Portrait Posing Mistakes

Mistake #1 // Kick your hip or waist towards the camera
We all want to show some attitude or mix up the posing. One of the critical mistakes that brides make is to push certain body parts towards the camera. Because the lens of a camera is curved, they have a tendency to stretch images, especially whatever is closest to the lens. By throwing your hips towards the lens, the camera will then accentuate them. Instead trying moving your hips back and to the side while slightly leaning forward and looking straight at the camera. This will elongate your neck and accentuate your shoulders.

Mistake #2 // Move your body or face to extreme angles
We’ve all seen those selfie social media images our friends have captured with a cell phone and posted. The photos where the chin is tucked down and away at an extreme angle and often accompanied by a pouting mouth and expression. While that look usually doesn’t work in general, it’s especially one to avoid at the wedding. When we turn our faces in any direction the first thing that we must watch for is where our nose is. If you turn your face to the side so that the tip of the nose crosses outside of the cheek line (from the perspective of the camera), the nose begins to appear longer. Especially if you’re wearing all one single white color then the nose becomes even more pronounced! This is one you can try for yourself. Have a friend capture your image with your cell phone. Now turn your face off on a big angle so that your nose crosses your cheek line and compare the two images.

Mistake #3 // Duck Lips
It’s crazy, I know.  In a world of Instagram and Snapchat we see the “duck lips” selfies left and right.  Sure we’re aiming for that sultry pouty look but I gotta tell you.  It’s just not happening.  But why?  This look is often trying to replicate a celebrity style look but it’s one thing to see it online vs actually pulling it off.  My advice is to skip the duck and instead work that “smize”.  The secret is what really makes the image is what your eyes are doing.

Mistake #4 // Smiling without engaging
You’re out with friends and now its picture time!  Everyone in the group showcases their best smile and presto, we’re on social media.  Have you ever looked at an image of someone else or yourself and it’s fine but nothing special?  The problem is that when we smile for photos, we’re often not engaging with the camera.  This again goes back to engaging with your eyes.  Try this the next time you’re out for a quick group photo.  Right before the photo is taken, think about a happy moment, a joke or something you love.  Let the smile come naturally.  This will make a tremendous difference in that smile being right on point.

Mistake #5 // Not knowing your good side
Most of us don’t have perfectly symmetrical faces.  With that most men and women do indeed have a good side.  It might be something that sounds cliche from a movie but here’s how to identify it.  We have a more expressive side of the face.  Maybe it’s just one eye brow that you can raise or it’s a bit easier to squint or wink with one eye over the other.  The side which is more expressive is usually your good side.  For about 70% of people it’s their left side.  Think back for a moment and look at some images…do you find yourself preferring to stand on one side for your photos?  You may already be in tune with it then!  One final tip is that for photos it’s usually ideal to part your hair on your good side.  This opens that side of your face up while moving your hair over to cover a bit of the other side.