A picture is worth a thousand words and this couldn’t be truer when it comes to your facial expressions. Most often no matter how hard you try to hide certain feelings and emotions they often dont go unnoticed when you are having your picture taken. While you want to give off your best smile in any image, and you may even practice in front of a mirror to try and perfect it, if it is not a genuine smile this will be noticeable. Getting a natural smile to show through can be difficult for most people having their picture taken because nerves can get the best of any of us. Additionally we also tend to over think smiling properly when we are trying to look our best. For a more natural looking smile these simple tips and ticks will have you feeling more comfortable and confident the next time you are asked to pose for any picture.
Everyone has a better side. Never shy away from using it to your advantage! It is not uncommon for one eye to be larger than the other and in this case you want that side with the larger eye to face the camera. Other ways to determine your best side is to think about the side you usually sleep on. The side of the face you tend to sleep on will often have more wrinkles so you’ll want to keep this side angled away from the camera. Also, consider your hair, if you part your hair more to one side then that side will leave your face more open and better to photograph.
Most people think the best smile is one that shows off their pearly whites but often this is unfortunately not always the case. You want your image to look friendly and not just show that you are happy. Forcing yourself to display a big grin can make you look uncertain and even scarred since our natural reaction to faking a big smile is to widen our eyes. This over smiling can cause your skin to look more wrinkled and your eyes puffier. Instead of going for a full on teeth baring smile go for a more subdued smile, one that you would be able to hold for hours with ease. You will still look happy but you will also look more approachable and inviting, as well.
Many people can feel awkward having their picture taken and this can immediately transmit through the photographs. To help you relax and give off a more natural smile, close your eyes for a few seconds and just before the image is about to be taken slowly open your eyes while drawing the corners of your mouth up. Not only will you feel more relaxed but your smile will be genuine. Although a slightly slower process, this approach enables not only you, the model to feel relaxed, but also allows for the photographer to make several photos over this period rendering better results.
There is really no explanation why ‘cheese’ is used so much for photo shoots and most often the smile that comes across in these types of images are cheesy and fake. Have you ever noticed how many people roll their eyes when they hear, “say cheese”, right before a picture is taken? Skip the cheese and instead, press your tongue to the roof of your mouth. This will naturally draw the corner of your mouth up just as the long ‘e’ in cheese would but without the over the top action.
How exactly do you perfect your natural smile? Smile with your eyes. We focus so much on what our mouth is doing when it comes to taking pictures that we completely neglect the fact that the eyes say it all. If you want to give off your most friendly and happy look you have to show it in your eyes. Try to think of a funny story, joke or even draw upon a comedy you saw on TV that will get you laughing on the inside. This will keep your face relaxed and produce a natural smile that shows through you eyes and not just your mouth.
When it comes to getting the picture perfect smile you don’t have to put so much thought into it. Take a few breaths to relax and let your natural smile take center stage in any of your images. With these tips, you will not only look genuinely happy in your images but will look more friendly and conveying to your viewer.
