We all went to look our best in front of the camera. Whether it’s for a headshot session you’ve been putting off or the perfect social media selfie, these two secrets are bound to change your life and have you saying, “Yaaasssss!” So Let’s get you started to looking your best in front of any camera.
Ready for the first secret? At the MRP studios, we call it the “funky chicken.” (Yes, as in the song.) Other photographers have different names for it but the concept is the same: the key to looking thinner in any photo is to bring your nose slightly closer to the camera. Now, I’m not talking about a full-on chicken peck with your neck extended all the way forward. (You’ll just look ridiculous like my brother did in all his wedding photos after misunderstanding my advice.)
It’s a small movement where you push your nose one- to two-inches closer to the camera with your neck in a pecking motion. That slight movement will give you a natural face-lift, stretch the hanging skin beneath your neck, and reduce the bags beneath your eyes. Practice in front of a mirror before you try it in front of a camera—the movement is subtle and you want to make sure your movement isn’t too large. And avoid diving your chin toward the ground as it will only accentuate your forehead. The nose should come directly forward.
READ: To Retouch or Not to Retouch? The Ultimate Headshot Question
Now for the second secret for killin’ it in any photo, especially headshots: people like long necks. Yes, I said it, the human species has been programmed through thousands of years of evolution to be attracted to certain ratios and having a longer neck is one of them. Besides just being considered more attractive, having a longer neck in photos makes the viewer—like a casting director—pay more attention to the emotion in the eyes.
The good news? You don’t have to have a long neck for it to appear long on camera. The key is to pull down your shoulders as you pull the top of your head toward the sky. Now don’t forget to do the funky chicken and while you are doing all of this, roll one shoulder forward while you roll the other backward. It will give the pictures a sense of dimension and not feel too square. Easy, right?
There you have it! Two of the most important “secrets” for looking your best in every photo. Now go practice before you take the headshot world by storm!
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