Essential Tips for Looking Better in Photos

Whether you are a model, or just want to look better in your selfies, there are some tips you just have to follow in order to improve your photos. You can really make a difference to the results.

It is worth keeping these tips in mind, especially if you want to make a career out of modelling or to run a fashion/lifestyle blog. You will see a vast improvement over time, and this could translate directly into getting more work. These tips could seriously raise your overall blog quality too, gaining you more readers!

B E F O R E   T H E   S H O O T

Prepare your look. 

Make sure that you know what you are going to wear and that it fits you, and that your hair and makeup are sorted out. You can also try to take better care of your skin and get more sleep directly before the shoot. This will help you to look more refreshed and will minimise the amount of editing needed.

Get professional help. 
Having a makeup artist and hair stylist on board as a minimum should really raise the level of the shoot. Doing your own make up just cannot compare to what a professional can do (unless you are a professional!). You can also get a wardrobe stylist to give you something amazing to wear. This will all help to create a much more professional look in the finished shot. If you want to look like a Vogue editorial, you have to have a team around you who can create it!

Practice poses and expressions. 
You can do this simply by looking in the mirror, or by having a friend snap photos on their phone. Then you can figure out which looks work the best for your face and body. Everyone is different and what looks good on someone else might not suit you. You can get inspiration from magazines, Pinterest, and online searches.

Do your research. 
This means looking around at fashion magazines and searching online for similar images to what you are thinking of. Photographers will often put together a moodboard to direct their shoot. If you have a particular theme you want to capture, you can search for it and see what others have come up with. This will allow you to see what works – and what doesn’t – before you step in front of the lens yourself.

Talk to your photographer. 
Unless you are taking the photos yourself, it is very important to get on the same page as your photographer. Make sure they understand the results that you want, or that you understand theirs. They may have ideas or tips that they can discuss with you to make the shoot come out better. If you know that some angles or lights are unflattering to you, then offer this as friendly advice to help the shoot run more smoothly. Remember that even taking a few shots for your blog on your own camera can be considered a photoshoot. Take it seriously!

D U R I N G   T H E   S H O O T

Relax. 
It’s easier, said than done, we know! But letting yourself go a little and having fun will help your
poses and expressions seem more genuine. There’s nothing worse than the rabbit in the headlights look. You also don’t want an overly contrived look which you end up trying in each image, as this can look way too over the top and silly.

Look for your light. 
Normally, the most flattering light can be found by turning your face towards the light source. This eliminates any strange shadows that might otherwise block off parts of your face, and will also lift you up, making you appear fresher and often younger. If you do not want the photograph to be taken dead-on, then simply move the camera to the side, leaving your face always facing the light. When there is more than one light, play around to get the right balance between them.

Change your expression and smile. 
Even though you practiced all of those expressions before, sometimes it can start to get tired and overdone. A simple smile is the most refreshing and beautiful expression you can go for. Change it up, too. Just one expression will make all of your photos samey and boring.

Rhiannon D'Averc is a freelance writer and photographer living in the UK. She is available for commission in various fields relating to both writing and photography, including combined services suitable for blogs or product launches. She has previously been published in various fashion and photographic magazines.
You can find her photography rates, portfolio, and blog at www.pcistudio.co.uk