"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 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.
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).
If you enjoyed this article, here are a few others you might like:
If you enjoyed this article, here are a few others you might like:
2 Comments
12/5/2020 05:18:57 am
It's absolutely nice. If you follow this instruction you can take perfect photo .
It's 100% effective for photography.
Reply
Leave a Reply.
THE BLOG
Hey I'm Martin, and my goal is to help you reach yours. I love writing content about career advancement, marketing strategies, productivity, and much more.
For guest posts, please email me at martin@cityheadshots.com.
For guest posts, please email me at martin@cityheadshots.com.
Archives
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
September 2020
August 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019