How to take the best pictures of people: BEST FACE FORWARD - QUICK TIPS FOR BETTER PICS

“Squeeze in for a picture!” Ah, yes. The five most dreaded words to hear on a day when your hair looks like you might have blown it dry with a hurricane and you’re wearing the shirt you forgot had mustard stains. Even on a great day, squeezing in for a picture is hard to do well. In fact, it’s a skill. And with Instagram becoming such a large part of our work and play, it’s a useful skill at that. To help you with the basics, here are some quick tips for better pics, starting with your feet.

Feet

Stand at a 45-degree angle to the camera—This will slim down your waistline and flatter every figure.

Avoid flat even feet—For a natural body position that the camera will like, stand with one leg back, keep your weight on that back foot and bend your front knee slightly.

Cross your ankles—If you can’t avoid being shot head-on, cross your ankles (especially if you’re standing). This will make your legs look longer and your hips narrower. It also makes a more casual shot.

Hips

Turn your hips away from the camera—Whatever is closest to the camera looks largest; whatever’s farthest away looks smallest. So avoid keeping your hips squared. You can narrow your hips and midsection even more by standing with your weight on your back foot and giving your front leg a little bend. Add a subtle arch to your back for an even better line.

Hands

Photograph hands from a side angle—The tops of hands do not photograph well. In fact, even the nicest ones look a little bloated and artificial when photographed in that position (just think of all the engagement ring photos you’ve seen on Facebook). For the best pose, keep your hands soft and relaxed, and create some side angles.

Keep nervous hands busy—If you can’t manage relaxed, keep your hands occupied and firm. Hold your coffee cup, your pen, cross your arms, whatever is appropriate for the situation.

Remember, your hands and fingers are often giveaways to how the rest of your body is feeling, so give them a little shake to help loosen up.

Arms

Don’t push your arms against your body—Doing so will make them look larger than they are. Same goes for clasping your hands in front of your body; it will only emphasize your midsection. Instead, it’s better to create a little negative space around your waist by lifting your arms away from your body. That’s as easy as placing your hands on your hips. Even better is placing your hands on your waist where you are narrowest.

Shoulders

Know your angles—Your shoulders are probably the widest part of your body, so standing square to the camera makes you look wider. If that isn’t your goal, turn your shoulders at a 45-degree angle to the camera. If strong shoulders are what you’re after, stay squared off.

Chin & Head

Do the turtle—Pushing your chin slightly forward and down will strengthen your jawline, minimize a double chin and make your eyes appear bigger. So as a rule, always think chin forward and down. You’ll feel silly doing it, but no one but you will notice, and your pictures will look great.

General Tips

Avoid artificial overhead lighting—Chances are you’re already not a fan of this light, but it’s especially unflattering for pictures and will cast harsh shadows on your face.

Know your angles—Avoid being photographed from an angle lower than eye level. Eye level or slightly above is best. It lengthens your neck and shows off your eyes.

Crop those pictures—Your smartphone’s cropping tool can be your best friend. The best place to crop is at your narrowest points: your waist or just above the knees.

Relax!—The better you feel, the better you’ll look. So take a breath, relax and let your confidence shine through. t8n

Captions:

Stand at a 45-degree angle

Create negative space around your waist

Turn your hips away from the camera