In Patrick Stewart’s memoir, “Making It So”, he mentioned some advice he received from Rod Steigler on how to act for Film and Television. “You must understand, Patrick, the camera photographs thoughts”.
Meaning that, while in stage acting you show your emotions through body movement, in film, the emphasis is on what is behind your eyes. The reason why actors take great still portraits is that when a camera is pointing at them, they are on, present, showing their emotions through their eyes.
Most of the time when we, as adults, have a camera pointed at us, we are thinking of a dozen other things than what we might want to express in that moment. For me, recently, it was usually something along the lines of, I hate my hair, my smile, my weight, but I will smile because I am being asked to. You can just imagine the results.
So the next time someone points a camera at you, think about it and then FEEL what you want to express. Be there, in that moment.
One of the hardest things for people to do when they have their portrait taken is stand up straight. Usually, we are relaxing with family or friends, having a good time and not thinking of our position. But this often results in double chins and slouched shoulders. If a camera appears at your next gathering, remember the string. Imaging a string is pulling the top of your head away from your shoulders. Stand or sit up straight, move your chin out slightly, lean forward a bit. It’s amazing how just a little shift can make a huge difference.
If you are concerned about how you look in pictures, it actually helps to practice a bit in the mirror. It seems really silly at first but as you play with it, you will discover some things. Such as what is your better side – we all have one, your best smile, and over and over you will remember to drop those shoulders and push out your chin a bit. Practice does make things easier.
And always remember,
what is closest to the camera will appear the largest.
On the same theme as the last post, when your whole body is in the shot, you definitely want to remember ANGLES. Bend those elbows but also, bend a knee.
For women, bringing the knees closer together creates a triangle shape which is much more flattering. There are many versions of this so it helps to find the one that suits you. Not all poses work for everyone. Some women prefer to show their sexy side and some prefer to keep it neutral.
I highly recommend looking at how celebrities and influencers stand for their portraits and find the poses that are most comfortable for you.
Then practice, practice, practice until moving into that position is second nature.
Continuing with tips for posing for casual photos with friends…
When the camera pulls back to include your body, the most important thing to remember is ANGLES. Nothing looks good straight on or flat.
In addition, arms always look bigger when they are pressed against the body. Even a slight bend of the elbow looks more flattering. Put your arm on the table, reach around a friend, put your hand on your hip. Remember to drop your shoulders and shift your chin out and down. Then tap into your feelings and smile your favourite smile.
Cameras were never designed to flatter, they were designed to record. And that tiny wide angle lens in your camera phone is often working against you. If you want to take better pictures of yourself and your friends, you need to remember one thing;
what is closest to the lens will appear the largest.
There is a reason they designed the selfie stick, as silly as it may seem. Our arms just aren’t long enough to keep the default lens from distorting out features.
In picture 1 you can see how much bigger my knees and hand is compared to my head.
Of course, there is always the exception if distortion or emphasis is what you are going for. This can be great if you want to reveal some attitude or show off your new shoes. 😀 Picture 2.
The most flattering image for your face and body however, is to keep the camera at eye level and move the parts of you that you want to de-emphasize away from the lens.
