In years gone by, for many of us, our only photos were our shots from school picture days and big family events. It was easy to look your best on special occasions. Plus, the photo quality wasn’t anywhere near as sharp or vivid as it is now. But modern times have changed photos in so many ways. For example, the frequency with which they’re taken, the quality and definition, and the ways to share them. Photos are a part of our daily lives.
Have you ever looked at other people’s pictures with envy? How do they always look so damn perfect!? Well you’ll be pleased to know, whilst a lot of it comes down to how photogenic you are, there are a few tips that you can try, to help you strike that perfect pose!
One aspect that can make or break a great photo is your teeth. A great smile can make a photo go viral; a bad one can send it to the bottom of the newsfeed, or even worse, make it go viral for all the wrong reasons! You want to look great in every photo! Instead of winging it and hoping for the best, try out these surefire tips for guidance.
Regular Dental Care
You won’t need to use any editing effects or bright filters if you take care of your teeth on a regular basis. Brushing and flossing twice a day every day is the best way to make your teeth pop in a photo. For an extra sparkle, you can always try whitening your teeth. When you take great care of your teeth, it shows. You won’t need any enhancement to show them off. They’ll shine through and become the star of the photo.
If your teeth are less than perfect or if you have a lot of dark fillings or missing teeth an open mouth laugh, might not do you any favors, so a closed lipped smile may be more suitable.
Be Yourself
Be natural. Show off a smile that’s akin to what you’d normally do. Don’t be too cheesy, as it will come across as fake. Keep your facial muscles relaxed. Think about things that make you genuinely happy, for example your dog, your family, your favorite food. Imagine that someone’s just told a relatively funny joke and you’re giving a genuine laugh.
Watch Your Posture
A great picture isn’t always about your smile. When you have bad posture, you tend to slouch down and bend your head forward, this can lead to an unconfident hunched look (which can make you look older!). Instead focus on keeping your shoulders back, chest up and tummy in. Also, try to turn your head slightly to the left or right. Don’t align your head directly with the camera. Drop your chin down just a little. It’ll make your smile look amazing. Not to mention, it’ll flatter your face as well.
Practice Makes Perfect
If you aren’t sure how to smile, practice. It might sound ridiculous, but it’s amazing how many people struggle to smile naturally when they have a camera in their face . Spend a few minutes in front of the mirror trying out different angles. Suck in your cheeks slightly if you want to accentuate those cheekbones. Check out how you look pulling that duck pout. Practicing in the mirror is better than seeing it plastered all over social media. You may not like how your smile appears in photos, but it’s impossible to change that if you don’t practice something different.
Communicate Through Your Eyes
Tyra Banks is credited with coining the term “smizing”. It’s a modeling trick where you communicate emotion through your eyes. If you don’t like your smile or you simply want to enhance it, you should become a master of the smize. One tip that often helps is to look through the camera or pretend you’re looking far ahead. This creates an element of drama and deep emotion in your eyes. They tend to sparkle and create a story of their own.
Know Your Best Side
Knowing your best side sounds like some celebrity obsession that only really famous people care about. But it matters. Most of us don’t have perfectly symmetrical faces. There’s no doubt that one side will photograph better than the other. To figure out what yours is, test it out in different selfies. In one, turn to your right side. Try your left in the other. Compare them. Which one offers the most flattering view? That’s the one you should use going forward.
Go Digital
When all else fails, apps like FaceTune offer a host of tools with which you can edit and alter your photos until you are happy with the end result. Soften your skin, make your eyes bigger, face thinner, you can even add makeup in some apps! Instagram and Snapchat’s filters can work wonders for you in a flash. It’s always better to have the real thing, but sometimes, you need a little bit of extra help.
Whilst it’s great to practice that perfect pose and know your most flattering angle, there is no better picture than a natural shot, when you don’t know the camera is there, when you are lost in the moment. A photo that captures raw emotion like love, excitement or surprise is worth a 10000 shots that have been too well planned, edited or re-taken.
Be careful not to lose the perfect moment, whilst on a mission to get the perfect polished picture of yourself!