We’ve all suffered from a little Insta-envy over those bloggers with gorgeous portraits, stunning landscapes, and flat-lays for days. Whether you’re a brand new blogger trying to incorporate visuals into your site or Insta, or just simply looking to enhance your slay in photos, here are 10 tips for looking better in photos.
Avoid the forced smile whenever possible. We all remember the awful “say cheese” *flash, click* of elementary school photos. When taking photos, try and think of something funny, or something that actually makes you happy or excited. Candid moments are more genuine and tend to produce far better photos.
Or cut the smile all together. Now don’t get me wrong. I love smiles in photos, and think they serve their purpose, but I also think a photo can be just as effective without one. After all, there are so many emotions in the world and they each introduce an interesting element to a photo.
Photography (for the most part) is all about testing limits and challenging rules. Typically I steer clients away from facing the camera straight on. It’s all about knowing your angles. Study photos of yourself that you like and see if you can find a common thread in each of them. The more you see yourself in photos, the better you are able to prepare and pose for them.
Opt for clean, non-distracting backgrounds whenever possible. Unless the background is directly related to the content of the photo, don’t let it steal the show.
Try and incorporate some motion or faux movement into your shots. This is especially important for full body and outfit shots. Give yourself a half step in both directions, move around, spin, anything to create interesting lines or details on your clothes or body.
Try the “red carpet” pose: place your hand on your hip, angle your body to the side and turn your head towards the camera. It’s a cliché, but it actually does help you look slimmer. So many poses feel awkward but look amazing on camera.
Don’t be afraid of playing with shadows. Sometimes the most interesting thing about a photo is its creative use of light.
Even with selfies, it’s a numbers game. Whether you’re taking photos of yourself or getting them from a photographer, make sure you’re shooting enough frames. Although it will depend heavily on the photographer, I typically shoot around 500 frames just to get 25-30 great photos.
Outfits are important in photos, but you don’t have to own the latest couture for a gorgeous look and vibe. Hit up your local thrift store for shoot clothes. You’ll have to do some scavenging, but you’ll get an amazing outfit for pennies on the dollar which means more outfits or some post-photo shoot Starbucks!
Relax. I see so many people keyed up and anxious taking photos, but at the end of the day, if you’re tense or annoyed or stressed, the photo will capture that. So take a deep breath, relax, and slide into a pose that feels natural to you.
That’s all, folks! For more weekly tips about posing, modeling, Photoshop or general photography techniques, check out my website!