Making Monday Pretty: Tips For Looking Great In Pictures
Posted by Hayley French on
Yes, being a Victoria's Secret model definitely helps, but for the rest of us 99.9%, here are some tips on taking your best picture every time!
1. Find the light. If possible, always look for natural light and make sure that the source is above eye level. Lighting from underneath can tend to look unnatural, unflattering and down right scary. Remember that famous scene from the Blair Witch Project where the girl holds the flashlight under her chin? Please avoid that look at all costs!
2. Beware of your surroundings. If you're taking a close up, make sure that your background contrasts your hair colour or the colour of your shirt so you don't blend in. A brunette will look better against a white wall and a light blonde better against a darker backdrop.
3. Find your angles. Our faces and bodies are not symmetrical, so naturally certain angles will flatter us more than others. Take some pictures of yourself or look at pictures where you think you look good to see what the similarities are in your position. Avoid holding your phone or camera too high, you want to aim for just slightly above eye level. For most people, a 3/4 profile is more flattering that straight on just as standing on an angle in a full body shot is more slimming and flattering compared to straight to the camera.
4. Get your makeup right. The biggest thing is to make sure your foundation or concealer is the right colour, too light will make you look ghostly in flash. Match your colour to your neck so that everything is seamless. You don't need a full face of makeup but the musts include: blush to make you look healthy and not washed out and to give your face some dimension, mascara to draw attention to your eyes and make sure your brows are tamed to frame the face. Oh! Also please avoid anything too shimmery or sparkly, it will not translate well on film.
5. Make movement. Static hair looks just that, static. Before the photo is snapped flip your hair or shake it out to make it look like it has movement and body.
6. Make it natural. Right before the picture is going to be taken try to think of something funny to make yourself laugh. It will cause a much more natural smile and come across more genuine and less staged.
Hope you all have a beautiful Monday!