Eight Ways to Look Better In Pictures

how do i look younger, after shaving i discover my skin got darker how do i clear the dark patches on my jaw so it doesnt get darker

how about shaving and be clean ?

A good photographer knows how to take good pictures without a flash. A lot of my friends have photosensitivity and hire photographers that do incredible jobs without the flash.

Who is this person giving advice? How was he allowed to write this?
Is he even a photographer? Or just a Photoshop nerd?
The only time a flash is used in daylight is when there is some darkness or the flash goes off automatically.
No one shoots a picture from underneath of someone's nostrils, no matter how tall they are. This is unflattering to everyone.
Why waste time?

I don't know where they get the idea that professional photographers get lots and lots of money to make you look good - the only ones who get lots or money for my talent is the company I work for - I am a professional photographer and I love what I do - but I'll never get rich that's for sure - in the meantime, the studio I'm is showing a 60% increase over last year, which showed a 100% increase over the year before, when I first was employed.

Yeah, go ahead and show people how to make themselves look thinner, or taller, or better looking via photoediting. Then when they try internet dating, they wonder why they are dumped after the first date. You are who you are, quit trying to cover it up. If you want to be thinner, eat better and exercise. If you want less acne, get some medication. If you want to be taller.........well forget that one. Just be yourself. I hate wasting my time when people used pictures from 10 years ago when they were thinner, or photoedited. Quit the lying already.

I'm a professional photographer and there are times when I will use a flash outdoors. It's called "fill flash" and in the right situation, it really can make your pictures look 10 times better. I would NEVER shoot under someone's nostrills, unless it was my goal to exaggerate their height and make the person look super tall. Even then, that only works with very few people!

The best way is to carefully avoid having your picture taken at all. If you must then make sure you show only skin, (your face). This way you only need to worry about one area of your body. Let's face it they all end up in a drawer somewhere anyway.

Every pro photographer seems to think flash is the devil...for us amateurs though, we can't be bothered to fiddle with too many settings when we want to take a quick snapshot.
I don't think the idea is to misrepresent yourself, but rather to use simple tricks to remove elements that distract from your overall appearance. Too bad the tips on this article suck.
Some people photograph more poorly than they look in person because the photographer is bad or they don't know how to arrange their face & body to look good on camera. There's plenty of attractive people who don't look so good on camera because they don't know what to do in front of one, or their friends taking their picture don't know what they are doing.

With digital or 35mm film photography, the photographer is like an 'artist with paint and pallet' - only COMPOSITION becomes the PALLET OF PAINT on the canvas, using your subject, exposure, and composition!
Like anything, KNOWING your subject, will always present a far superior photo!

This can generally be reduced to 3 very easy steps for non-glamor shots of people. This excluded 'family picnic' fun at the beach, vacation shots as these are spontaneous shots and not usually subject to 'posing' but to a degree, even these can be 'posed in the photographers mind. In the end, the camera, digital or 35mm, becomes the 'mechanical extension' of the photographers own inner minds picture.
**Tip - never over look the good use of FILTERS' too! A good polarizing filter can do wonders on a bright sunny day. Same too for many other filters that can block unwanted glare and accent a color!

1. FACIAL CONSTRUCTION AND BODY TYPE - if they thin to big boned, then notice this. Is their skin tone fair to dark, note this too. Are they short or tall? Use all of these as a 'subject study' before you take a serious photo of them. Note all their positive features, pretty eyes, hair, arms, etc. use these to THEIR photo benefit. IF their wearing clothes that makes them look thinner, fatter, then suggest a change, or of the color's their wearing conflict, draw away from their face or skin tones, select different ones. Notice if your subject has 'dark circles' under their eyes, suggest concealer or other makeup. If it's a closeup face shot, LOOK for their BEST SIDE AND ANGLE! If your subject is female and she keeps her hair pulled back, have her 'let it down' - see if her hair, framing her face, improves the picture, and vice versa. TRY NEVER to shot UP the face, as nostrils, end up looking like large, gaping holes in their face and distracting in the end picture! SHOOT FOR DIFFERENT MOODS! Use HANDS, arms even, to help frame their face effectively. In short, for the best facial shots, the more you study your subject the better the shot will be! They will thank you for it later, when the picture makes them look good!

2. MATCH YOUR BACKGROUND to the subject!
Ex. IF your subject has pale skin tones, DON'T photograph them on a white sandy, bright sunny day, if you want them to look alive, not deceased. Use a park setting, with muted shading and direct lighting that will accent, and compliment, your subjects pale skin tone, even give it an illusion of a healthy glow!
Inversely, if your subject has a great tan, then use the beach or combo of sand and rocks, to photograph them. The varied shades of browns will compliment the tan, and with proper composition, not over power the subjects dark tone but bring it out more.
Use of composition and background can not be over emphasized enough. When properly done, the resulting photo can be outstanding.
Watch for small details in the photo, if in the woods, position your subject so the 'tree' in the background, isn't 'growing out of the subjects head'! IF POSSIBLE, USE NATURAL FRAMING - use a foreground branch overhead, or two trees to frame your subject. The result is that framing will automatically direct any viewers TOWARD, your subject in the picture.

3. EXPOSE FOR YOUR SUBJECT - THIS can NOT be over emphasized or always easy with digital cameras today! With today's quick point and shoot cameras, this can be a little harder to do but with some practice, it gets to be a breeze - even for the notice. WIDE ANGLE OR GROUP SHOTS are usually the hardest to get properly exposed! Learning to use the manual settings on your digital camera, if so equipped, can resolve this in the blink of an eye (pun intended) along with a little practice.
Ex. Beach shots - usually, people stand back, viewfinder the picture, snap the shot! POOF, every ones dark, background sky is bright, sand is bright and people under exposed. TIP: With most digital camera's today, taking the photo is a button, two step process, press half way allows for auto focus and exposure, then an indicator light, lights up, it's OK to take the picture, press the rest of the way! Well if your at the beach and don't want to use any manual settings, then mark where your going to take your picture from in the sand, dirt, etc., MOVE IN TOWARD YOUR SUBJECT(S) 3 to 5 feet away, aim the camera at the subject, press the button half way, let it auto focus and expose on them, KEEP THE BUTTON HALF PRESSED, then BACK UP to where you'd marked, FRAME YOUR END PICTURE, FINISH PRESSING THE SHUTTER BUTTON! The end result will USUALLY be, properly exposed people, with the sky over exposed in the background, but you'll be able to tell who's who, in the picture. IF your doing a photo of a single person, then here's where FILL FLASH, comes in. DON'T be AFRAID to USE FILL FLASH - especially for people shots outdoors. The flash will illuminate their faces, help eliminate unwanted shadows, while allowing the background to be better exposed, more evenly balanced.

The 'move in to set exposure and focus' tip, usually works fine, but don't move in TOO close, because when you MOVE BACK, then the subject will be OUT OF FOCUS!
Remember, most smaller camera's today, FILL FLASH is usually only good for 4-10 feet away from your subject, camera depending. Also, if your digital camera supports it, this is where use of a good polarizing filter and other filters can help greatly! That's another article though.
Same is true for woods shots too! Fill flash can be very handy to properly expose your subject, except with a bit more practice. Sometimes, you want USE shadow to help frame your subject(s).
The 'move in to set exposure and focus' tip, usually works fine, but don't move in TOO close, because when you MOVE BACK, then the subject will be OUT OF FOCUS! Most low end digital cameras, anything 5 feet or further out is set to infinity focus, so this doesn't become a problem, usually. With a little practice, you can determine what's best for the camera you own, and still get far better 'subject' exposures. Landscapes of course, can usually be done with just point and shoot, with great results with some exceptions.

IF your shooting a picture of that GREAT FARM HOUSE, BARN AND SILO scene, from a distance on a bright day, the point and shoot, may not work, as the sky will over power the camera metering system, and your resulting photo will be a shadow of the farm house, barn and silo. In this instance, since your already far away, you can try to point the camera DOWN, eliminate all the sky, through the viewfinder, press the button half way for auto expose and focus (since your far away - the focus will be set to infinity already by default), then STILL HOLD THE BUTTON HALF WAY, LIFT UP THE CAMERA, FRAME YOUR SHOT THROUGH THE VIEW FINDER, THEN PRESS THE BUTTON THE REST OF THE WAY, taking the picture.

The resulting shot should be a better exposed farm house, barn and silo, and the sky, usually a bit over exposed, but not too terribly. With some practice, this becomes almost automatic and in seconds, the photo's taken. Here again, a good filter, can also improve the picture tremendously.
In closing, subject study, background matching, exposure and focus, usually result in better photos. With the advent of digital photography, it's given a benefit way beyond 35 mm photography. In just 35 mm photography days, film and processing costs, could get to be very costly. With digital photography, that was eliminated! This FREE'S up the photographer to be able to practice, practice and practice - to perfect their ability with a camera! Practice can't be understated here, the more you shot, the better pictures you'll get! TIP: STAY WITH ONE CAMERA, GET THE BEST YOU CAN AFFORD. Then practice with it, learn ALL it's features built in, yes, even the MANUAL settings too! For MOST general, non-professional photography, anything above 8 mega pixels, is usually unnecessary. It's better to have a good 8 mega pixel camera with many features built in, then a 12 mega pixel camera, with only a limited few, like multi-spot metering system, manual focus etc..

In the good old 35mm photo days, the photographers would 'compose the shot in their mind' then merely transfer it via their camera, to film. This became the difference between adequate photographers and true 'professionals'. Subject, background, exposure all became automatic mental pictures, and 2nd nature to early photographers. This even remains true today, with digital cameras only now, 1000's of digital photos can be taken in a single setting and 'that one' special shot, can be forever captured on digital film and easily shared with the world! So don't be afraid to take 100's of shots of all different type's of settings from portrait to landscapes, to develop your own style and expertise with your camera, your own window to the world, of your minds inner eye. And have FUN! - c.2008 D3B All Rights Reserved

The font and size of the print sucks! You don't need a mannifying glass, you need a microscope!

To get rid of your double chin, press your tongue on the front roof of your mouth and lift your chin up slightly. Works everytime.