve your appearance in pictures whether sitting or standing. It makes you look healthier, more alert and more attractive than your slouching companions. Remember to breathe normally and relax your shoulders. If you're a habitual sloucher, you may look stiff if you you adopt this pose, so practice this in the mirror.
- Go for the professional photographer if you can. Especially if that photo is bound for an online dating service. Professional photographers know how to bring out the beauty in people.
- Edit or enhance photos. Hey, even cover girls get the digital brush up these days. Changing the lighting effects or using filter effects can dramatically improve the appearance of your complexion.
- Keep facing the firing squad. Photogenic people like having their picture taken. They are relaxed and happy before the camera. If you cannot overcome your photo-phobia, pretend you like the camera. Imagine the camera is someone you love, a long lost friend, a old flame, your child at age three. Anything that will make you look at the camera lovingly!
photography.qj.net/How-to-Be-Photogenic-Tips-For-Not-Looking-Like-a-CSI-Case/pg/49/aid/58869