Look better in photos

Whether gathering for family snapshots, or having your portrait professionally photographed, there are a few simple things anyone can do to look better in photos. I often employ these methods for my clients during their session, and you can try these tips yourself the next time you're in front of the camera.

Angle your body. Facing straight towards the camera with both feet planted side by side makes your body look wider and only works for very slim model types. Angle your body away from the camera, one foot in front of the other and one shoulder closer to the photographer, weight on the back foot. To slenderize the waist even more, keep the hips angled away from the camera, then twist the upper body towards the camera. Men look better and more natural by just shifting their weight to one foot, leaning to one side, rather than standing stick straight.

Sit pretty. For sitting poses, again, angle your body, knees pointing to the side rather than straight at the camera. Sit up on the edge of the chair, not slumped into the back of the chair. Lean a bit to one side by propping your back elbow on the arm of the chair, a table or on your knee. This creates a diagonal line leading to your face, and adds life to the image.

Don't slouch. Good posture can dramatically improve your appearance. Most people slouch without realizing it, making them look heavier and tired. Sit and stand tall with spine straight, shoulders back and relaxed not hunched up towards your ears, belly in, buttocks tight.

Chin out and down. Lean in slightly toward the camera. Move your face forward a bit and tip your chin down slightly. This eliminates double chin and really engages the eyes.

Eliminate double chin. Position yourself so the camera is above eye level and tilt your head up to it.

Tilt the head. Tilting your head slightly forward toward your ear looks more natural and engaging.

Arms out. Move arms slightly away from your body, elbows bent slightly, for a more toned look and to avoid upper arm heaviness. This also allows the curve of your waist to show, making you look slimmer.

Avoid blinks. To feel at ease, try closing your eyes, then opening them slowly just before the photo is taken. This helps minimize blinking.

Smile gently. Learn to 3/4 smile, relax and think happy thoughts. A really big smile often exposes too much gum, and squints the eyes, making them look smaller.

Smile with your eyes. Tyra Banks calls this "smize". Open eyes wide, tilting up at the corners a bit, with a closed or slightly parted, relaxed mouth.

Don't look directly into lens. Try focusing your eyes just slightly above the camera lens.

Breathe. Don't hold your breath, and do some deep breathing in and out to relax and energize you.

Practice. Try these tips and posing in front of a mirror to see what works best for you and your body. Studying poses shown in magazines or catalogs is also helpful.