how to look better in photographs...instantly!

7/28/2019 How to Look Better in Photographs...instantly!

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1 How to take better p

How to look b

otographs...instantly! www.spencecater

tter in Photographs i

photography.com

nstantly!


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2 How to take better photographs...instantly! www.spencecaterphotography.com

Index

How to look better in photographs instantly ......................................... 3

How to be more photogenic ................................................................. 4

How to find out your skin colouring ...................................................... 5

How to find clothes and colours that suit you ...................................... 6

How to look your best .......................................................................... 7

How to pose properly .......................................................................... 9

How to choose the right location .......................................................... 11

How to put it all together ...................................................................... 12


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How to look better in Photo

For some, the thought of bei

cameras are everywhere, you

in the blink of an eye and you

So, now more than ever, its

This book is for those of you

camera; who would like to be

those who want to learn how

Photography is everywhere n

their phone, it a great oppor

If youre reading this then yo

photographs for the followin

Your website Social media profiles Online dating profiles CVs Wedding pictures Social events

Or many more reasons to sho

So read on to learn how to m


raphs instantly!

g captured on camera is a nightmare, espec

r unflattering mug shot could adorn millions

cant do much about it!

good idea to present your best side to the

ho would like to present themselves better

able to look at pictures of themselves with

to take better pictures of others.

ow with most people carrying a perfectly de

unity to practice both taking and posing for

might want to learn how to improve the w

reasons:

w yourself off in your best light

ke yourself look better in pictures...instantl

photography.com

ially now as

of facebook pages

orld. Agree?

in front of the

ut wincing and

cent camera on

photographs.

y you look in

!


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How to be more Photogenic

The camera never lies...is a lie!

Some people look quite average in the flesh but can still look great on photographs, on the

flip side some striking looking people dont look as good as they do in the flesh because they

dont know how to express themselves in front of the camera. Being photogenic is much

more than having a nice face; its the whole aspect of you and your character, your

personality and style. Its your essence that is captured on camera.

In my opinion most Celebrities and Super Models, when photographed off the catwalk look

pretty normal and you would probably not look twice if you saw them in the street,

however once they are working the camera and on as it where, they suddenly exude

charisma, attitude and their images become mesmerizing and captivating.

This is because they know how to work the camera and you can learn some of the basic

techniques too!

Before After Before After

This book isnt claiming to make you into a supermodel or anything like that but it will, if you

follow the suggestions, give you the techniques to show yourself off in your best light so

that parties and social events become fun and you can be confident that you will look your

best in any photograph. You will also gain an understanding of how to take a great

photograph as well.

So, lets dive in and learn how to look better in photographs..instantly!


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How to find out your skin colouring

Whilst facial expressions are a large part of being photogenic, wearing the right colours

clothes for YOU will also have a huge impact on the way you look on a photograph.

As a general rule of thumb you will either be Cool or Warm.

Heres quick way of finding out which one you are:

Warm colouring means that youre likely to have one of the following hair, skin tone and eye

combinations:

Your natural hair colour is, chestnut, charcoal brown, coppery-brown, dark golden

blonde, red, light or dark auburn

Your eye colour is hazel, brown, light green or light blue

You may have freckles and Tan easily, your complexion is golden-brown, yellow-

beige, peach or ivory.

Celebrities with a warm skin tone include Danni Minogue, Anne Robinson, Jessica Biel, Sarah

Ferguson and Chris Evans.

Chris is WARM! Anne is COOL!

Cool colouring means it is likely that you will have one of the following hair, skin tone and

eye combinations:

Your natural hair colouring is black, dark brown, medium brunette, ash blonde, silver

grey, salt and-pepper or even white!

Your eye colour is dark green, dark hazel, dark brown or dark blue.

Your complexion is black, olive, fair, rosy or pale.

If you have white skin, it very often burns in the sun.

Celebrities with a cool skin tone include Naomi Campbell, Anne Hathaway, Liz Hurley and

Simon Cowell.


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How to colours and clothes that suit you

Ok, so youve found your colouring, youve probably realised how obvious it all is.

If youre WARM then youll look your best clothes with a yellow undertone, brown,green, tan, gold, burnt orange and red.

If youre COOL then anything with a blue undertone, purple, lilac, pink, grey andblack will really suit you.

Once you start following the 'buy the right colour' rules, shopping will be made easy - a

process of elimination, where you are looking only for the colours that suit you, rather than

everything that the store has to offer.

You will also be able to mix and match so much more easily because everything will be in

the same tone

In addition to this, you will find that:

Warm skins suit gold jewellery, while cool skins look best in silver.

When it comes to make-up, again Yellow based foundation will work best with lips finished

in brown or peach. Cool skins look great with a pink based foundation and lips in red or

plum.

Generally, if you are going for a flattering look that stands the test of time then its a good

idea to stick to solid/plain and neutral colours, as they work best.

Patterns can dominate and distract, whilst horizontal stripes as we know can make you look

a lot wider than you are. Thin stripes and certain small patterns can create a weird effect,

especially in digital photography. Wearing a single tone like all black for example can cause

the impression of blandness and lack definition

Some other things to consider when it comes to choosing the right colours is that black,

white or red can confuse digital cameras and create too much contrast.

If you are being photographed by a professional, you could ask if he has set the White

balance for your colouring as this will ensure the camera reproduces the colours accurately

as possible.

White balancing is something just tells the camera what is white and the sensor then

calibrates the rest of the colour spectrum from that information.


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How to practice your smile

Like anything practice makes perfect and if you want to look better in photographs or just

become more aware of your own expressions then practising your smile will really help you

make the best of your features.

Next time you are looking in the mirror, stare at your reflection, after a while yourface will reach its normal appearance or your equilibrium.

Now loosen your eye region and activate your lip region. Let your upper and lower teeth just touch, dont clench. If you tend to smile with an open mouth then dont expose too much upper gums

or let your bottom lip cover too much of your upper teeth.

If your complexion is dark or dull then smile slightly, stress the corners of the eyesand raise your eyebrows slightly.

Practice this daily for a month and it will become automatic when you are faced with a

camera

If youre at a social function where you know photos will be taken or even posing for your

own wedding pictures then you can give your face a little workout so it looks its best.

First, shut your eyes tight then open them as if in surprise, you will find yourexpression becomes more 'open',

Then with your mouth closed, puff you cheeks up and swish it from side to side likeyour sloshing mouth wash.

These two tricks really loosen your face and make for a more relaxed expression. Go on try

it!

In addition to looking good on photographs smiling also does wonders for your well being.

Studies have shown that the brain cannot tell a fake smile apart from a real smile. So always

remember to smile even in the worst times.

Also smiling can also be a brilliant defence mechanism. In fact smiling around people who

are trying to bring you down cancels out their negative energy and keeps you balanced and

happy!


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How to look your best

Whilst Photoshop can hide and remove certain things its always best to naturally look your

best.

The good thing about practicing being photographed a lot is that you will notice certain

blemishes, scars or marks on your face which you might not want to show.

An extreme example of this is Russell Crowe, he has two almost symmetrical moles on each

cheek on his face, so conscious of this is he that you will be hard pushed to actually notice

this at all as a majority of the shots in his films have him in either half/full profile or the

scene will be lit so only one side of his face is clearly visible!

If youre prone to sweating or if its a hot, sunny day then make sure you mop your brow

before having pictures done

Make-up can be a blessing and curse. If you know how to use it, it can really make a big

difference to your appearance, get it wrong and you may find yourself on one the FAIL

website!

Fail! Better!


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How to pose properly

Heres some tips on posing

If the camera is lower than you then look slightly above the camera then it wontlook like you have your eyes shut, it also reduces red-eye.

Leaning forward slightly towards the camera adds interest and improves thedefinition of the face whilst reducing wrinkles and flabby skin and keep your chin

tucked in.

To quickly remove a double chin, simply make sure the camera is slightly higher thanyour head, so its angled down towards you. Gently resting the tongue against the

roof of your mouth will help to reduce this as well.

Keep your arms and body parts as close to the torso and face as possible as anythingthat points straight at the camera will look bigger than normal. The exception to this

is when women keep their arms slightly away from their body so as to not make

their upper arms or Bingo wings look bigger as they squash against the body

Relaxing in photographs is the best thing you can do to create a natural lookingexpression. If you know when a picture is being taken take a deep in breath and on

the out breath smile and from whichever pose you feel is right.

The best way to create a genuine smile is to make yourself laugh. This can berecalling a funny event or better still pretend the camera is someone who makes you

happy, your child or partner for example, this will create a really natural, friendly

look. If you want to show a glint in your eye and look a bit more mischievous, a bit of

acting will go a long way, simply pretend the camera is someone you fancy and not

only will your pupils dilate but your cheeks will probably flush a little too, giving you

a naturally inviting look. Try it, it works!

The other thing to remember is to look through the camera and not at it. Thiscreates a more inviting look and connects your eyes to the viewers, making more

impact.


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How to pose properly (Cont.)

Heres a selection of simple p

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oses that you can use as inspiration, to learn

ol.com/21-sample-poses-photographing-female

photography.com

more go here

models


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How to choose the right light

If youre on Holiday theres always a temptation to have your picture taken outside a

landmark or attractive scenery. Whilst you want to capture memories of where you have

been its best to do these as snap shots. If you want a good portrait however, then YOU

should be the main point of focus, so choose a plain, light background so that you really

stand out against it. Also always opt for natural light over flash or artificial if you can.

If its a really sunny day, find some shade and the light will be much more flattering,

otherwise you will be covered in harsh shadows and glare. The times for the best light are

early morning or evening also known as Magic hour this will create a beautiful diffused

glow and add another dimension to your pictures.

If you have to use flash or people are taking your picture with flash then ask if they can

bounce it off the ceiling if youre indoors. This is done by swivelling the flash head upwards

at 45 degrees, if it will allow and creates a much softer, even light. The usual full on frontal

flash most people use is the quickest way to create a flat, unflattering picture.

The one caveat to this rule is that as a rule of thumb is:

Hard light favours Men and soft light flatters Women.

Contrast caused by harsh light can make men look more rugged and masculine, whilst softer

light smoothes the skin and evens out shadows.


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How to put it all together

So far we have looked at How to...

Be more photogenic Find out your skin colouring Choose the right clothes Practice your smile To look your best Pose properly Choose the right light

I hope this helps improves your experience of having your photograph taken and enablesyou to face the camera with confidence next time somebody wants to take your picture.

Whilst writing this I was aware that I was encouraging narcissism and vanity but I also think

that its ok to want to look better on photographs as well as giving you a much better

understanding of how to take better portraits of your family and friends.

To summarise, the simplest thing to just relax and have fun!

Take some time to practice the techniques, learn what works for you and this will shine

through in your photographs.

Remember: The world is watching so show yourself in your best light!

If you enjoyed this e-book then I would love to hear your feedback.

Go to www.spencecaterphotography.com or www.facebook.com/spencecaterphotography

And leave your comments.

Keep smiling!

Spence

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