We are in full travel time right now! That means vacations, saying “Cheese” for multiple
photographers, or just wanting to snag a gorgeous selfie for your social media page. I just returned from a huge family vacation last week and decided to brush up on some tips for how to be photogenic — so I could stand out from the crowd and not have any photos I couldn’t share.
Tips on How to Be Photogenic
1. Body positive:
- Keep your upper arms a few inches away from your torso. When they’re flat, they can appear wider. Try putting them on your hips to give your photos a little flair!
- Turn to a ¾ angle. It can be so much more slimming than standing head-on in a
photograph. Add a hand on that hip and some proper posture, and you’ll work it! - When sitting down, cross your feet at the ankles and sit up straight. When crossing is done at the knees or one leg over the other, you can make it appear as if there is more bulk than you want (think about the upper arms against the torso).
2. About face!
- Don’t hold your jaw too tight. Keep it relaxed, and put your tongue up on the roof of your
mouth to help your smile from becoming too wide. If you feel uptight on camera, it can really show. - Push your head a little outward and upward while slightly pulling your chin down to get your face away from your body and wave goodbye to those extra chins!
- Think of a fun memory or joke. Your smile will look a little more organic than plastered-on. Your face will look happier, and your eyes will twinkle! This is one of my favorites because then you’ll get a beautiful, natural smile!
- Smile with your eyes. If you’re not a huge fan of your teeth, use the Tyra Banks “Smizing” technique (smiling with your eyes) or a sly side-smile.
3. A few makeup tricks of the trade:
- Take a pic to determine extra makeup. Camera flashes have a tendency to steal the color from your face. If you are undecided when applying your makeup, just take a quick selfie. You’d be surprised how different your makeup looks on camera! Sometimes, that little bit of extra blush or lipstick can really help.
- Full eyebrows. Your eyebrows show so much expression. Filling in your brows with a little bit of eye shadow will ensure that the camera flash won’t expose any gaps in your eyebrows
and help you to look more like, well, you! - Accentuate eyelashes. You don’t have to put on crazy drag queen lashes to look good in photos. Sometimes just some shorter lashes will just give a little more volume and oomph! Or just snag an awesome fiber mascara and give it an extra coat.
- Wearing a bolder lip will stand out and give your smile more definition as opposed to wearing a nude lip or clear gloss. Show it off, ladies!
4. What to wear to look your best:
- Color control. If you are experiencing a sunburn, rosacea, or a flair-up of blemishes wearing red will only exacerbate the problem. Try wearing something with green in it to neutralize that redness.
- Go darker. Thinner, tighter, and lighter in color fabrics can show off more than you want at times. Wearing darker clothing can help you to look slimmer. There is more than one reason I only wear black!
- Test for flash. If you know flashes will be used, be careful and do a cell phone test flash with your outfit at home. Some fabrics tend to be see-through when that bright light hits them.
I hope these tips for how to be photogenic have helped you to feel more comfortable in front of the camera. I know I felt very uncomfortable until I started practicing with selfies and with the mirror. That may sound crazy, but I’m awful in front of a camera… hence the reason I do the “behind the scenes job” of makeup! Just shine from within, and you will always be your gorgeous self in photos! Take care, ladies!
>READ: HOW TO LOOK YOUR BEST IN A PHOTOGRAPH
>READ: IS YOUR LIFE AS HAPPY AS YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PHOTOS?
