The presence of social media in our daily lives is undeniable. According to a study done by We Are Social and Hootsuite, in 2020 Instagram was the second most used social network by the Portuguese, just after Facebook. On both platforms, the image has a prominent place, whether in the form of photo or video. How many times have we not stopped at a beautiful photo on someone's profile? Or how many times have we melted with the perfect pose in a paradisiacal landscape? Although we can't help you with the landscape, we are here to make your life easier when it comes to posing.
With the help of our models, we'll give you some tips on how to make your social media profile more diverse and interesting. Nowadays, you don't need any excuses to want to take a good photo for your profile. Standing or sitting, with the complete look or just a detail, poses make all the difference in a photo and it's not always that easy to think of them. Some of them may even be awkward to do, but the final result will be worth it. The main trick is to practice a lot, be creative and have fun. The days of taking a thousand and one photos and not liking any of them are over.
A photo is usually more interesting when it tells a story. A movement or an action helps and makes the picture more spontaneous, natural and dynamic. Often the detail that makes all the difference is stretching your body. Standing on tiptoe, one leg in front of the other or shooting from the bottom up are some of the options available to achieve this effect. It may seem obvious, but by standing on tiptoe, not only will you appear taller, but you'll also look more taut and elegant. Plus, you'll get a cool, different shot that's just perfect for showing off a whole outfit.
Another option is to give yourself a little kick in the air. This is a more dynamic pose in autumn, for example, where you can kick the leaves that are on the ground, creating movement, but it should not be ruled out at any time. Another thing you should pay attention to is the position of your feet. When you stretch your foot, pointing the toes forward, it will extend the line of your leg, making it look longer and more beautiful. This is what dancers usually do. Bent or crooked feet give the body an awkward appearance. As for the arms, the ideal is to be slightly away from the rest of the body. When you press them against your torso, they look wider than they really are.
As we've already said, shooting from the bottom up ( low-angle shot) will make you look taller, whilst shooting from the top down ( high-angle shot) will make you look shorter. However, to avoid getting a double chin, you should shoot above eye level. So how can you reconcile the two and look taller while avoiding a double chin? Easy: when you take full body pictures, where you want to look like a taller person, just stretch your neck and tilt your chin up slightly. On the other hand, when you want to shoot in a close-up, just from the waist up or just the face, go for a high-angle shot. Remember that not all angles that work for full body shots work for close-ups.
Movement is what you should go for when you don't know what to do. You can walk, run, dance, jump, spin, throw something in the air or play with the fabric of your clothes. You name it. The sense of movement in the image is always appealing. It can be as simple as walking forward, diagonally or even in the opposite direction of the camera. Often the photograph doesn't capture a pose, but an action at the perfect moment. As well as being more fun to take, a moving image gives off more energy and is more attention grabbing. Try walking in the opposite direction to the camera and looking over your shoulder. This pose will enhance your figure and emphasise your clothes and your surroundings. Basically, it's as if you're walking down the street and someone is calling out to you.
Another good option is to play with what you're wearing. Usually more used by women wearing skirts or flowing dresses, this tip can also be used with jackets, scarves or handbags. In fact, it even works with hair. However, there's one very important thing you can't forget: you must always be mindful of the face you're making while walking, twirling, jumping, dancing or running. You don't want to catch the perfect moment and end up with a face you don't like -according to our sources, it's possible that you'll laugh too much-.
The tips aren't over yet, but for now we're done here. With these tips, you're ready to start testing and improving your photos.
If you still don't feel comfortable in front of the camera, don't worry. You just need to keep practicing. Try out various angles, various poses and various expressions. With time you'll figure out what works for you and you'll rock your photo shoots.
Don't forget to save this post for when you need inspiration or to review some poses. Have fun, create beautiful images and share them with us on our Instagram @bzr.streetstyle.
