The photograph has been a mainstay of just about every aspect of our lives. We use photos for official business, identification, recording history, and organising our personal history – through social media, our dusty old hard drives, and hardcopy and cheap canvas prints of the exceptional or important photos. We’d all have more canvas art on our walls as part of our personal history art gallery if we looked better in our photos, though.
Most people think they look bad in photos. Part of this is natural humility, but part of it is the simple fact that most people actually don’t know how to take better photos in the first place. It’s not that complicated – these three simple steps can improve your appearance in every photo taken of you, under any circumstances – and increase the number of canvas-worthy photos hanging on your wall.
Canvas-Worthy Photo Tip One: Posture
Your posture is the most powerful force at play in any photo of you. Whenever someone points a camera at you, you will always have the time to straighten your back and ensure you don’t look crouched over. Better posture accomplishes two simple things: It puts your face forward instead of angled downward, and it moves shadows off of your face. It also gives you as much physical presence in the frame as possible.
Canvas-Worthy Photo Tip Two: Chin
The worst look anyone can sport is a double-chin. You don’t have to be overweight or out of shape to have a double-chin in a photo, however – and no one wants a double-chin preserved for eternity in a gorgeous canvas print, either. If you see a double-chin under your face in photo after photo, we’re guessing you don’t want those on your wall as wall art – right?
The good news is it’s very easy to eliminate this common attribute. Simply take a moment when the camera is being focussed to push your chin outward a little, as if you were stretching your head away from your neck. It will feel a bit odd, but it will look perfectly normal in the photo, and it will eliminate the dreaded double-chin, making you instantly look better.
Canvas-Worthy Photo Tip Three: Smile
Some folks discount it, but it’s a fact: You look better when you smile. You might want to cultivate a mysterious and sober countenance, but what you’ll be left with is someone who looks unhappy and stiff in photo after photo. A smile is always a better choice – it improves your look and the reaction people have to you when they see the photo prints.
The secret? Make your smile genuine. A static, frozen smile that’s just muscles in your face moving a certain way looks like a mask. Take a second and think of something funny. Make a joke, or remind yourself of something amusing – and let your smile be natural and spontaneous. A natural smile does more to improve your photo than any other trick in the book.
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