Hey friends! And welcome back to my blog. Today I’m gonna be sharing how you can look good in photos doing just 5 simple things. Let’s get into it!

1. Make sure you stand up nice and tall!

This may seem like an obvious one, but one many people struggle with. Whenever a camera is pointed at us (or at least, those of us who aren’t models), we tend to feel a little self-conscious and naturally shy away. This can lead to photos where you’re slouching which aren’t flattering for anybody. Make sure you straighten that back up & roll those shoulders back and you’ll look confident (and thinner!) in no time.

2. Don’t let those hands dangle

One of the things a lot of people wonder when they’re getting their picture taken is, “What do I do with my hands?” I’ve got a simple solution for that! Your hands should always be doing something when you’re posing for a photo. If you’re taking a photo with your significant other, try putting your hand on their arm, waist, chest etc. If you’re by yourself (and you’re wearing pants with pockets), put your hands in your pockets, or if you’re wearing something without pockets (like a dress or skirt), lightly pinch the material of your dress with your index and thumb or rest your hand on something (like a balcony, fence etc.) If you want to make your photo look effortless, take your hand and halfway run it through your hair and pretend like you’re tucking your hair behind your ears.

If you’re still not happy with what your hands are doing in photos, try grabbing something to hold! Like a flower or bouquet of flowers!

3. Chin forward and down

Sounds weird right? Lots of us are a little self-conscious about having a double chin. (And if you’ve ever accidentally turned the camera on your iPhone on when you’re laying down in bed, you get it!) But a great way to avoid that is to bring your chin forward and down. Down, you say? Shouldn’t I be lifting my chin up? Nope! I know, sounds counterintuitive right? But trust me, if you raise your chin, what is it that the camera is going to see a lot of? Yup, that’s right–your chin. Which is something you’re wanting to minimize! But by bringing your chin forward and then slightly down, you’re accentuating the line of your chin, making you look 5 lbs thinner!

4. Keep it moving!

Movement is something the camera loves–try twirling, running, jumping or even walking slowly in your photos. Sometimes photos can look a little boring, so try switching things up a bit! We’re always drawn to action in movies, so add them to your photos and see how interesting they can become!

5. Have your body at an angle away from the camera (for the most part)

For the most part, you don’t want to be facing the camera directly. 9 times out of 10, you want to be at an angle, tilting your body towards the right or left of the camera and looking at the camera slightly over your shoulder. Take a look at the photos below as an example!

The first photo of Paula is beautiful (because Paula is a beautiful girl!) but the second one, I think is way better. Her chest is pointed to the side and her face is looking at the camera at an angle instead of head on. (Also notice that her chin isn’t raised, but brought forward a bit from her body and still down accentuating the line of her face, just like the chin forward & down trick from #3!)

Now I did say “for the most part,” so when is it better to face the camera head on? The short answer is if you’re a guy (usually!) 😂 Men are typically built in the shoulders and so (depending on the guy), having them square to the camera, with their shoulders facing the camera and their feet hip width apart accentuates their shoulders, which a lot of guys are proud of (especially if they hit the gym a lot!) Take this photo of Bryce and Fiona below. Bryce is super tall with wide shoulders, so he looks very masculine facing the camera full on!

Bonus–empty your pockets!

Nothing looks weirder or more awkward than a bulging thing in a pocket! Whether it’s your keys, wallet or cell phone, if you’re taking a full-length photo of yourself (or someone else), make sure your pockets are empty of anything that looks bulky!

And there you have it! Those are my 5 tips to looking great in photos! If you’re wanting a photographer who can remind you of all these tricks & help you look even more gorgeous than you already are, reach out to me here to book your photo session.