How To Pose For Photos: The Professional Guide
When The Camera Clicks
While it might seem like every photo a model posts on Instagram is done with a dollop of graceful laissez-fairness usually there are 100 photos behind that perfect profile pic, so for the best photos try and take as many as you can and edit down from them.
While you’re taking test runs keep an eye on the photos and try and figure out what your best side is. A 2012 study from Wake Forest University found that when asked to assess pictures of men and women from the right and left-hand side, the 37 male and female students surveyed overwhelmingly favoured the left side, which is generally regarded as more aesthetically pleasing. However, not everybody’s face is created equal, in more ways than one, and because of our face’s asymmetry, your right side may look better in photos. The only way to find out is through trial and error so look at past photos that you like of yourself and try and notice a recurring side.
David Beckham for H&M
What To Do With Your Face
One thing that may make one side better than the other is a must-hide blemish. “Sometimes there are obvious features to show or hide,” agrees Barnham. “I once photographed someone with only one nostril, due to a bicycling accident, which was best avoided.”
To hide a double chin, or even just to prevent one showing up that isn’t there, push your chin out and a little bit down. This will also make the jaw look more angular. Do not pull it back as this tends to be why double chins show up in photos. An elevated camera angle will also help here, and not be facing the camera squarely, as doing so can cause a face to widen, while a little bit of a turn helps to create a more chiselled look.
Richard Biedul for Reiss
When smiling try to keep your tongue behind your teeth and to the roof of your mouth. This keeps the smile controlled, prevents a gummy smile and can also lift the face while tightening the area underneath your chin. According to Way, a smile and a laugh is the key facial pose in his modelling arsenal. “It’s the simplest and most beautiful of expressions.”
