On Being Photogenic: Hints From Models & Photographers

2Feb/100

On Being Photogenic: Hints From Models & Photographers

I will be the first to admit that I am entirely un-photogenic; I’ve never really nailed the art of having a great photo taken. I’ve even sat through entire Sunday marathons of ANTM to glean a few tips from Tyra, all to no avail. Oh, sure, once in a while it happens, but it’s almost always a happy accident. I have come to terms with my silly faces and the weird thing my chin seems to do when I smile for the birdie, but it sure does get old after a while.

Maybe you’re like me, and it takes you forty-five minutes in the bathroom mirror to end up with an acceptable Facebook profile. (…or maybe you hurled the camera across the room in a fit of rage and swore to forever dodge all snapshots.) Luckily, I know plenty of photographers and models, both amateur and professional, that do some really unique work…so I asked them to give me their best tips for taking excellent portraits, from both sides of the lens. If these don’t help me, nothing can!

♠ Kirk the photographer says:

General over all best advice I could give is:

1. Read your camera manual and know what the settings do. (Stop shooting in auto.)

2. Think about what you want to shoot and how to achieve it. (If you don’t know, ask Google, YouTube, group or friend.)

3. The smallest details make the biggest impressions. (Pull your face away from the camera and take a minute to look at what you’re shooting. You’ll usually find something(s) that’s not supposed to be in the frame.)

4. (Intentionally left blank)

5. Shoot, shoot and shoot some more.

6. Photoshop can only do so much! Everyone loves the camera, but the camera only loves a few back.

♠ Colleen the gothic model queen says:

I have taking a good picture down to a science. This is great because even when I’m schnookered I just get into a pose, and then I look cute and not sloppy. My advice is mostly for being photographed candidly, but it’s a good starting point for photoshoots as well.

1. Stand up straight and extend your neck. This prevents the double chin effect.

2. If further double chin defenses are needed, press your tongue on the roof of your mouth.

3. Practice facial expressions and smiles until you find one/several that always look good. For me this is smiling, angled towards the right to show my profile a little.

4. For posing, find a position that emphasizes assets and flatters flaws. For me this is angling my hips (like they do in pageants, actually — they do it for a reason, it’s slimming!) and hands on hips (makes my upper arms look smaller, draws attention to my waist with my hands).

The main difference for photoshoots is that you try to vary things more, obviously. I find the key for shoots is giving subtle variations of the same pose — it often takes five or six attempts for everything to be positioned well. Better to take a bunch of repetitive shots and get one perfect, than to have dozens of “almost but not quite.”

Hope that helps :)

♠ Sophie the alt-model says:

Whenever I was in front of a camera, I put a bit of my acting experience into what they wanted me to be. If I was a glam girl, I wore the attitude more than the outfit. If I was a fresh faced girl with a cute dress, I became coy/shy.

If you have no acting experience, then spend a while in front of a tall mirror. Try out poses, notice how they make you look. See which work best, and discover what is unflattering for you (that way you can avoid it during the shoot).

If you find doing this in front of a mirror is awkward, try setting a digital camera with a timer and take a bunch of ridiculous photos. Look them over, try the poses over and over, change the angles, everything you can think of.

The one thing that helped me the most, as ridiculous as it may sound: look at the camera like you know it has a crush on you.

If all this fails and you still don’t feel confident enough, listen to the photographer, and don‘t be afraid to try out what s/he suggests.

♠ Maery the tattoo-artist model says:

There are about a million tricks, but the thing is, you gotta try them all out and see what works for you. You have to be as comfortable as possible, so if any of the tricks seem stupid to you, the photograph will show it in your eyes.

For all beginners– ³⁄₄ everything. Never face the camera squarely or head-on. Always tilt the body slightly away, same for the face. ³⁄₄ profile is nearly 200% more flattering them anything else.

Lift the chin. It’s better to be too high then too low.

Lift your arms! Don’t just keep them squished to your body, they tend to create an unflattering and boring silhouette, and they can be used for so much fun and flair!

Think of a sexy secret. Cycle through different expressions during the shoot. Don’t keep one for longer then a few seconds or it will look forced.

Lean forwards. It really changes the energy and perspective of the viewers. Plus, it usually shows some boob too :)

And if you’re really shy, and every photo has always looked horrible and your looking for a no-fail trick: PROPS. Lick a lollipop, play with a flower, tousle your hair or mime getting dressed or undressed. Play and interacting with things really takes your mind off being photographed and allows for fun, natural, candid-looking shots :)

♠ Heather the alt-model says:

Hmmm… I’m not the best with photo shoots. I start to feel like a dork. So sometimes it can be be good (especially since we are shooting digital these days) to be a dork for a few minutes and get it out of your system. Acting up can make you feel more comfortable in front of the camera. Tell the photographer what you are doing first though so s/he doesn’t think you’ve lost your mind.

Also, if you feel like you eyes are getting tired or going blank, take a second to look at the ground and then back up at the camera. It’s kinda like setting the reset button and it really help to wake up your eyes.

♠ Sunny the photography guru says:

Never shoot a woman from below. You end up with a very truncated figure and everyone has a double chin. Slightly higher than eye level usually provides me with a good image. That way, they have to lift their chin slightly, creating a more pronounced jaw line and elongating the neck.

Also, If you’re shooting full body, having the subject turn slightly away from the camera, so that one hip is facing it. This helps to create a slimmer line. That’s about all I got.

♠ Latex Lily the shiniest goth model (and promoter!) says:

I would say take practice shots and practice with facial expressions and angles in a mirror. A lot of knowing how to look good in front of a camera is trial and error.

♠ Jessamyn is both a model and a photographer — ooh la la — and she has this for us:

I’m keen on using stuff like Estee Lauder ‘Tone Perfector’ — it’s vaguely reflective, so when the light catches, it smooths out minor skin blemishes like large pores, etc. Also, using Ben Nye translucent setting powder has a similar effect, can be applied with a foundation brush/blusher, i.e for contouring/highlighting the face without using blush or other very obvious makeup. I like to use it across the shoulders/chest/thighs/rump as well to highlight areas — the less that has to be touched up in Photoshop, the better.

As to how you cant the chin/cheeks, as a model it’s just something you learn of how to hold yourself with respect to the light. How to tuck your hips/tighten your core/engage your lats so you get a square shoulder line. Also, stand contrapposto — basic premise of art analysis. Very classic, very dynamic, very natural/appealing. (For contrast, standing completely square can be arresting, but often is very unflattering.)

♠ Laurent the photographer (who greatly helped me compile these tips) says:

Yes, contrapposto helps enormously. (I didn’t know that was the term for it.)

There really is such a thing as a “best side”, so you might want to try taking some pics and see.

Energy in the stance helps, as was mentioned. How to look in the camera is also useful. There’s something that happens if you are too aware of yourself as posing.

♠ Beth the most glamorous model mama says:

The best advice that came to me came from Jenna Jameson…look at the camera like it’s someone you desperately want to have sex with. Instant photo pop.

What’s contrapposto? Relax your body and shift your weight to one foot, and notice how your body twists at the hips and shoulders. You see it everywhere in classic art, and the most obvious example is…

…now to put our new-found knowledge to the test! Don your favorite outfit, make yourself up (or don’t!), and practice your tuckus off so you don’t have to dive for cover the next time someone hauls out a camera and starts snapping candids. Send in your before-and-afters if you want and I’ll post them here for a followup!