10 Posing Tricks to Look Better in Pictures

how to pose for pictures

It happens to me all the time: we are about to take a photo with a friend of mine when she or he claims that they are not photogenic and hate taking pictures. Today, I share my tips and tricks on posing and how to look better in pictures, so you are not camera-shy anymore. These are the techniques that I use to look more or less presentable in photos when I’m not feeling like being photographed.

It’s All About the Details

When it comes to taking photos, oftentimes it’s not about your facial impression but rather about your clothes and accessories that could make or break a picture. You don’t have to be a fashion stylist though to put together a photo-friendly look—it’s all about the small adjustments you could make to the outfit you were already planning on wearing for it to become photo-friendly.

Accessorize!

First and foremost, always make sure to wear a piece or two of jewelry while taking photos. Accessories make more difference to any picture than you know! Take, for instance, the cover shot for this blog post where I’m wearing my favorite jewelry pieces. Without this fabulous statement ring and glamorous earrings, the photo would look “naked” – meaning, there would be nothing to stop an eye at.

The same goes for less staged shots. If you are wearing a cute necklace or a beautiful cuff, these accessories will add up to your look, making it appear more finished and refined. As a result, the picture would be more interesting to look at.

Avoid the No-No Prints

There are specific patterns and color combinations that I avoid while taking photos and videos. A big “no-no” is a classic banker stripe print. Even though stripes are the most significant trend of the season, small banker stripe print creates all sorts of visual illusions when videotaped.

It also rarely looks cute in photos, especially if we are not talking about a professional camera. So, my advice would be just to avoid it just in case.

Forget About Tights

I do not recommend wearing tights in photos. Especially if we are talking about a see-through nude type of pantyhose. Nude pantyhose looks a bit weird in pictures. Sometimes they cause a flashback or funnily catch the light, which could ruin an otherwise great photo.

So my advice would be to skip on tights or wear black ones instead.

Posing for Photos

Every photographer has his tricks on what to do and not to do in front of the camera. Since I’m taking the majority of photos by myself, I had to learn my face to look a bit more presentable in photos.

I understand that a person reading this post does not have the time to take an acting class or book a shoot with a professional photographer to learn how to put together their perfect “photo look.”

That’s why I’m providing just a few suggestions that might help you to feel a bit more confident in front of the camera.

Think About Your Eye Movements

I learned tip number one from a good friend of mine, a fashion photographer Vital Agibalow. He always told me that my eyes should move on the same trajectory as my nose. Imagine your face facing straight ahead.

Your eyes are looking straight, and your nose is facing forward—that’s easy. Try keeping the same eyes and nose positioning while looking sideways. Meaning, don’t keep your eyes too left or too right. You’ll look much cuter when your eyes and nose are facing the same direction, and you are just changing the position of your head.

Posing: What to Do with Your Hands

When it comes to body positioning, I prefer keeping a hand on my hip. Especially, if I’m wearing a monochrome outfit. That way, the hand location helps to emphasize the waistline and get yourself organized for the shot. I noticed that one of the biggest problems people experience while taking photos is figuring out what to do with their hands.

Saying so, I recommend always keeping a hand on your waistline so you don’t think too much about looking cute in pictures and just intuitively strike your signature pose. Later, when you feel more comfortable taking photos, try introducing additional poses to your photo-taking arsenal.

Don’t OVERSmile

One of the typical posing mistakes I see people making is trying to achieve a stereotypical American smile look. Granted: it looks stunning when some celebrities are doing the same on the red carpet. However, I think that a full smile is not the best solution for everyday photos. By stretching your smile too much you flex jaw muscles too much and the lower part of your face looks wrinkly and tense.

Also, I personally feel that a full-mouth smile looks too fake—especially if you are only smiling with your mouth and your eyes remain emotionless. Instead of putting a full smile on, try relaxing all the muscles in your face first (i.e., eliminate tension in your brows, jaw, and mouth) and then put on a half-smile. Try expressing a positive emotion with your eyes first and then add a tiny smile as a cherry on top of this otherwise peaceful look.

Photo-Friendly Makeup

Finally, my last set of tips about teaching yourself to look cute in photos is all about makeup. You’ll be surprised but oftentimes the photo doesn’t come out good not because of your posing, but because of the makeup products that didn’t work right for the occasion.

Whether it’s a powder that leaves a white cast on your skin or lipstick that sticks to your teeth, there are so many makeup tricks that will help you to look better in photos.

Why Foundation Matters

Apply foundation not only on your face but also blend it all over your neck and even chest if that area is open so you don’t see an obvious line between your bare and makeup-covered skin.

If you are afraid that your foundation will transfer to the clothes, stick to long-lasting foundations like Estee Lauder Double Wear and L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte and set it with a translucent setting powder.

Pick the Right Shade

Make sure that your foundation is not too light. If you happen to take a shot with a flash, with a lighter tone on your face you will look like a ghost! This trick is especially important if you enjoy self-tans and spray tans. Make sure that your face tone is not dramatically lighter compared to the rest of your body.

Flash-Test Your Powder

Talking about using the flash, make sure that your foundation and setting powder do not cause flashbacks. From the ingredients standpoint, avoid foundations that contain SPF and glitter infusions.

Also, stay away from loose powders that contain silica and mica. I’m not a scientist to explain why, but these ingredients cause a major flashback on me.

Highlight on Point

Don’t use a highlighter that is too light for your skin tone. It might look illuminated in real life, but in photos, such makeup will look unnatural and might cause flashbacks.

Instead of silver undertone blinding highlighters, stick to more subtle gold undertone shades. Preferably, pick fine melted highlighters as opposed to glittery ones.

* * * * *

There you have it: 10 tricks that I use to look better in photos. Whether we are talking about holiday photos or just your regular selfies, I hope these tips help you to feel a bit more confident in front of the camera! Please let me know if you learned anything new from the post or whether you use any of the same techniques for taking your photos. I can’t wait to hear your feedback!

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

35 Comments

  1. Love these tips! I’m always looking for ways to take better pictures. I was so interested to hear the tip about keeping your eyes in line with your nose – I had never heard that before!

    Madison // http://www.madsmaybe.com

    Posted 12.14.17
  2. SimplySory wrote:

    Buenísimos los tips, genial el post.

    Te dejo nueva propuesta navideña,
    http://www.simplysory.com/2017/12/11/looksparaeventosnavidenos-coloresneutrostoquesderojo/

    Posted 12.12.17
  3. You shared some great tips here and I love the jewellery!

    Daniela
    http://www.smellofjasmine.com/

    Posted 12.12.17
  4. Aurélie Plumedaure wrote:

    Very good tips ! It’s true there are a lot of “details” you can work on to look better on pictures ! While practicing for 2 years now, I’ve also discovered some!
    Have a nice day !

    Plume d’Auré

    http://www.plumedaure.com

    Posted 12.12.17
  5. Susan Tran wrote:

    So helpful! I feel like it’s always a crap shoot whether I’ll look good in a photo or not. Maybe if I actually apply some of these, it’ll be more likely! Thanks lady!

    Susie | http://milehighdreamers.com

    Posted 12.11.17
  6. Those are extremely useful tips! Had no idea about the foundation ingredients, but I will pay more attention to them from now on.

    xo Corina
    http://unbouquetdamour.com/monday-favorites-back-basics-pantsuit/

    Posted 12.11.17
  7. Wonderful tips Katya! I actually love all of your fashion photos, they’re always great. I personally get so moody when it comes to taking outfit pictures, which is why you see none on my profile haha. I think I annoy the hell out of my friends! But I do love that tip about eyes & nose facing the same direction. I will try to practice it. You look stunning by the way! x

    Posted 12.11.17
  8. Eena wrote:

    I wish I read this earlier in the day. These are really great tips, thank you!

    cabin twenty-four

    Posted 12.10.17
  9. Jessica wrote:

    These are really handy tips dear. Love how you went through all the smallest details. Really nice read. Thanks for sharing.

    Jessica | notjessfashion.com

    Posted 12.10.17
  10. I totally agree! It’s all in the details :)

    Jessica
    the way to my Hart

    Posted 12.10.17
  11. Fortune Dushey wrote:

    I never knew about the nose and eyes facing the same direction! Thank you for the tips!

    Posted 12.10.17
  12. Annabelle wrote:

    These are all such handy tips! Love the one about your eyes and nose facing the same way, I’d never thought about that before!

    x Annabelle
    travelsandtea.com

    Posted 12.10.17
  13. Patinka wrote:

    awesome post!
    xoxo
    Patinka
    http://www.patinkasworld.com

    Posted 12.10.17
  14. Annette wrote:

    Great tips, the accents in the form of jewelry are always a good idea :)

    http://www.fashiontrendforward.com

    Posted 12.10.17
  15. Corinne C wrote:

    These are fab tips. I love the one about the direction of your eyes. Never heard that before!

    Corinne x
    http://www.skinnedcartree.com

    Posted 12.10.17
  16. Emily wrote:

    These are some great tips and you are most definitely a pro! I’m definitely one of these who shys aways from photographs but I’m trying to get better so I’ll most definitely be making notes!

    Musings & More

    Posted 12.10.17
  17. Becky wrote:

    i love the eyes/nose tip – it makes so much sense! i think a lot of the photos i like from myself are the ones where my eyes and nose face the same direction, haha. it looks a lot more natural/not posed imo!

    becky @ star violet

    Posted 12.10.17
  18. Indeed, posing with accessories is always a great idea! I also try to avoid some colors when taking photos. Wishing you a great weekend! xx

    Andreea,
    http://couturezilla.com/

    Posted 12.10.17
  19. Andrea wrote:

    The strips trick, true!! So many times my photos were ruined because i was wearing stripes, and once you see the photos the stripes makes a strange effect in the photo!

    https://justohana.blogspot.com.es

    Posted 12.10.17
  20. Nancy wrote:

    All of these tips are definitely useful! I have some of the awkwardest poses when it comes to getting my picture taken. I’m taking note on the hand position! Thanks for sharing these tips :).

    exquisitely.me

    Posted 12.10.17
  21. Kayla wrote:

    Great tips!

    Kayla
    Sheer Beauty Blog

    Posted 12.10.17
  22. great tips!!! I take my photos myself too,

    Posted 12.9.17
  23. Kiri Yanchenko wrote:

    These are all really good tips. I actually don’t apply much makeup at all when I take photos. I am mostly natural with bare skin. I want to be 100% honest on my blog. I don’t go out of my way to sell my image; I am writing about products and what I love about them.
    I love your body position tips though.
    Kiri
    Set to Glow
    http://www.settoglow.com.au

    Posted 12.9.17
  24. Michelle Gil Santini wrote:

    I usually go with natural look (aside the cat eyes and red lips) in case if someone takes a photo with a flash I don’t look like a pale ghost but it all about the angle, the right place, and the right light. Great article! x

    Michelle| http://www.brokebutflawless.com

    Posted 12.9.17
  25. Rach wrote:

    These are great tips! Definitely will need to keep these in mind!

    http://www.rdsobsessions.com

    Posted 12.9.17
  26. LuxeStyle wrote:

    It’s always good to hear photography tips – I try to improve and hopefully I do as time goes on x

    Posted 12.9.17
  27. Having the right lighting and being at the right place at the right time helps a lot.

    http://www.rshanphonsi.com

    Posted 12.9.17
  28. Felicia Sutor wrote:

    This is such a lovely blogpost! Thank you for sharing your advice :*
    xx Feli
    PASSION HEARTS

    Posted 12.8.17
  29. Dina ADina wrote:

    Nice post!

    https://dinamighty.com/

    Posted 12.8.17
  30. These tips are amazing! Thanks for sharing!

    http://roadesque.com
    http://ourruins.com

    Posted 12.8.17
  31. Olga Federico wrote:

    Thanks for the tipps!Great post:-)

    http://www.lostindaydreams.com/

    Posted 12.8.17
  32. These are really great tips. I will try them for sure x

    franklyflawless.com

    Posted 12.8.17
  33. Great tricks!!! Thanks for sharing! :)
    Happy weekend
    kisses
    Agnese & Elisa
    http://desiresinstyle.com/

    Posted 12.8.17
  34. Anika May wrote:

    You look amazing! Red lips suit your eyes perfectly :)
    Love your point on photogenic makeup – so important!

    Anika | anikamay.co.uk

    Posted 12.8.17
  35. Great tips! I really loved this post. Have a nice weekend.

    Gemma x
    http://www.jacquardflower.uk

    Posted 12.8.17

SUBSCRIBE

SIGN UP TO RECEIVE NEWSLETTERS FROM STYLE SPRINTER