8 Secrets of Photogenic Women

If you’re being photographed while seated, the camera should never be beneath your chin—it should be taken straight on or from slightly above. And if that’s not where the camera happens to be, drop your face down and push it out forward to create a better line.  

As much as you might want to (or think you need to), don’t suck in your stomach in photos. Your discomfort will show on your face and your shoulders will look slumped. Instead, project confidence in yourself and your pose—or fake it 'til you make it. (And by make it, we mean become more comfortable in front of the camera.)

Toothy smiles tend to look slightly maniacal and forced. That’s why photogenic ladies employ a technique called squinching. Basically, you tighten your eyes slightly like you’re squinting while subtly relaxing your top lids and letting the lower ones do more of the work (where the “pinching,” of sorts, comes into play). Here’s a video how-to if you’re a more of a visual learner.

How many times have you seen an otherwise great picture of yourself where your eyes are closed or half-closed (and not in that cool aforementioned squinching way)? It’s annoying. To avoid: Make sure the person taking the pic counts down from there, keep your eyes closed for three and two, then, when they say one, open 'em up. You’ll look alert and refreshed and never like you’re falling asleep mid-shot.

Hate to burst your bubble, but the old “Say cheese!” thing is a farce. And it makes your smile look kind of forced and unnatural. If you have to say something, we suggest "money," which allows your mouth to stay slightly open and come across as much more genuine.

As much as you don’t want to focus on pictures where you don’t love the way you look, it’s a good learning experience. Pinpoint what it is about the photo you don’t like (say, your smile looks semi-deranged) and try to fix the issue moving forward (say, by saying "money" instead of "cheese").

OK so this one might feel weird at first, but in order to nail every picture you’re in ever, you’ve got to do some test runs. You’ll be much more comfortable striking a pose that you’ve pre-planned in a mirror than positioning your body randomly and hoping for the best.

Group shots are great if you don’t want all the attention on you, but that can only happen if you aren’t sticking out like a sore thumb. When posing with pals, try not to be the closest to the camera, where you’ll look disproportionately large. So, either position yourself further back or have everyone pose on an even plane.