This is how you look good for the camera

Looking good for the camera is at times a struggle, while sometimes as easy as pie.

But in a world where a good selfie is about as important as a good meal, we try to look as best we can.

At Caxton Local Newspapers, journalists are often tasked with doing vox pops, a word derived from Vox populi, a Latin phrase that means ‘voice of the people’, where we take photos of random members of the public to hear your opinion on certain issues.

Working with a variety of faces and personalities, a few tricks have been learned about how to take a good portrait photo, similar to a selfie, of another person.

Here are tips to looking your best in a photo:

– Tilt your head slightly to the side for a slimmer look. Your face is now outlined with the curves of your nose, eyes and mouth instead of a single shape.

– Same counts for a full body photo.

– There is no reason to use the flash for every photo, though some photos do benefit from the occasional extra lighting. But mostly rather use natural lighting. If you find yourself in a shadow with a very light background, cue flash. But if the lighting around you is generally the same, no flash gives your skin added glow (the good kind).

– Do use the flash when you take photos full on in the sun and especially if your subject is wearing a hat. The flash gives your eyes extra twinkle and doesn’t turn you into a silhouette.

– Smile. Really. When you smile, your eyes light up. A friendly face is always warm and welcoming so there is no doubt your will look good.

– Adding to the importance of your eyes, have the camera focus on your eyes and make sure you look straight into the camera.

Now that you have transformed into a photo-guru-genius, maybe you should join your local photography club to learn even more and have your photos seen by other likewise creatives.

Visit the Randburg Photo Club, the online camera club or the Photographic Society of South Africa for a list of clubs in South Africa.