10 tricks to look smoking in your dating photos
10 tricks to look smoking in your dating photos
Lots of my clients arrive for their dating photo shoot, reminding me that they aren’t photogenic, aren’t good in front of the camera and/or hate having their photo taken. Hey, you know what? I feel exactly the same, which means I empathise 100%. I’ve been doing this for a couple of years now, so here are my top tips to help you look smoking-good in your dating photos.
1. Grab a prop
Props are good for a couple of reasons. Firstly they give you something else to focus on other than the lens looming large in your face, they also give you something to do with your hands if you’re feeling nervous and lastly they are a great way to tell people a little more about your personality – depending on what you choose. Books, headphones, cameras, hats etc all make great props.
2. Lean against something
Leaning helps relax the body, avoiding any stiffness if you’re feeling tense in front of the camera. Lean against walls, doorways, trees etc especially at the start of your shoot while you get used to being in front of the camera and you’ll find you start to relax much more quickly.
3. Lengthen your neck
Lean your head slightly forward, lengthening your neck – it’ll help hide any hint or sign of double chins or jowls and it’ll also make the face seem thinner.
4. Make sure you’re lower than your photographer for your close up
For some of your close up shots, you’ll want to be positioned slightly lower than your photographer so that you look up into the lens. This is one of the most flattering angles particularly if you slightly angle your face rather than looking straight on.
5. Move through your poses
Rather than standing and posing, keep moving. Walk around a bit, spin round, put your jacket on, straighten the collar, take it off again, jump up, bend down, dance a little, pretend you’re on the catwalk, just keep moving. A good photographer will be able to capture some fun, natural, relaxed shots by encouraging you to keep moving around.
6. Get your hair and make up done professionally if possible
If you want to look crazy-good, book that haircut and think about getting your make up done professionally (if you’re a woman). Big department stores usually offer a free make up session with one of their make up artists, if you buy something. Now might be a good time to take advantage of this. It’ll make you feel confident too.
7. Avoid standing under direct light or sunlight
Direct light or sunlight can cause harsh shadows and unflattering lines on the face. As long as you have a good photographer, you won’t need to worry about this, that’s their job. But if it’s a friend with a mobile phone taking your shots, take notice. In fact, head outdoors so that you get the best possible light but find the shade if it’s a bright sunny day.
8. Think about something funny, relaxing or sexy
Rather than telling my clients to ‘smile’ or say ‘cheese’, I often ask them to picture something funny, relaxing or sexy. It really works. What people are thinking reflects on the face, so I ask people to leave their worries at the door when we do a shoot together. And I can always tell if they start thinking about their horrible boss or that crazy bill they have to pay, so I remind them to think about something sexy or fun. It makes them have a good laugh if nothing else.
9. Have a laugh with your photographer
Which brings us nicely to just have a laugh with your photographer, you’re bound to get great shots then. You get what you put into your shoot, so make the effort, if you can, to connect with them. They will certainly be trying to connect with you, so give them something to work with and you’ll end up having a laugh and getting great photos at the same time.
10. Angle your body to the camera
Don’t face it straight on, rather angle your body to the side and turn your head to look at the camera for a sizzling good look.
I hope you’re feeling much more confident about rocking your photo shoot now. Ready to book your shoot? Drop us a line right here, we look forward to hearing from you.
