How do you take a decent picture of yourself?

[EoinMcLovesCakeJumper]

I was planning to put myself out there on online dating this year, but I've fallen at the first hurdle - taking a decent picture of myself that might make someone actually want to look at my profile!

I'm not especially attractive but I don't think I'm actively repellent. I'm just an average-looking middle-aged woman who doesn't attract attention one way or another. But when I try to take a picture of myself I really look dreadful and there's no way I can put something like that on a dating profile.

I've always photographed badly for some reason but I don't understand why. I'm simply not photogenic. It's become a joke amongst my friends and family because I'm guaranteed to be the only one in group photos pulling a weird face that I didn't even know I was doing. I've done OLD in the past and almost without exception, any men that I've met have said something like "You actually look much better in real life than in your pictures". I can't have looked that bad or they wouldn't have met me, I suppose, but I had youth on my side then and I definitely don't now.

I have a bad smile because my mouth naturally turns down at the corners, so the usual advice to try smiling naturally doesn't do much for me. Does anyone have any ideas for how I can get just one picture that will be good enough to get me to the stage of meeting up?

I’d really like to know this too!

I’m amazed sometimes by how appalling I look n I guess the camera doesn’t lie... but it seems to be unnecessarily negative!

Wash and do your hair, put on a bit of make up, go somewhere near a window or outside and take a picture from slightly above with the camera looking down. Smile.

Like this
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.allure.com/story/how-to-take-good-selfies/amp

Lighting and angles are always important to taking a selfie, and tbh taking a selfie is much easier than the effort that goes into getting someone to take a good picture of you and posing for it

Try taking LOTS of selfies at once, natural light is your friend in these, find the best lighting in the room, NOT the one that makes your face completely white and spotless, yes it may vanish all imperfections, but you want to feel beautiful in this picture, not a fraud right? Take many angles, avoid the one I see a lot of middle aged women doing where you angle the camera as high as possible so face, boobs, legs and feet all make the cut. Failing that, set a timer on your camera, put a nice outfit on, and let it snap you in different poses, you’ll surely find one you like. If you find a picture you almost like, try filtering it, greyscale makes some images really pop whereas colour works for others. Hope this helps! 🙃

What charles says.. if you can diffuse the light helps too.

Camera to top of head height pointing down towards your eyes. Look into lens, smile slightly, but keep chin down dont put chin upwards. This makes eyes bigger, face slimmer and gives a more flattering (professional look)

I'll try explain this, I might do a bad job, but push your ears forward. It defines the jaw line better.

I'll try find a better explanation online and link it!!

Some good tips in that article, thank you. Did I mention, though, how very bad my smile is? I really do look dreadful when I try to smile, even when I've been photographed in the middle of genuinely laughing at something I found hilarious. So it's not just when I'm posing artificially.

photography.tutsplus.com/tutorials/7-posing-techniques-for-non-models--photo-15608

Here you are. No 2 explains what I'm trying to say!!

I often (okay always!) have a really really goofy smile!! Might try find tip on how to smile better and let you know if I find good tips.

Same OP, same

I agree just setting the camera to burst mode so it continuously takes shots is helpful then you can analyse yourself what angles/heights/expressions are favourable and which are a no go.

Could you enlist a friend? I spent a couple of hours with a friend before her wedding just taking pics in the garden in her dress and trying poses/angles/expressions/smiles so she could get used to the camera and see what worked in advance of her wedding day ( as someone who hated herself in photos and wasn't used to it). It was lovely actually, and hilarious at times as well. I ended up getting some shots of her at the wedding that she preferred to the professional efforts which was touching to hear and she was thrilled. I know her angles even if I don't know mine .

Stand in natural light and take loads. With a few to look at you can flick through and choose which one with subtle differences you like best. Not too close up as selfies make your nose look bigger.

Forehead forward, chin down a little, jaw slightly forward to line up your teeth, tilt your head towards the camera but chin pointing away. Smile with your eyes and just a tiny bit with you mouth. Don't put your phone too close or too far away or else you'll distort your facial features. Put some white card or some tinfoil under your chin or to the side of your face to reflect the light back onto yourself. Make sure the light isn't too bright or too harsh; the nicest light is early evening as the sun is setting or even on a cloudy and overcast day when the sunlight has been diffused quite a lot. Take the background into consideration too; don't have anything growing out of your head or ear for instance or have it too busy.

@EoinMcLovesCakeJumper the most important thing to remember is that light is your friend.
Take a pic on a bright day, near a window, but not in direct sunlight.
If you’re taking a pic with a smart phone camera, always use the lens that points away (Not the selfie lens, which is lower res).
Also, perhaps most importantly , remember that the lens on your smart device is wide angle, and therefore can easily distort perspectives.

This in mind, ALWAYS hold the phone slightly above your forehead, at arms length, and tilt the phone so that the top is leaning forward towards your face.
Try a neutral smile.
Play around and have fun!

Here are some YouTube links by KiKa -she is utterly delightful and I challenge you not to fall in love with her style and learn a lot in the process. She has a heap of ideas. I feel like I have fallen down the rabbit hole and watched a million wonderland ideas with her videos!

Thanks all, I'll check out the links later. I'm extremely photo avoidant, for obvious reasons, so I really am clueless about taking selfies. I just don't do it!

Took me 4 hours and 2 outfit changes and one change of hairstyle to get the right LinkedIn selfie.

I did timer mode on the camera so I did not have to hold the phone out in front of me.

After several rubbish attempts I got onto jeans and a jumper, went downstairs to take the dog out. Realised that the light in the downstairs bathroom was awesome (diffused morning light through opaque windows) that I propped the phone up on the window sill, timed selfie, put my hands in my pockets and smiled at the camera. It worked a treat!

Therefore good light is your friend. Or you could pop to a photographer that does passport photos and ask them to get a good one of you?

justilou1 Kika is really sweet! The camera definitely loves her, but she has some good tips anyway. I hadn't really thought of using a timer camera so I will definitely try that. I think a full-body shot without so much focus on the face would be a good thing?

If you check out her other videos, she’s got some great advice for staging, how to make a camera “crane”, outside photos, etc.... Very creative and if you put your own spin on it, may help you stand out.

OK. I took all the advice, I went into some nice natural light in my most glamorous coat, held the camera as directed. I still looked like shite. Even a black and white filter didn't help. I don't think I'm going to bother with OLD now - I wouldn't swipe right on me if I was a man.

If the camera doesn't lie, I must be uglier than I thought I was

That’s a sad message op. I’ve never see anyone who I thought was ugly.
I’m sure you’re being too hard on yourself.

Does it have to be a selfie? Could you ask a friend to take a pic? Or even a professional?
I feel your pain. I'm not that unattractive but I'm hideous in selfies

I'm a photographer. You need to think about your light first off. Light falling across your face (think from beside a window) will highlight every crease, plook and wrinkle you've ever had. If you must light from the side, counter it with another light from the other. Make sure your camera is slightly above you, level or below your face will give you double chins even if you have none. Staring down the lens not a great look either, a slight tilt is better. Experiment to find which is your best side, everyone has one! Were a colour that suits you, make up on (or just a little bb cream/powder) if you dont wear to even put your skin. Hair in a style that's natural for you and have a go! Camera phones sometimes make your forehead look massive if you use the front one, might need a friend to help use the better camera on the back of the phone. Or a selfie stick and lots of patience! Other than that, smile with your eyes (Tyra Banks Smize anyone ??) and good luck!

EddieVedder I'm interested to know if you as a professional, have ever encountered anyone who you couldn't make look good. You don't have to answer but I am just curious!

I had a bad experience with a wedding photographer when I was a bridesmaid for a friend. I knew I was going to have to have pictures taken and I didn't want to be awkward on my friend's big day, but it was so awful. The photographer was trying to get a shot of the bride and all the bridesmaids, and he kept looking at what he'd just taken, frowning, and saying "We'll just get one more... just smile on the end there... just smile... ok, just one more... just smile..." I was really, really trying but the longer it went on, the more forced and fake I looked. I was almost in tears by the end.