How to... photograph better

If you look closely, really closely, you’ll see Cheryl Cole has a ‘look’. We’re not talking the L’Oreal hair, Louboutin-clad feet and LBDs. We’re talking head cocked to one side, chin dipped, brown eyes staring out from underneath a glossy fringe and white teeth flashing.

Nicole Kidman has a look too. So does Keira Knightley, Kate Moss, and pretty much every celebrity, singer and superstar that steps into the public eye. Whether it’s the intense eye-stare (Kidman), upper-teeth smile (Knightley) or lowered chin/raised-eye pose (pretty much everyone), they all have a signature ‘look’ when it comes to being papped in the public eye.

Now, with TV shows like Britain’s and America’s Next Top Model pulling in millions of viewers, and social networking sites beaming our pictures across the world-wide-web, we’re more camera conscious than ever before. So, we’ve ask the experts for their pointers on how to look our best in front of the lens – whether for a corporate shot, our profile page or simply our party pictures.

Relax

If you’re having your picture taken for work, feeling relaxed is one of the most important components to getting the right shot. Book a room for the photoshoot that you’ll be comfortable in and choose a photographer you’ll be comfortable with. “Once clients are relaxed, they’ll often look much better in photographs and try more poses than they normally would,” says John Burgess, a photographer for companies including the Chartered Institute of Insurance, Department of Transport, Chief Whips Office, Royal Automobile Club and East India Club.

Look up

If you’re nervous about having a double chin in photos, then have the photographer take your picture from a higher angle. “If you’re on the same level, you might find that chins show a little more,” admits Burgess. “So I try to shoot from somewhere higher so that people are looking up and anything there is falls away.” If your chin is prominent, try turning your head at an angle. “You might look better tilting your head to the left or right, that way your chin is less emphasised.”

Smile… with your lips

“Think smile rather than smile,” advises celebrity photographer Andrew Lamb, who has shot Sienna Miller, Kate Moss and many more celebrities for magazines like Vogue, Elle and Easy Living. And if you smile, then ‘smile with your lips rather than your teeth’ he adds. It’s good advice for party pictures where, after drinking alcohol, people can show too much teeth. For corporate pictures however, smiling is nearly always the way to go says photographer Simon Wagner, whose clients include Chanel, Estee Lauder and Citigroup. “Models can get away with the exaggerated pout or sultry look but this generally doesn’t work for the traditional portrait. Saying that, sometimes the best pictures are candid, when the person is unaware and often isn’t smiling so it looks very natural.”

Face forward

“Facing square on to the camera can look a bit aggressive, body language-wise,” concedes Wagner. “Having your body and shoulders at 45 degrees, with your head turned to the camera will always look more appealing.” This look is also more slimming, according to Burgess. “Photographed straight on, your shoulders and body look bigger than your head. Looking over your shoulder, it brings more attention to the face and makes everything else smaller,” says Burgess.

Slouch or stand?

“Slightly slouch and turn your body a little to the side,” Lamb advises, when being photographed at a party or event. In a corporate environment, do the opposite. “There’s a fine line between slouching in an attractive way and just plain old slouching,” admits Wagner. “And there’s nothing worse than a shot where it looks like you are uncomfortable or just have bad posture. Look through magazines and you’ll see some great poses that aren’t slouchy but look natural, comfortable and compliment the body shape.”

Body in balance

For full-length pictures, turning the body to the side will make you look slimmer. If you’re being photographed face-on, create some space between your limbs and body for a similar effect. To show off your waist, put your hands on your hips and point your elbows slightly backwards. To elongate your lower half, Burgess says: “Put one foot in front of the other, point the toe forward, curl the knee in a little and it makes a real difference to your hips and shape.”

Lighten up

The more control you have over lighting, the better the photograph. Soft lighting can hide larger features - ears, noses, cheeks and chins - while hard lighting can accentuate them, and create shadows. The same is true for laughter lines or crow’s feet, with soft lighting filling in the lines. For corporate portraits, Wagner advises keeping the light soft. “Men can often take slightly more moody lighting which can add character to their face while women tend to want to look younger and so prefer lighting that softens their face.”

For more information or to book a photoshoot, contact:

John Burgess on 01276 61412 or jmbphotographic@hotmail.com

Simon Wagner on 020 8450 8853 or simon@wagnerphotography.co.uk

Andrew Lamb on 020 7485 3135 or Andrew@andrewlambphoto.com  

By Barbara Walshe