How to look good in photos

            Giselle Bundchen, Adriana Lima, Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell, Januel McKenzie, Tyson Beckford and Antonio Sabato Jr. What do all these famous phenomenons have in common? They all look positively amazing in photographs. As supermodels, they have made millions of dollars from strutting their stuff in designer outfits and taking wonderful pictures for magazines, billboards, and advertisement campaigns. Do you wish to rival these superstars and look absolutely fabulous in photographs? Well, never fear, Nella is here! And I’m here to help you.

           

Often times, it is those of us who lack confidence in our body images or who feel that we are not very photogenic, who criticize every photograph that we are in. In doing so we tend to be excluded and forgotten from wonderful memories, as we are not captured in the moment and even when we do decide to or are forced to take photos, we are often lost in the crowd. So you recognize that there’s a problem. What on earth do you do now? Just follow these tips and you are sure to see an improvement in the pictures you are captured in.

Warning: Following these tips may lead to wonderful pictures!

1)   The first step in improving your photographs is to find out why exactly you look bad in pictures. Look at the previous pictures of yourself and pictures of other persons who you think look great in pictures, and identify why they look good and you look not so good. Some things that may ruin a picture include pimples, blemishes, zits, bad clothing or hairstyle, squinted or closed eyes, and an unnatural or bad smile. Look for signs of these and others when inspecting your photographs.

2)   Once you have identified a problematic feature, the next thing to do is to practise. If you feel very uncomfortable in front of a camera, the best thing to do is to practise in front of a mirror or a camera if available. Find free time to sit and pose, and decide what positions you look best in, what is your good side/bad side and what way you want to smile. You can start small and practice smiling and facial expressions in the mirror first, and once you feel you have mastered it, you can move to being in front of a camera.

3)   Oy oy oy! I’m about to take your photo! If you still feel self-conscious before taking a picture, take some time to get comfortable. Get a mirror and check yourself out or ask an honest friend for his/her opinion. Check your clothes, fix any hair that is out of place, powder your nose and/or put on a little make-up, if you must. (Note: Do not put on too much make-up. No one wants to look like a clown in the picture and trust me the camera will show it). Do whatever you feel will make you happy with the outcome of the photograph.

4)   Another word to the wise is to not eat anything before you take a picture that will stain or get stuck in your teeth. The appearance of unwanted ‘guests’ in your teeth can ruin anyone’s day and any great photo. Also, eating a heavy meal (e.g. bread, pasta or pastries) right before a picture tends to result in your stomach kind of bulging out or you may even get sick.

5)   And finally, the most important thing you can do to look great in a snapshot is to smile. Flash on that 100 watt smile and show those pearly whites. The perfect smile, not too big or too small, is the final ingredient for the perfect photograph recipe.

These tips can be used anytime you are taking a picture, from group settings to your yearbook or class picture. Looking good in pictures make us feel more confident about ourselves, not only about pictures but about other areas of our lives. Just remember not to pressure yourself too much to look good, and spend a fortune on your hair, clothes or make-up.