19 Ways to Look Your Best in Pictures

Thanks to the development of mobile technology and social media, we get photographed way more often than our ancestors did in the past. But being photogenic doesn’t come naturally to many people. And this doesn’t happen because we don’t look pretty enough. It’s just that there are certain tips you should follow to look great in pictures.

5-Minute Crafts gathered popular advice on how to avoid bad photos and took some pictures to show you how a small detail can change everything. And now we’re ready to share our results with you.

General tips

1. Avoid pointing your elbows and knees at the camera.

• Otherwise, they’ll look flat and make the body appear heavier.

2. Don’t press your arm to your body.

• Make sure there’s some space between your arm and your torso. This way, your arm will look thinner and more elegant.

3. Bend your back a little to make your body appear curvier.

• This trick helps accentuate your natural curves instead of hiding them.

How to look good in a full-body picture

1. Position the camera lower if you want to make your legs appear longer.

• Ask the photographer to squat and take a picture from this angle.

2. Play with your clothes to make your photo more eye-catching.

• This way your photo will be more dynamic and unstaged.

3. Stand on your toes to look taller.

• You can also stretch out your arms to create more vertical lines.

4. Twist your waist a little to make it look thinner.

• This body position makes your waist appear smaller and draws attention to your curves.

5. Look at the camera over your shoulder to hide your tummy.

• As a bonus, the photo you take will be perceived as being more flirty and charming.

How to look good when sitting

1. Sit on the edge of your chair with your back straight and move your feet slightly to the side.

• This way, you’ll create clear body lines, your whole body will look more toned, and you’ll look more “present” in the photo.

2. Avoid positioning your body straight toward the camera.

• Posing makes your photos more interesting to look at. Don’t forget to keep your legs together so you don’t reveal the groin area.

3. Avoid poses that make your belly scrunch together if you want to appear thinner.

• Keep your back straight to hide stomach creases.

4. Squeeze your calf muscles if you want to make your legs appear more toned.

• Just grab a part of the calf muscle from the inner side of your leg with your hand. Make sure you don’t squeeze the muscle too tight and that the result looks natural.

How to pose for a portrait

1. Make sure you don’t pull your chin in and keep your back straight.

• If you don’t do this, you’re likely to end up with a double chin even if you don’t have one in real life.

2. Say “money,” not “cheese” for a beautiful smile.

• This way, you won’t reveal all of your teeth and your smile will be lighter and not so forced.

3. Practice in advance so you know your angle.

• Try taking photos of your face from different angles to figure out which side of your face looks more photogenic.

4. Go for a 3/4 look for a more sophisticated picture.

• This look adds more details to the picture, making it more interesting to look at.

5. Don’t forget about proper lighting.

• Make sure your face is well-lit with a soft light that highlights your features, without leaving sharp shadows on your face.

6. Consider wearing your hair to one side.

• This hairstyle will add more volume to your hair and bring attention to your facial features.

7. When taking a selfie, play with the camera angle to make your facial features appear larger.

• To make your eyes look bigger, lift your phone up and take a picture from above. If you want to accentuate your lips, move the camera lower, focus on your lips, and take a selfie.