handsome young man and woman smiling and taking selfie photo

How to Look Good in EVERY Photo

Posted by Sandra Scott on

With cameras everywhere, you want to look your best from EVERY angle.

So how can you make sure you’re always looking incredible in photos?

From how to pose, choosing good lighting and editing … to making sure your complexion always looks great .... we’ve got you.

(Because even the professionals need a lot of help to look the way they do on camera).

Handsome young man posing for photos in Paris

Learn 3-5 poses that highlight your best features ... and master them

 

Even if you think you’re not that photogenic, you can dramatically improve how you look in a photo.

The secret is NOT to make yourself look like someone else … just the best version of yourself.

 

How to look your best in EVERY photo 

The first step…

#1 Study pictures of yourself 

Start by looking at good (and bad) photos of yourself.

And try to spot why some pictures work, and others don’t.

Is your pose more awkward in one than another? Was the lighting more (or less) flattering?

Take the time to really understand what makes you look good in an image. Because this is really going to help the next time a camera is pointed at you.

Once you have a good understanding it’s easy to …

 

#2 Find your best angles 

You need to know what your best features are.

Is it your eyes or your hair? Is it your jaw line? Or maybe your height?

And which is your best side? Because we all have one.

And then once you know that you can play it up to your advantage, by making sure you always present your best feature well to the camera.

So if you have a strong jawline then make sure it's very prominent in photos. And if your eyes are your best feature make sure your pose highlights them.

And how do you understand what your best angles are? Well you need to practise by standing in front of a mirror.

It’s going to feel really weird to start with, but every male model, and every actor, does it!

The professionals understand exactly what their best angles are, and they only show those to the camera. 

Pro tip:
  • Take a bunch of selfies! It’s the simplest way to understand which angles work to highlight your best features.

Handsome man smiling and taking a selfie photo

Take a lot of selfies to find your best angles

 

Next…

#3 Improve your posture 

This can make a huge difference to how you present yourself, how confident you look (and feel) – both in real life as well as in front of the camera.

You probably don't realise you have bad posture until you see photos of yourself.

Because what feels pretty natural and relaxed in real life can actually look slouched and awkward in photos.

So you have to over exaggerate the way that you stand up straight in order to look right on camera.

Before you take a photo, remember:

  • Stand up straight
  • Roll your shoulders back
  • Chest out
  • Stick your chin out slightly and extend your head away from your neck. So that you don't have that double chin effect!

This alone will make an IMMEDIATE difference to how good you look in a photo.

Pro tip:
  • A simple trick you can do every time you have a photo taken is to consciously push your chin out.
    This will make the shape of your face more defined, and your jawline stronger and more chiseled. It’s going to feel really odd, but trust us, it defines your jawline instantly and makes you look great.

Once you’ve corrected your posture you can play around with different poses to see what looks best, and what feels most natural to you. Then…

 

#4 Master 3-5 poses 

You want to learn three to five ‘go-to’ poses and master them.

So that every time a camera is pointed at you, you know exactly how to present yourself so that the photo looks great.

Pro tips:
  • We all have a ‘good’ side. Always position yourself so that you show yours. This is especially important in a group photo.
  • Don't just take photos facing full-front because that's just boring. It doesn't look interesting enough and it's not going to show you at your best.

 

#5 Get your skin looking really good

If you want to look really good in photos your skin has to be in the best shape.

First thing you want to do is exfoliate away dry dead skin cells which can make your skin look dull.

The best thing for that is our gently exfoliating Daily Face Wash.

It takes your skin from dry, flaky and dull to smooth, fresh and bright – in 60 seconds.

And secondly, you want to make sure your skin is well-hydrated.

Because again dry, flaky skin makes your complexion look dull in real life, and that’s exaggerated even more by the camera.

So twice a day apply our Hydrating Daily Moisturizer.

It’s going to make your skin look smooth and hydrated, and you’ll be amazed at how light it feels on your skin.

We spent so much time developing these products to make sure they’re the best for a man’s skin. And it’s crazy how well they work.

So click below and get ready for compliments.

 

Otis Skincare products for men - on blue background

SHOP THE COLLECTION

 

(And if you're new to skincare we've got a helpful step by step guide here - "Beginner's Guide to Men's Skincare").

 

#6 Have good lighting

Professionals models and actors always say that lighting is the most important thing when it comes to taking a good picture.

Because without good lighting you just don't look as good.

So when it comes to taking photos or videos make sure that your face is ALWAYS facing the light.

Whether that's natural light from your window or artificial lighting.

You want to make sure that your face is flooded with light.  

Because that's going to get rid of all of the dark circles under your eyes, and any eye bags that we all get from time to time.

It also gets rid of any unflattering shadows. And makes your face and your skin look smoother and clearer.

So right before you take a photo, this is one trick that makes you look more attractive….

Pro tip: 
  • Take out your phone and set it to selfie mode. Then do a full 360 to see the way the light is hitting your face in different ways.
    And make sure that you're facing in the best direction when photos are taken.

Handsome man smiling into camera against green background

Let your personality shine through for the most natural looking photos

 

#7 Use your smile more 

Smile naturally and let your personality shine through.

Again the best way to make sure your smile is looking really good is to practise in the mirror. Yes this feels weird but it will give you valuable feedback on what your smile looks like.

Do you show your bottom teeth (or your top teeth) too much? Is your smile too small? Do your eyes close up when you smile?

Try smiling when showing your teeth, and without. What looks best?

Practise until you've perfected it. 

Pro tips:

And finally ….

 

#8 Learn to edit 

Probably the most important tip is … edit your photos.

Because if you think that all of these handsome instagram models aren't posting heavily-edited photos then you’re sadly mistaken.

EVERYBODY nowadays edits their photos!

Use photo editing apps, like Snapseed, Face Tune and Lightroom. They’re all really simple to use on your phone.

And learn to play around with colours and contrast and brightness.

Because you can take a lifeless photo and really transform it just by using some simple editing tricks.

It’s amazing how much of a difference good editing can make!

So learn to use these editing apps to your advantage. 

Pro tips:
  • Use the photo-editing apps and play around to your hearts content until you get the effect that you want. Again practice makes perfect!
  • BUT don't go overboard and change your appearance completely!
    Just enhance what you naturally have.

    The secret is not to make yourself look like someone else … Just the best version of yourself.

     

    FAQ’s 

    How can I make my jawline look better in photos? 

    Bad posture can give you an instant double chin!

    So to avoid this make sure you always stand up straight – and hold your chin up and out away from your neck. This will IMMEDIATELY give you a more defined face.

    A simple trick is to consciously push your chin out further.

    This will feel really odd, but trust us, it defines your jawline instantly and makes you look great.

    Practice this in front of the mirror and you’ll see the difference!

      

    How can I improve my dating profile picture? 

    Give your photo a ‘story’.

    You have to always think about the purpose of the photo. What is the story behind it? What are you trying to portray?

    How can you make the photo relatable? If it tells a story that people can relate to, then they’ll relate to you.

    Props are extremely useful to tell a story so learn to use them.

     

    Why do I look bad in some photos? 

    The number one reason is… Bad lighting!

    Sometimes you can control the lighting, and sometimes you can’t – but when you can control it make sure you’re always facing the light full on.

    And avoid having photos taken when the light is overhead – whether it’s the midday sun or overhead artificial lights. This gives unflattering shadows to everybody!

    Secondly, you need to know your best angles. And have some go-to poses where you know you always look good.

      

    Handsome well groomed man looking great in a photo

     Master some 'go to' poses where you know you always look good

     

    The Takeaway 

    Even the professionals have to concentrate on how they pose for the camera, making sure they have the right lighting and the best editing.

    So whilst you may think you’re not that photogenic, you can dramatically improve how you look in a photo by following these tips.

    • Study pictures of yourself
    • Find your best angles
    • Improve your posture
    • Master 3-5 poses
    • Get your skin looking good
    • Have excellent lighting
    • Use your smile more
    • Learn to edit

    And if you’re ready to take your look to the next level in photos then these skincare products are going to make sure your skin is always looking smooth and healthy.

     

    SHOP THE ROUTINE.
    All that you need to keep looking handsome. 

     

    PRESTIGE SKINCARE FOR MEN.
    MADE IN FRANCE.

    FRENCH FLAG - BLEU, BLANC, ROUGE

     

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