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"Why do I look bad in pictures but good in real life?"
It's a question people ask me every day as a headshot photographer. Well, in this article I'll show you how to find your best angle for photos in just a few minutes so you start liking pictures of yourself (and yes, this works even for people who hate having their picture taken). Ready to get started? 
How to Find Your Angles
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Since we're so accustomed to seeing faces, it's hard to notice asymmetries.
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But when you flip the image upside down, it's easy to spot the differences on each side.
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My face looks fairly even when it's right-side up, but when flipped upside-down you can easily see that one side is bigger than the other – especially when it comes to my eyes. Finding those imperfections makes it easier to discover my best angle when the photo is flipped upright again.
Take a moment to notice the unevenness in your own face, and then move on to Step 2.
Step 2: Find Your Angle Score
I use this method to quickly find my clients' best sides in headshot sessions, and it consists of using a simple scoring system where you assign points to each side of the face based on certain criteria. Then you total up the numbers to find your angle score.
How to Tell Which Side of Your Face is Better (look into a mirror as you follow each step):
In order to find my good side, let's say my jaw looked better on my right, but my eyes and nose looked better from the left. Plus, I can hide a blemish when I turn my face so the left is towards the mirror. If I add up the points, I would get 1 point on my right side and 3 points on my left. So in this case, my better side is definitively the left. Your turn!
Now you might be wondering: What happens if both sides get the same number of points? Well, it's time to turn to tie breakers!
Move onto Step 3.
How to Tell Which Side of Your Face is Better (look into a mirror as you follow each step):
- Eyes: First, look at your eyes and notice if one is bigger than the other. In most cases, the bigger eye should be the one positioned closer to the camera. Give the side of your face with the bigger eye one point. If both eyes are almost the same, don't assign any points. Note: To make it easier, touch your face on the side where your giving yourself a point, because since you’re seeing a mirror image of yourself it can be easy to get confused.
- Jaw: Look at your jaw. Turn your face a bit to each side and notice if your jaw looks fatter or thinner on one side or the other. In most cases, shooting with your face angle turned so the jaw looks thinner is the best choice. Give the side of your face that makes the jaw look thinner another point. Again, it’s possible that both angles look about the same. Only assign a point if one side is noticeably different.
- Nose: Look at your nose. Does your nose look larger or smaller from one side or the other? Does it seem to be more pointy or distracting from a certain angle and less from another? If one angle makes your nose look significantly smaller and/or less angular, assign a point to that side.
- Blemishes & hairline: If there are some blemishes or distracting marks you don't like, or you don’t like your hair from a certain angle, give the side where your blemishes/hair problems are less distracting another point.
- Add it all up. Add up all the points and see which side had the most!
In order to find my good side, let's say my jaw looked better on my right, but my eyes and nose looked better from the left. Plus, I can hide a blemish when I turn my face so the left is towards the mirror. If I add up the points, I would get 1 point on my right side and 3 points on my left. So in this case, my better side is definitively the left. Your turn!
Now you might be wondering: What happens if both sides get the same number of points? Well, it's time to turn to tie breakers!
Move onto Step 3.
Step 3: Find the Side Your Brain Favors Unconsciously
Did you know that in the wild, animals bear their necks to prove to other animals that they can be trusted? Well, humans are no different!
In fact, research has shown that our brains unconsciously tilt our heads to one side or another when we talk with people – as a way to show approachability and friendliness.
In fact, research has shown that our brains unconsciously tilt our heads to one side or another when we talk with people – as a way to show approachability and friendliness.
Try having a short conversation with a friend and pay attention as you speak. Notice if you start to lean your head slightly to the left or right.
Whichever side you lean towards is the side you should turn slightly towards when in front of the camera – that's because the brain pushes our more expressive side closer to people in conversations, and the more expressive side is usually your best side.
If you don't trust this method, you can try using the Paper Test:
Whichever side you lean towards is the side you should turn slightly towards when in front of the camera – that's because the brain pushes our more expressive side closer to people in conversations, and the more expressive side is usually your best side.
If you don't trust this method, you can try using the Paper Test:
- Find a piece of plain white computer paper and bring it over to your mirror.
- Hold the paper up, covering half of your face, and look at yourself.
- Notice the side of your face where you see more expression. Pay attention to the corners of your mouth, the tip of your nose, and the crinkles around your eyes. If the edge of your mouth is slightly upturned, or your nose is a bit upturned, or even your eyes appear more crinkly on a certain side when you smile... that's you're more expressive (and better) side.
If All Else Fails, Choose Your Left Side
So which side of face looks better? Well, when it comes to the left vs right side of the face, research says your better side is more likely to be your left (if you're wondering, there is no connection to whether you're left handed or right handed).
Want to Look Your Best in Photos?
Download our FREE "Expression Secrets" Guide
We'd like to show you the top secrets we’ve learned over the past decade - secrets we use to help our clients look more experienced and natural on-camera - within the first few minutes of their shoot.
After reading this short guide, you'll find it way easier to capture expressions you want in your photos, no matter who your photographer is!
After reading this short guide, you'll find it way easier to capture expressions you want in your photos, no matter who your photographer is!
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What's included:
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Other Important Factors to Consider
- Don't Turn Too Far to Either Side – a common mistake people make when trying to figure out their best side is turning too far. turning too far can make you think a certain side isn't good, whereas it might actually look significantly better if you turned slightly less. The most you should turn your face to one side or the other is about 1-2 inches. If your nose moves further than that from center, it will significantly change the shape of your face and, while you might like the angle, it's no longer truly representative of you.
- Don't Forget to Tilt Your Chin – Just as with turning to the left or right, you can also try tilting your chin slightly higher or lower and see how that affects the way your face looks. Some people look better with their face angle higher and others with their face angles lower.
- Don't Forget to Smile – Many people have slightly uneven smiles, and if you're trying to find your best side, your smile can actually influence how you look. For instance, you might like your left side, for more serious expressions, and your right side when you smile! But remember – the best way to get a real smile is to laugh. If you just show your teeth, the smile won't be genuine and you won't get a good sense as to whether it looks good one one side or the other.
- Lighting is Also Important – Did you know that certain lighting can make your face look wider or even make you look older? It's true. The lighting in your bathroom mirror is probably not the most flattering in the world, and better lighting can have a dramatic impact on how you look. Read the next section to learn how light impacts your face.
How to Light the Face for Better Photos
One of the benefits of working with a professional photographer is that they can use studio lighting to change the shape of your face. Once you know your best side, the photographer can position the lights around you so that you look as photogenic as possible.
So how do I look photogenic in photos? Well, below are a few fixes that can help your face look better on-camera:
So how do I look photogenic in photos? Well, below are a few fixes that can help your face look better on-camera:
- Face too wide: If your face seems too wide (or fat) in the shot, you should position the lights so that one light comes from above you and another light comes from below you. This is called “clamshell” lighting, and it works wonders to thin out the face. Most people like clamshell lighting best because it’s similar to the light in bathrooms, carving out the structure of the cheekbones.
- Uneven eyes: If your eyes appear uneven where one eye seems bigger than the other, position yourself so that the brightest light is closer to your smaller eye. That will help make the small eye appear larger and therefore, more even.
- Dark eyes: If your eyes appear shadowed or you’re not seeing a sparkle of light reflected from them and they look a bit sleepy, try looking at the top of the lens or an inch higher. If that doesn’t help, you can physically lower the height of the brightest light so it fills in your eye sockets and creates a nice reflection (the reflection is called a “catch light”).
- Double chin: If you’re seeing a double chin, try adjusting your body position or doing the “turtle.” You can lean forward towards the camera a bit to stretch out your jawline or you can push your forehead towards the camera so that your neck gets stretched a bit. If neither of those help, hold the camera up higher, pointing down at you.
- Wrinkles: If you want to soften your features and hide wrinkles and blemishes to look younger, use a brighter and larger light. If you want to define your face more and have stronger shadows to look older, use a smaller and less bright light.
Remember, when you’re shooting outside, sometimes it’s not possible to make all these technical lighting adjustments. However, if your photographer is technically proficient, you should be able to tell them what you’re not liking and the two of you can come up with a creative solution to it, such as turning to one angle or another so the light falls across your face a certain way. They can also try using a reflector from below to create that “clamshell” lighting effect we spoke about earlier to slim the face. Have fun with it and try not to be too hard on yourself!
Remember, customizing the lighting for your face is something most other people won’t notice in your photo... You will probably be the only one who really cares how wide or thin your face looks. So don’t stress too much if you can’t get it looking perfect – your expression is much more important.
Remember, customizing the lighting for your face is something most other people won’t notice in your photo... You will probably be the only one who really cares how wide or thin your face looks. So don’t stress too much if you can’t get it looking perfect – your expression is much more important.
Additional Tips
Once you've become fairly certain of your best side and you have a good idea of what lighting to use, there are some other helpful things to be aware of for photos. In this section, we'll cover them!
What is the Best Angle to Take a Picture?
In almost all cases, the best camera angles are 3 inches higher than the height of your eyes (tilting down towards you) because they can slim out the face. In some cases, you can go higher if necessary.
Shooting from directly straight on or slightly below is often unflattering unless the photographer is an expert with lighting and makeup.
Shooting from directly straight on or slightly below is often unflattering unless the photographer is an expert with lighting and makeup.
How to Find Your Angles for Selfies?
The same process we outlined for finding your good angle applies when it comes to selfies, with one caveat:
The difference between selfies and regular photos is how close your face is to the camera. In a selfie, it's usually only about 2 feet away, whereas with a regular photo, it's about 3-5 feet away.
When you're figuring out your best side for selfies, you should stand slightly closer to the mirror than normal so you get a better idea of how your selfie will look. Position yourself about 2 feet away when you're doing the Paper Test, so you can see your features look like up close.
And remember – whenever you take selfies, hold the camera no more than 4 inches higher than your eyes. Higher than that changes the way you look too much, and you'll start getting so used to seeing yourself in those glamorous selfie angles that you'll start to dislike the way you look in regular photos where the camera is not at that crazy high angle.
The difference between selfies and regular photos is how close your face is to the camera. In a selfie, it's usually only about 2 feet away, whereas with a regular photo, it's about 3-5 feet away.
- Is a selfie how others see you? No, because most people won't be that close to you. The perspective changes!
- Do I look the same in a mirror as in real life? No, because you're seeing a mirror image of yourself. Read this article to learn more.
When you're figuring out your best side for selfies, you should stand slightly closer to the mirror than normal so you get a better idea of how your selfie will look. Position yourself about 2 feet away when you're doing the Paper Test, so you can see your features look like up close.
And remember – whenever you take selfies, hold the camera no more than 4 inches higher than your eyes. Higher than that changes the way you look too much, and you'll start getting so used to seeing yourself in those glamorous selfie angles that you'll start to dislike the way you look in regular photos where the camera is not at that crazy high angle.
Where Are You Supposed to Look When Taking a Picture?
Where to look depends on the type of photos you're shooting:
- Looking straight at the camera – shows control and dominance. It allows you to connect with the viewer in an emotional way. Looking into the camera directly is the best angle for headshots and formal group portraits.
- Looking at something in the frame – shows engagement and makes the shot feel like real life. Typically, whatever you look at will draw the eye of the viewer too, so it should be important to the photo as a whole. Don't just look at something random. Works best for product photography.
- Looking at another person – this can show connection or friendliness. For romantic photos, it gets across the message that you love one another. For team shots in office settings, it shows you're friends and work together as a team. Works best for family portraits, engagement & wedding photos, and team action shots.
- Looking into the distance – this generally makes it look like you're thinking or considering something (unless you're laughing – then it just looks fun). It can work wonders for men in online dating photos to laugh and look off camera because it feels less intimidating than a photo of you looking straight into the camera. Works best for online dating shots and modeling photos.
- Looking up – generally this comes off as a bit stylized and fun. It would almost never be used as a serious shot, but could be considered a stylized fun photo for a website or marketing campaign. Works best for creative photos to be used on websites and in marketing campaigns.
- Looking down – this works well for modeling photos and, similar to looking off into the distance, makes it look as though you're thinking or pondering something (unless you're laughing). Works best for modeling shots.
How Do I Find My Best Pose?
There is no single pose that works best, but generally if you lean all your weight onto one of your feet instead of both, you'll look more photogenic. When our weight is planted evenly on both feet, we tend to feel more uptight and it shows in our expression.
Men should stand at an angle to the camera and lean all their weight on either the back or front leg. Weight on the back leg helps you look more relaxed, and weight on the front leg helps you look strong and confident.
Women should stand with both feet directly towards the camera, and just shift the body weight to one leg or another. Raising one of the shoulders and tilting the head head towards it a bit can make most women look more photogenic.
Men should stand at an angle to the camera and lean all their weight on either the back or front leg. Weight on the back leg helps you look more relaxed, and weight on the front leg helps you look strong and confident.
Women should stand with both feet directly towards the camera, and just shift the body weight to one leg or another. Raising one of the shoulders and tilting the head head towards it a bit can make most women look more photogenic.
How Can I Look Better in a Group Photo?
There are five important parts to looking good in group photos:
- Don't face your body directly towards the camera. Angle yourself so you're on your good side, and avoid standing dead center in the group.
- Wear well-fitted clothes. If your clothes are too big, the camera will make it look like you're much heavier than you really are. Here's a great guide on what to wear in pictures.
- Laugh so you have a great smile. If your expression is fake and you don't look happy, you'll never look good in a group shot.
- Posture is crucial. If you're hunched, you'll never look good. Make sure to stand (or sit) tall!
- Do the turtle a bit. When you push your face towards the camera by about an inch, it slims out your jawline and helps you look better. Just be careful to not overdue it or you'll look oddly hunched!
Can Someone Look Better in Person than Photos?
Absolutely! Most people hate having pictures taken because they feel like the camera adds ten pounds, and they always look uncomfortable and don't feel like themselves when taking pictures.
On the other hand, there have also been people who look better in pictures than in real life! It's rare, but there have been people we've shot in our studio where, when meeting them, we thought they'd be really difficult to get good pictures of. But somehow, within just the first few shots, their smile started looking great and the lighting just worked perfectly for their face!
On the other hand, there have also been people who look better in pictures than in real life! It's rare, but there have been people we've shot in our studio where, when meeting them, we thought they'd be really difficult to get good pictures of. But somehow, within just the first few shots, their smile started looking great and the lighting just worked perfectly for their face!
Why Do I Have a Bad Side of My Face?
It's not necessarily that you have a bad side, it's just that one side of your face can make things look more symmetrical, and the other side can accentuate differences, making your face look uneven. The more asymmetries you can see, the less you'll like your photo.
The Overall Takeaway
At the end of the day, finding your best side isn't a science, it's an art.
And art is subjective.
Worrying what other people think and trying to figure out which side will please the world is only going to hurt you in the long run because being photogenic is not really about what you look like, but how confident you are in yourself.
There's a great quote that goes: "He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself away."
It means that once you've done the basics and found your best side (by following the advice in this article), you should stick with it and feel proud. Don't be afraid of what other people might say or think.
At the end of the day, this is your life, and you should be happy with yourself as you are.
And anyone who has a problem with that? Ignore them! You do you.
And art is subjective.
Worrying what other people think and trying to figure out which side will please the world is only going to hurt you in the long run because being photogenic is not really about what you look like, but how confident you are in yourself.
There's a great quote that goes: "He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself away."
It means that once you've done the basics and found your best side (by following the advice in this article), you should stick with it and feel proud. Don't be afraid of what other people might say or think.
At the end of the day, this is your life, and you should be happy with yourself as you are.
And anyone who has a problem with that? Ignore them! You do you.
--About the Author of this Guide--
Martin Bentsen is an actor marketing coach who uses “outside the industry” thinking to help actors book more work. He’s helped over 6,000 actors with their careers and actor headshots since 2009 and his photography studio City Headshots is ranked #1 on Yelp. He’s spoken at NYU, The New England Theater Conference, The Actor’s Green Room, and other venues.
Want to book more work by thinking strategically? Start with his free Actor’s Toolkit to create new opportunities right away, or visit his website at www.martinbentsen.com.
Want to book more work by thinking strategically? Start with his free Actor’s Toolkit to create new opportunities right away, or visit his website at www.martinbentsen.com.
Further Reading:
I hope you enjoyed this article! If you have questions about finding your good side of face or how to look more photogenic, feel free to leave a comment below and I'll get back to you within a few hours (I always read every comment that comes in).
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