No one wants to see themselves looking dorky and bulgy in photos, but unfortunately, most people have no idea what to do in front of a camera. Below I have organised tips that will immediately allow you to improve on such “awkward scenarios” as soon as you understand them. Spare some five minutes, and say goodbye forever to ugly pictures!
1. Get used to cameras
In this day and age where everyone has a camera on hand, it’s no longer possible to say stuff such as “I don’t want to be in the pictures” or “I am not used to taking pictures”.
- Point 1. Conquering your fear of cameras is something that need only be done once in a lifetime. Once you’ve overcome it, you will never be afraid again. In an era where everyone has a camera, this is a must.
- Point 2. The key to overcoming the fear of cameras and making a breakthrough is: find “the face (the most attractive angle/expression)” for you when taking pictures of yourself through mirrors or selfies and use that same face for every other picture you will be taking from now on
- Point 3. If your smile is unattractive, then don’t smile in pictures. No one said you have to show your gum when taking pictures, just do whatever that makes you happy
- Point 4. Don’t clench your jaw because of anxiety! Jaw clenching will make your face look shorter and rounder
- Point 5. If your hair covers too much of your face, you can try using an appropriate amount of hair to “shrink your face”, though covering too much of your face will make the picture look funny
- Point 6. Try placing your hand beside your face if you feel too nervous, and imagine it is your hands everybody is looking at, then say goodbye to nervousness! (Though if your hands look like a fish cake, it probably will make you feel even more nervous than before)
- Point 7. Go to your happy place when taking pictures, the details of your face will be altered just so slightly that you will look better in pictures
2. Try out different side angles
Taking pictures without turning to your side even a little bit will make you look “intense and vigorous” when shooting from up front, it will only leave two kinds of impressions: very dense or very angry.
Side angles include “twisting the whole body (with the shoulders as reference)” and “twisting just the head”. These are generally completely separated topics during discussions. However most of the time, side angles means turning around 45 degrees, simple.
Below is a list of examples of the suitable head angles for different subjects after assuming a side angle of 45 degrees clockwise. The head angle is set at 0 when the front of the face is in line with the front of the shoulders.
Female soft and beautiful: head turned 0 degrees
Female individualistic and enigmatic: head turned 15 degrees, chin slightly raised
Female confident: head turned 45 degrees counter-clockwise
Male confident: head turned 60 degrees counter-clockwise, chin slightly lowered
An additional note is that usually, a raised head will emit tension and aggression, while a lowered head will give a softer and easier feeling.
3. A person that doesn’t know where to place their hands will never take a good picture.
- Point 1. The most difficult part is that you must understand where “the hands” need to be placed. Practice, face the mirror and practice, find your hand placement first, this way you won’t be at a loss when facing your photographer
- Point 2. Hand poses can completely change the effect of a photo, whether you want a soft and gentle effect or a strong and fashionable look, the hand placements must be met with special attention. Even if you think a pose may feel “unnatural”, it may often be in spite of that the “most natural look in the final photo”.
- Point 3. Modelling photos where the model looks relaxed are often shot while the model is exerting a lot of effort. Aside from rehearsing beforehand, you must check with your photographer on the scene and decide whether or not your poses are suitable
4. Kashiwagi Yuki’s posing phrase: “rock, paper, scissors”
5. Full body shots tip: Place the centre of gravity on one leg, and control the other leg to change the mood
After preparing the face and hands as mentioned previously, what is left of the full body shot is just the bottom half of the body.
“Leg poses” are peculiar, there isn’t much to be said about it, but it can’t be just glossed over. Combinations include a mix of touching or separating the knees and touching or separating the ankles, for example:
Ankles touching + knees together gives a sweet and delicate feeling.
Feet pointing outwards + knees separated exudes a sense of confidence.
6. Everyone should have a signature Big Pose
If you want to capture the feeling of a fashion magazine in your shots, memorise the following two Big Poses and save them as your ultimate moves!
Most people are probably not familiar with those and cannot really handle a Big Pose, especially when shooting outside, it must be rather embarrassing. But the effect of Big Poses are truly amazing, so you must try them out when you’ve got the chance!
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