Picture Perfect

Picture Perfect

Nowadays it seems like every five minutes someone sticks a mobile phone in your face and says smile.

Minutes later the worst shot you have ever, ever seen of yourself appears on countless social network sites for the whole world to see. God doesn’t he (or she) look dreadful.

In GQ magazine this month there is an article which claims that ‘the pictures we choose as our own online profiles give a greater insight into our real character than anything else in the world. Because the shots that we like of ourselves portray the person we actually want to believe we are. Deep hey!!

Well, no more dreadful mobile photographs for the world to laugh at, this is fight back time.

At LAW Creative we work regularly with brilliant fashion, advertising and portrait photographer Darren Paul. We asked Darren for his five top tips for looking good in photos.

Top five tips for looking good in photographs as compiled for LAW Creative by photographer Darren Paul.

  1. Confidence and self-belief. If you feel good it probably looks good
  2. Relax. Don’t try to hard and never feel embarrassed. Trust the photographer to capture you. This doesn’t work of course if the photographer is a drunken mate who can hardly see you let alone capture your ‘best side’.
  3. Elongate your neck. Push out and raise your chin a touch. Not of course like a strained giraffe!
  4. Don’t look directly into the camera. Focus your eyes slightly above the camera lens.
  5. For full length shots. Place one or two hands on your waist. This will create the illusion of making you look more slender. Remember the camera can add around ten pounds to your actual weight. And always try turning a little away from the camera rather than standing front on.

So, for a hot new look on the social networks, next time you have your photograph taken try these top tips and show the world the character you really want to be.
But probably the best tip of all is have your pics taken by a professional… it works every time!!

LAW Creative art direct, retouch and edit photography and film for major clients around the world as part of integrated marketing communications projects and campaigns. Fashion and Advertising Photographer Darren Paul can be found at www.darrenpaul.com