by Some of us simply don’t want to spend the money on a professional photo shoot for our websites and social networking profiles. Besides… with digital cameras offering such high image quality these days, with a little extra effort you can get results that are just as impressive as if you paid top dollar for a photographer.
Some tips for ensuring that you’re shown in your best light:
1. Wait until the afternoon to take your photo.
There are a couple of reasons for this. One, we typically retain water during our sleep, which is why we look “puffier” first thing in the morning, especially around the eyes. To get rid of the excess fluid, avoid high sodium foods for the rest of the day. Hydrate your body with plenty of liquids. You might try flushing your system with unsweetened cranberry juice, water with a squeeze of lemon, or green tea. Keep drinking, and by 2 p.m. or so your face will show the results.
2. Exfoliate.
Warning: for those with sensitive skin, Photo Day is not the ideal time to experiment with new facial cleansers. But if you have a product that you know does a nice job of gently sloughing away dead skin, today is a great day to use it. Exfoliating can make those smile lines less prominent, get rid of unsightly flakes, and cleanse pores for a fresher, brighter, and younger looking you. That’s important if you want to look nice in your photo - so scrub up!
3. Wear dark colored clothing.
No matter what your skin tone, dark colors provide a nice contrast against a brightly lit background and won’t “wash out” when the flash goes off. For those concerned about camouflaging those extra pounds, white makes us look larger and wider while black has a slimming effect.
4. Go easy on the product.
Hairstyles should be neat, smooth, flattering to the face and not too gravity-defying. Of course, if you’re in one of the more edgy professions, then maybe an outrageous look is what you’re going for. But for those of us who want to keep it simple and professional, stick with tidily trimmed.
5. Drop that chin down!
For those of us who suffer the double chin syndrome, practice the technique of “dropping the chin” and pushing your head forward slightly — so that your lower jaw extends a bit farther than normal when you smile. If you’ve never done this before, practice in front of a mirror, pretending to be someone with a prominent jaw line like, say, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss (Elaine from Seinfeld), Jay Leno or Jennifer Aniston. You’ll know that you’re overdoing the “chin drop” if you can see your bottom teeth when you smile — or if the muscles in your neck protrude!
6. Flash takes years off.
If you’re worried about wrinkles, under eye circles, crows feet, jowls, uneven skin tone, and other unsightly indicators of aging (raising hand), then choose flash over natural light. Bright sunlight makes people squint and beams down harshly on noses and other fleshy features you might want to minimize.
7. Crop that arm out of there!
If you’re taking your own photo using a digital camera, then you may be able to see the place where you held up your arm to snap the photo. Crop that arm out of there. You want people to see your face and think you look friendly and at least reasonably attractive… as opposed to being distracted at the idea of you taking your own photo. (Sure, lots of people take their own website photos… we just don’t TALK about it!)
8. Don’t forget to SMILE.
You’d think that this would go without saying… but I’ve seen plenty of “professional marketer” photos where the person is looking stone-faced instead of friendly and approachable. Some are shrouded in darkness, some are gazing disconsolately into the distance instead of making “eye contact” with the viewer and smiling brightly… and believe it or not, this has a huge impact on your likeability factor - your personal appeal! So, practice smiling naturally for the camera, flashing a bit of those pearly whites (but take care not to give off a “crazy” vibe!)
While you’re at it, drop that chin down!
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