5 Lies That Ruin Your Photos
In my college photography program, we were taught to put photos of our most ‘good-looking’ clients in our portfolios. The logic was that the ‘less photogenic’ would see those images and be tricked into thinking, “She can make me look like that,” and the customers would start rolling in. But you’re not stupid, and neither am I!
In over 20 years of photographing humans of all colours, shapes, and sizes, I’ve learned one thing: you, my friend, are photogenic. But somewhere along the way, you were fed a bunch of nonsense rules about what you’re supposed to look like. And it’s time we ditch the myths, drop the filters, and stop worrying about looking good. Here are 5 lies that make you duck for cover when you see a camera and why they’re total BS.
5. Proper posing will make you look slimmer.
Unless that’s actually how you stand in real life, please, no. Your photos shouldn’t look like you’re auditioning for Vogue (unless you are—then, by all means). The best photos are the ones where you’re comfortable, goofy, snuggly, or just the way you are.
4. The key to great photos is the right outfit.
Nope! Wear whatever makes you feel most like yourself. If you’re a tomboy in jeans and hoodies, why are you suddenly wearing a sundress? If you’re most creative in bright colours and lots of patterns, why are you considering 10 shades of texture-free gray? Ask yourself this question: “What would I wear if I woke up feeling amazing?” That’s the outfit you should wear for your session.
3. Don’t smile. “Instead, try a look of far-off wonderment.”
You don’t need teeth to smile. Have you ever thought of that? The corners of our mouths involuntarily curl up when we are (spoiler alert) happy! But our mouths snap closed the moment we feel insecure. It doesn’t make us look better. It makes us look… well… weird!
There is no proper way to smile. You know what looks best? The smile you make when you’re happy! No Chandler-esque look of excruciating pain. No deadpan mugshot like you’re testifying in court. Your. Real. Smile. The one you make when your toddler brings you a flower for no reason. Or the one said toddler makes when they go to kindergarten and learn how to make a fart with their elbow.
2. Flaws ruin photos.
The best photos aren’t the ones where every unique piece of you is erased thanks to Photoshop. They’re the ones where you’re laughing so hard your eyes are closed. There’s a reason you can’t control yourself when your aunt recounts that time she “went ass over teakettle” (her words, not mine) when the dog ran into her some-odd years ago. Imperfection makes life interesting.
I learned this lesson when my grandpa passed away. There were about one million photos at his service, and we all stood around them staring and giggling for a good long while. This one stood out to me. I pointed at it, looked at my dad and said, “Uhm… what’s that about?!” To which he replied, “Oh that’s right… We had a bull so quiet that you could climb on his back and ride him.”
And so my grandpa did. And here is the blurry proof of all those stories that made us howl with laughter growing up: he was either a total badass, a bit reckless, or both. The fact that another cow seems to be mid-pee in the background just makes this a more comical moment.
1. You are not photogenic.
Ah yes! The #1 piece of BS on this list.
Our culture has trained us well. The vast majority of us believe that to be comfortable in front of a camera, we must be a double 0 with 5% body fat or less with perfectly symmetrical features. But imagine if you had to listen to the same song for the rest of your life. If all you could eat only one meal. Or there was only one show playing on TV. Or if you had to do the same thing day in and day out until kingdom come. Life would be boring. And the world would be boring (and completely dysfunctional) if everyone was the same.
So, let yourself be photographed mid-snort. Laugh so hard that your double chin gets 10 times bigger. And don’t ever suck in your gut! Don’t cram yourself into an awkward, stiff box from some stranger’s checklist. Do you! It’ll feel a lot more fun! And seeing that big fat smile on your face will make you and your favourite people laugh all over again years down the road.
Stop Lying to Yourself
You are awesome! Is that sinking in, now? Great! Follow the button below, and schedule a time to talk to me! It’s time for some new photos to go with your cool new attitude!
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