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Please note that I am not a professional of any kind so any information in this post is not meant to be medical, legal, financial, relationship or any professional advice.Looking for great tips on how to look good in pictures? These are some of the best ways to look good in pictures every time!
If you’re wondering how to look good in pictures then you have come to the right place!
Sometimes no matter how great you look and feel, you take a picture and feel…not so cute.
Bad lighting, awkward poses, not knowing what to do with your hands, are all things that can ruin a picture.
I’ve found some of the best tips on how to look good in pictures that can make a huge difference.
Whether you are taking a selfie or someone is taking the picture for you, these are all great tips that can make you super photogenic and look good in pictures every time!
This post is all about the best tips on how to look good in pictures.
Best Tips on How to Look Good in Pictures
1. Look at Past Pictures of Yourself
Looking at old pictures of yourself is a great way to see what poses, expressions, and angles you do like, and which ones you don’t.
For the ones that you liked, take note of how you were standing, what you were doing with your hands, your expression, and what angle the picture is taken from.
It’s also a good idea to take note of what clothes were you wearing and what makeup since those can also make a huge difference in how you look in a picture.
2. Good Lighting
Good lighting can seriously be the difference between a good and bad photo.
When taking pictures outside, try to avoid having your photo taken when you are directly under the sunlight. This can cause weird shadows on your face. Instead try taking the photo when there’s an overcast or during “golden hour” which is shortly after sunrise or right before sunset.
When indoors, natural light is great, but depending on the time or where you live it’s not always easy to take advantage of natural light.
Using a ring light is a fantastic way to look amazing in pictures. Even if you have natural light, using a ring light at the same time can make the picture look stunning!
I love the one shown below because it’s super affordable and it comes with a long tripod for standing photos, a desktop tripod, selfie stick, a wireless remote, and you can change the lighting modes and brightness.
This is fantastic not only for selfies but for family pictures, or anything else that you want to take a nice picture for.
For selfies you could also use a small clip on ring light like the one below that attaches right on your phone. They are super affordable and perfect to throw in your purse or luggage when travelling.
3. Practice Different Poses and Expressions
The best way to get comfortable posing for pictures is to practice. Practice taking pictures of yourself with different poses, different expressions, and different angles to get comfortable with posing and to see what looks best on you.
A lot of times we don’t know what to do with our hands in pictures so practice doing different things with your hands to get comfortable. Try putting them on your hips, touching your face, or holding something.
4. Self Tan
I almost always feel like I look WAY better in pictures when I have self tanned.
It can make your skin look so much more radiant and can make a huge difference in the way you look in the picture.
Self tanning the day before taking pictures is a great way to look great and feel extra confident. I absolutely love this one below because it gives the most beautiful color without ever looking too orange.
Another great option is to use a gradual tan tinted body lotion like this one that can be used daily to gradually give you a tan. This is a great way to have a beautiful tan without having to self tan the night before.
5. Use an Oil Blotter
While a slight glow can look cute in pictures, excess oil on your face can make you look even more oily in pictures and isn’t as cute. It can look super greasy and take away from the whole photo.
This oil blotter below is FANTASTIC! You can easily throw it in your purse and use it anytime you are about to take a picture. It takes off SO much oil and the reviews are amazing.
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6. Body Shimmer
While shine on your face isn’t cute, having some shine on the rest of your body can look stunning in pictures.
This body shimmer looks amazing on the skin and gives the most beautiful glow in pictures.
7. Relax
Learning to relax in pictures is probably one of the best tips on how to look good in pictures. If you feel awkward and your body is stiff, it will show in the picture.
Try as best as you can to relax your body in the photo. This will also be a lot easier the more you practice taking pictures.
8. Know the Angles You Like
Try figuring out which angles you like the best in pictures. Whether it’s having your body facing straight towards the camera, tilting your head slightly, or looking away from the camera.
Practice taking different photos to see which suits you best and then use those angles when taking pictures.
9. Bright Teeth
Having a white bright smile can make such a HUGE difference in pictures. Using something like white strips is a great way to whiten your teeth before taking pictures.
I really love this one below because it comes with a 1hr express treatment which is great to use if you want your teeth whiter quickly.
10. Good Posture
Posture is SO important in pictures! If you have good posture in a photo, most of the time it will look 100x better than a photo with bad posture.
When taking a picture try to keep your back straight and engage your core. This can obviously differ if you are taking more casual poses, but posture can still play a huge part in how the picture turns out no matter what pose you are doing.
If you really struggle with posture, they have really great affordable posture correctors like the one below that can seriously help with better posture. I love using this when sitting at a desk to remind me not to slouch.
11. Good Hair
Good hair that is frizz free and shiny can make such a HUGE difference in how you look in pictures.
Using a good hair oil like this one which smells AMAZING and works really well, can help control any frizz and make your hair look super shiny and smooth.
Using a good hair mask the day before you’ll be taking pictures is a great way to wake up with shiny and smooth hair.
If you like a more casual wavy look, using a good wave spray can help create really cute waves and look super natural.
I absolutely love this one because it gives really cute waves without making your hair feel crunchy.
12. Wear the Right Makeup
Certain makeup looks are better for pictures than others. Try and look through pictures of yourself and see which makeup looks you liked best.
Usually wearing too much makeup can show up in pictures especially if the foundation looks cakey. Shimmer makeup can cause too much of a shine on the face and brighter lipstick can stand out and look better than neutral shades which can look too pale in photos.
13. Extend your Neck
When taking a photo try extending your neck out a bit to make it look longer. This can also help stretch out any rolls of skin under your neck in the photo.
14. Curl your Lashes and Wear a Good Mascara
Curling your lashes and wearing a good mascara for a picture is a great way to make your eyes look bigger which looks better in photos.
I absolutely LOVE this mascara for photos because it adds so much length and volume which I haven’t been able to find in any other mascara.
15. Wear Flattering Clothes
This may be an obvious one, but wearing clothes that flatter your body will make a big difference in the overall look of the picture.
Take note of which clothes you look and feel best in and see which pictures of yourself you like best and which clothes you were wearing in them.
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16. Get Comfortable with your Body
Feeling awkward and stiff can definitely show up in a picture. Try getting comfortable in your body by posing in the mirror, dancing around your room, and practice taking photos.
It sounds silly but doing things like this can get you more comfortable with your body which in turn will make you look comfortable and confident in the picture.
17. Get Inspiration
Look online and get inspiration from some photos you really like. See how the people pose, their facial expression, what angle the photo is taken from, their clothes, hair, and their makeup.
You can get a lot of inspiration this way for your own pictures.
18. Find your Go-to Facial Expressions
Figuring out some go-to facial expressions is a great way to always be prepared for a picture.
Test out some facial expressions in the mirror or take some selfies and see which you like best.
This way you’ll always know which facial expression looks best on you.
19. Add Some Movement
A little bit of movement in a photo tends to almost always look better than completely static photos. Try having someone take a picture of you when you begin walking towards the camera, or when you are turning around.
This makes the picture a bit more natural.
20. Take A Lot of Photos
If you are trying to get the perfect picture, try taking a lot of photos and in different poses, angles, etc.
It can be hard to get the perfect photo in one shot so the more you take, the more likely you’ll find one that you love.
21. Figure Out What to do With your Hands
This can be one of the hardest parts on trying to figure out how to pose for pictures. It can be really awkward trying to figure out what to do with your hands in a photo.
Practice in the mirror or take pictures to see which you like best. Try touching your face, putting your hands on your hips, touching your hair, or holding something.
The more you practice, the less awkward it will be and the more comfortable you will be with your hands.
22. Blink Before
If you tend to blink in photos try blinking a few seconds before the photo is taken.
This can often times prevent you from blinking in the picture.
23. Put your Tongue Behind your Teeth
If you don’t want to have too big of a grin in the picture, try putting your tongue behind your teeth.
This is an old trick that can help you from smiling too big in a picture.
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24. Be Confident
As awkward as it can be to take pictures sometimes, feeling shy and awkward can show in the picture.
Remind yourself that you look good and tell yourself there’s no reason to feel shy and awkward because you look stunning.
25. Have Fun
Last but not least, have fun! Getting stressed about getting the perfect picture and the perfect pose will only make the picture look worse.
Have fun with it and you’ll feel more relaxed which will make the picture look SO much better.
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