My mom has a photo of me in preschool, standing in front of my classmates, striking my best Beyonce-like pose; arms up, arched back, and hip popped. Most of my classmates were either distracted or uninterested in the fact that someone was taking their picture. But not me.
I guess I have always been a poser, which has come in handy since looking good for the camera nowadays has become a life skill. My confidence in front of the camera comes naturally. However, I know that that's not the case for everyone. If you tend to be over-critical of yourself and your photos, I want you to be very mindful about what you tell yourself as you go along with this exercise. Consider this an invitation to learn to love yourself. Ready? Let's go!
Here are a few tips I've picked up from being behind, next to, and in front of the camera:
Know your angles
This is the hardest thing you will do during this exercise but it's also the one thing that will help you the most ;so skip it if you will for now but consider coming back to it later. Set up your phone on a tripod on selfie mode, position yourself a few feet away, so your head and shoulders are in the frame. Take note of where you are standing because you'll want to come back to that spot. Set your camera timer to 10 seconds (3 if you are faster), go back to your original spot and take a photo of your profile – don't forget to smile. Repeat the process a few times, turning your head slowly from one side to another in each direction. Tilt it from side to side and change your facial expresion. Bring your chin down and up. When you are done, take a look at the photos and take note of the angle that works best for you. Everyone has a better side.
Occupy your hands
Every little detail matters and hands are tricky. My best tip if you don't know what to do with your hands is to find a prop. This is why always see influencers hold their lattes and their wine. You can also use your phone, your sunglasses, and even your hair.
Move!
Don't freeze. Move slowly – slower than you think – and worry about the final images later. If this makes you giggle, great! Your natural laughter will make for a great shot.
Turn your face, turn your shoulders, pinch them back, stand at an angle or shift your weight from one leg to the other. The possibilities are endless.
Give your photographer lots of options and angles to work with. For this shot, I asked Christina to look towards me and then look away. She did this four times before I found the angle I liked best. If you are working with a good photographer, they will move with you to find the best shot.
Change your facial expression
If you did the first exercise, use what you learned and apply it here. Start with your typical smiling pose then, begin to add variations. Try eye contact with the camera, then look just over to the side of your photographer's shoulder and finish the series giving your photographer a profile shot. After you are done with that, do a similar process with a more neutral expression, and maybe even try a surprised expression. Maliah came prepared to the shoot. She took time to practice at home and because of that we had a huge number of photos to chose from.
Relax
Take some time to get to know your photographer. If you are very nervous ask if you can bring a friend. Brie's mom tagged along for this shoot. I wanted to get an image of Brie digging through her purse and her mom kept making jokes about the things that Brie was searching for. This made everyone laugh and made for great natural shots. The best photos are usually candid images because the subject is at ease, so take deep, relaxing breaths from time to time and remember to have fun.
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