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Email a FriendI suspect #4 is so the background blurs nicely (called bokeh), letting the subject stand out even more. Some lenses can do this even with the background pretty close, but in general it’s a good tip.
10 Tips for Profile Pics
Easy ways to look your best
Posted by AGroup in Homemaking on Friday, October 22, 2010 9:59 AM
Voila!
Hello ladies!
My friend, Jen, came into town last weekend for my sweet daughter’s baptism. Since she knew I needed to have a new profile picture taken, she was kind enough to bring her camera along with her and play photographer.
I was not too keen on having my photo taken at one month postpartum but since it had to be done I prepared myself for having to settle on a less-than-flattering shot. I was shocked when she later showed me the pictures she’d taken and I realized that I didn’t hate them!
I begged her to share her secrets with me, which she kindly did, and it occurred to me that you all might like to benefit from her wisdom as well! And so, without further ado I give you …
10 Tips for Taking an Amazing Profile Picture
1. When taking the picture, have your photographer stand back and zoom in. This will cover a multitude of sins.
2. Always use natural, diffused light. Taking a picture indoors rarely produces a nice portrait. For best results wait until the sun is behind clouds or has begun to set.
3. Try using a fill-in flash. Simply switch your camera to the manual setting and opt to keep your flash turned on at all times. The flash can help to remove any remaining shadows and smooth your complexion.
4. Make sure you are at least 15 feet away from nearest background object, if not more. I can’t remember why this is important but word on the street is that it’s a must-do.
5. This sounds crazy but it did produce some of my favorite shots so I highly recommend it: Turn away from the camera and relax your face. Then quickly look back at the camera and pause. Try this with several different expressions. It really works!
6. Do whatever you need to do to take the frizz out of your hair. Frizz is always amplified on film. In my case (since I have straight hair), I first used a flat iron (LOVE those things) and then further smoothed it with a touch of pomade.
7. Add a touch of gloss on top of your lipstick to give your lips dimension.
8. For you fair-skinned gals, make sure you apply blush, even if you don’t normally wear it, because photos can make you look extra washed out.
9. Use a lot of concealer under your eyes if you have under-eye circles (which I do). Even if seems like it takes a lot of make-up to cover them up, it won’t show up in the photos if it’s the right shade.
10. Make sure to take photographs in several different outfits. I really thought I’d prefer photos of myself in a brightly colored shirt but a simple black sweater ended up looking best.
Hope these help! If any of you have any good tips for taking nice portraits please share them in the combox! Take care, ladies!
Comments
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Posted by Jay on Friday, Oct 22, 2010 4:11 PM (EDT):
Another tip—never have the photographer below you. In other words, don’t have someone sitting down take a picture of you if you’re standing up. It will make you look larger and heavier. Instead, try to have the photographer above you with the camera looking down at you—a shot where the photographer is a couple stairs above you or something is going to be more flattering.
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