Long before the days of Instagram and iPhones, I was shoving bulky digital cameras into my friends’ hands, begging them to capture my outfit for whichever early-social-media-era platform I was using at the time (Myspace, Tumblr…and does anyone remember Xanga?). And ever since I can remember, I was instructing them on how to get my “best angle,” which, for someone clocking in at 5’1”, basically meant that which made me look longer and taller—millennial teapot pose notwithstanding.
After thousands of deleted takes and many years of practice, both in front of and behind the camera, I’ve learned all the tips and tricks it takes for a petite person like moi to look taller in pictures—and have even run them by my professional photographer friend for her expert stamp of approval. (Hint: It’s all about clever positioning.) If you’re a fellow shortie hoping to create the illusion of extra height in your photos, read on for a few approaches that can make all the difference.