How To Look Good In Pictures: 19 Genius Tips (That Work!)

ways to look good in pictures

It is basically impossible for you to avoid taking pictures altogether. I said impossible. And with people around you that are naturally photogenic or know how to look good in pictures, it gets difficult for you to pull out strings and look all pretty and cute. And don’t get me wrong, you can look 1000 times prettier in reality, but in pictures are a whole lot of books and studies, lol.

Not really, but still if you can conquer these tips, I assure you that your pictures will look so much better. From knowing your expressions to knowing where to place your camera, here are some genius tips to look good in pictures. So stick through!

How to look good in pictures

1. Practice in front of a mirror with self-timer

I don’t know if this will be your first shot or you’ve done it before. If you are a little nervous about it and are not confident enough, the easiest way to have a hold on your poses, angles, and expressions is to practice it in front of the mirror especially with a self-timer so you know how a pose or expression translates on camera. After you’ve got good shots and know what are your best angles, you are all ready to book a photographer and imitate those poses in front of him.

Also, try to have fun and play around. Photographs will turn out to be natural and beautiful that way.

2. try facial expressions other than a smile

Oh I know you love that smile. And the fact that it is the easiest expression, right? But giving a same expression picture after picture can make your face tensed up and that smile can look forced and weird later on. So try to throw some other facial expressions like a soft smile, laughing, resting bitch face, and so on. One that is my favorite is to shrink your pupil just a little and open your mouth slightly to give a natural expression.

3. loosen yourself: change your poses

How to Look Good in Pictures: 19 genius tips (that work!)

Do not just practice your expressions and angles but poses as well. Best pictures come out from loose free body and not stiff tensed ones. By loose I don’t mean a hunched back and drooping shoulders, but a relaxed body.

Deep breathe, stand or sit straight, and then start moving your arms, expressions, and legs. Change your poses, change your body movements (shoulders and hips), change the backgrounds if one is not working, and lastly try changing neck positions by tilting it slightly, or looking in other direction.

A relaxed happy body is definitely an answer to how to look good in pictures.

4. try using some props

The most difficult part in a shoot is to use know what to do with your hands. If you have had quite a few shoots under your belt, you know that you run out of ideas. So it’s always nice to use some props to keep your hands busy. A coffee cup is the most common one, but you use a bag, play with your hair, an ice-cream is a good option, or even sunglasses. This helps the photos to be natural and dynamic.

5. know your angles

This is an important one. No one has a symmetrical face (at least most of us). We all have one side that is more flattering than the other. So when you know which side is better, you can always tilt your face to that side or can look in another direction and put forward that side towards the camera.

And there always are angles that are better suited for your face. Like clicking a picture from below angle can elongate your neck and legs making a petite person look taller and slimmer.

6. always stand opposite the light

Lighting is literally everything in a photo.

It is such a common tip for knowing how to look good in pictures. But I have seen that most people don’t know it. Standing in front of the camera and keeping the light behind the camera is the way to achieve better smooth photos.

If you try clicking pictures with light in front of your camera, you’ll notice that the lighting will completely wash you out of the image. And if you are standing in the wrong position, then the sun can create awkward shadows on your face which are not very pleasing.

The same happens when you stand directly under a light while taking photos indoors. So try to clik pictures facing a natural light source, such as a window, and keep the lighting opposite of you.

7. burst shots are a savior

My favorite tip to look good in pictures is to make the out of burst shots. Once you ask the photographer to take multiple pictures, you can change your poses, angles and expressions quickly for the camera to capture the perfect shot. From m personal experience, you do not have to move so quick that it becomes impossible to catch a worthy shot. Instead try to hold a pose for 2-3 seconds and move on. You’ll be shocked to see how much your body and facial expressions move even when you don’t want them to.

8. Choose Light Colored Backgrounds

I love greenery and blue sky in my pictures. But it was recently that made me think that busy backgrounds takes people away from me and my face. Busy backgrounds can sometimes look great, but most of the times, light clean backgrounds will help brighten your face. Try to find a simple object to shoot in front of, like a building, a car, a background. It look much more aesthetic and is a secret sauce to look good in pictures!

9. try shooting from below

The angle from which you shoot can make a whole lot of difference to the pictures. If you are standing, try a below angle to look slimmer and taller. If you are sitting, a straight or a slightly higher angle with a tilted face can help define your jawline. Have fun with angles and see what works for you.

10. check your flyaways before clicking

I don’t even remember the number of pretty pictures I have dumped due to flyaways. So checking and taming all the flyaways is an essential step you don’t want to miss. Especially at night because flash will catch every single hair strand of yours.

11. don’t have half-closed eyes

I think I learned his tip from a tik-tok some while back but it sure works. I have taught this to all of my friends as well. If you tend to blink a lot in photos, or if the sunlight is too harsh for you to open your eyes, get the photographer ready and ask him to click in burst shots after you say 3. You close your eyes for 3-5 seconds and then count till 3 and then open your eyes quickly. There you go, no more half-closed eyes!

12. get used to taking pictures

I vividly remember how nervous and scared I was when I started taking pictures. It was new and I seriously didn’t know what I wanted or how should I pose how to look good in pictures. Well, it is always try and error and million useless pictures. Also, did I mention that people taring you makes you really scared? Oh sure it does. But with time and some shoots under the belt, you get used to taking pictures and confidence just starts to pour in.

13. bouncy hair can make the difference

Flat oily hair does not look good in pictures. Your hair should be prepared for a photo shoot as well. Some tips that can help your hair look good and bouncy include applying a serum to tame the frizziness of your hair after a hair wash and then using a spray-on-shine to add extra shine so it doesn’t look dull and boring in pictures.

Hair can totally make or break the game for you.

These are some tips on how to look good in pictures without makeup. But if you want some makeup tips to look good in pictures, here they are!

how to look good in pictures with makeup

14. add blush for a 3-D look

More than anything, you need some color on your cheeks to give life to the picture. It gives a 3-D look and your face doesn’t look dull or boring rather looks fresh and awake. So blush is a must!

15. avoid too much highlighter

You may be obsessed with highlighter, but if you want to know how to look good in pictures, you have to keep any kind of shimmer at bay. Any kind of shine can be too much for photos, and if you have oily skin, God save you, you can look like a disco ball in pictures.

Whereas a nice subtle glow is what you want to aim for. Adding a little highlighter to just the tips of the cheekbones and on the bridge of the nose with a powder highlighter is what you need for a soft glow.

16. cover your dark circles

If you have 50 shades of dark circles under your eyes, there is a rare possibility that you’ll like your pictures without a concealer. I mean I have dark circles and cannot manage to pull one picture without covering them. So when I’m not in a mood, the little I do is to apply concealer below the inner corner and outer corner. This works two ways, it covers the dark circles naturally, and second, it gives an uplifted, snatched effect to the eyes.

17. try a bright lipstick shade

If you smaller lips and want them to look a little fuller in pictures, you can try a bright lipstick color. But if you have already fuller lips and wants them to look a little smaller than they are, you can go for dark lipstick shade. Choose what will flatter you the most!

18. avoid SPF makeup

Especially at night, makeup with SPF can make your face look whiter under the flash photography. And whiter faces look weird and certainly not good in pictures.

19. fill and shape your brows

If you have light sparse eyebrows, you can look washed out in pictures if you don’t fill them.

And this is how to use makeup to look good pictures without much efforts.

Well, that being said, these were 19 things you should do and care about if you want to know how to look good in pictures. They are easy and once you get hold of them, you’ll see the difference in your pictures yourself. And don’t worry, it will take some time. And don’t compare your first pictures with the 34680236th picture of a person you are following.

How to Look Good in Pictures: 19 genius tips (that work!)