Even seasoned red carpet celebrities need help on how to best pose for all those paparazzi photos.
(Photo from Miami Swim Week. The Standard Hotel for the Mara Hoffman BBQ with my blogger babes Lauren from Edit By Lauren and Tara from Jimmy Choos And Tennis Shoes. Image by Angie Garcia Photography.)
As a blogger for over 8 years, you would think I would be more comfortable posing in front of the camera and that it would come super naturally. Not so much. Since I primarily do beauty, I’m used to just photographing myself from the neck up. Which means, at times, from my neck down I’m in pajama pants with no shoes and no one cares (or knows!) if I’m sitting or standing.
But since I do like to occasionally throw in some of my favorite fashions and style looks, I need all the help I can get for posing for the camera without looking super awkward. And in all honesty, I can take 50 outfit shots, and only 3 of them look NON-awkward! Hahahaha! #reallife
Yellow Dress : SheIn (it’s only $13) // Turqouoise necklace : Kendra Scott // Cuff : Kendra Scott Sunglasses : Classic Ray Ban Aviators // Sandals : sold out similar style here // Hat : c/o Bollare showroom and Abaco Beach Hats // Lipstick : NYX Prague
Posing Tricks.
I have learned most of my tricks for how to pose, from my fashion blogger friends. From casual Facebook pics with my girfriends on a night out to an actual photo shoot for my blog, I am always paying attention to how my style blogger friends move their bodies and stalking their Instagrams accounts to steal posing tips. I am the one when I go out with gals like Lauren and Tara above, before they take my pic, I’m like, “give me some tips – what should I do with my shoes, where should my hands go, do I need my sunglasses??” Yes, I’m that annoying friend.
Here are a few easy tricks I have learned along the way that you can look your very best in photos…
- The #1 tip in my opinion is to ALWAYS angle your body, even slightly, to the camera. Straight on is never going to be the most flattering.
- Angle your face too. When you’re facing a camera head on there’s an absence of shadows and it makes your face look larger or wider. See what to do with your chin next…
- To decrease the dreaded double chin, forehead forward and chin slightly down while sticking your tongue to the roof of your mouth when smiling. The trick is to stretch your neck so you have a more well defined jawline.
- Do a one knee bend to give your legs some shape and keep away from getting the elephant skin knee by standing with both legs stick straight. Yes, the older I get the more wrinkly my knees get.
- The arm that is facing the camera should end up on your hip or atleast a few centimeters away from your body (if the hand on hip seems a bit too forced). This keeps your upper arms from looking bigger or more squished.
- This might sound obvious, but have good posture and stand up straight. You’ll look taller and give off a sense of confidence which is naturally attractive. Pretend you are trying to hold an apple in between the back of your shoulder blades.
- When doing full body shots, wearing heels, wedges, or anything with a slight heel is always better than flats because it elongates the leg and makes the calf muscle more obvious. If you must wear flats (like me in the yellow dress) just raise up onto the ball of your foot ever so slightly – I am balancing myself with that back bend leg!
- Grab something to hold. A prop – a handbag, a cup (see how we do that in the first pic!), a hat (again, see above), something! Holding onto something helps relax your pose and gives the picture some interest!
- Relax. Looking tense in picture is the worst! Have you ever heard of the motorboat mouth sound?? It looks and feels silly but once you do it, it immediately relaxes you and makes you feel at ease! The more dramatic the better when doing this with your mouth.
- And after doing the motorboat, go ahead and SMILE! EVERYONE looks better in photographs when they project happiness.
