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August 10, 2011 1:33 PM   Subscribe

We need tips for looking good in our professional photos, family edition!

Our family of 4 (man, woman, two very small children) is having professional photos taken. It is not something we can afford to do often, so we want this session to be really good. The photographer does wonderful work and is worth every dollar. I know she will hold up her end, but we want to do our part, too. How can we look our best? When I google for "look good in photos," I get a bunch of beauty tips, or else obvious advice like "good posture." Mefites, can you think back on the photo sessions you have had and tell me what worked and what didn't? Specifically:

- Photos will be outdoors. The photographer has already advised us on the best time of day to get a good outcome.

- Photos will be in color, although of course we can convert some to b&w or sepia.

- Do we wear dark colors, light colors, or what? Will a medium-tone color look funny next to caucasian skin and blonde hair when switched to b&w?

- How do we coordinate outfits without getting too matchy?

- How do we style ourselves for classic photos that won't become too dated too soon?

- This photographer takes photos that are natural rather than posed; she's not going to come over and move our chins for us, as in the old portrait studio method. How do we (adults) hold our faces for best effect?

- Any other tips from your experiences?
posted by Knowyournuts to Media & Arts (11 answers total) 6 users marked this as a favorite
 
How do we (adults) hold our faces for best effect?

You relax and you don't hold a face, for one. Most people, once a camera is pointed at them, tense up as they start trying to put what they think is their best face forward and hold their eyes open and hold a smile and it all looks horribly artificial. The photographer will probably try to get you talking and laughing, which will relax your facial muscles and give you a far more natural expression than you'd have if you posed.
posted by telophase at 1:50 PM on August 10, 2011


When I was getting my senior pictures taken (way back when), the photographer told us to wear solid jewel tones. That's probably a reasonable suggestion, both for the best colors and for getting something that won't look dated. Just from working in TV (which is a different kind of photo), I tell people to stay away from "busy" prints and pure white, and those are probably good ideas for still photos as well.

If you're curious about the way certain colors will look against your skin/in black-and-white, take some pics with your digital camera and mess with them using Photoshop or some simple image manipulation thing like Picnik to see what B/W looks like. Yes, the light will be different, but it's no big deal.

As for the posing, one of the glorious things about digital photography is that the photographer can take a good 40 pictures in order to get a single good one -- no need to save film for developing, etc. Just do whatever they say, and they will catch you laughing with each other or in a calm moment.
posted by Madamina at 1:51 PM on August 10, 2011


Best answer: If you are worried about chin flab, hold your tongue on the roof of your mouth. (This may make it harder to look natural and "loose". Decide beforehand if you want to look "perfect" or happy)
posted by misterbrandt at 1:57 PM on August 10, 2011


Trust the photographer you hired, this is their job. They have the experience to provide you with a lot of direction and will not be just standing there pointing a camera at you. Don't freeze in one spot but keep your body moving even just slightly, as this will keep you looking more natural.

For individual portraits I tell clients to dress in a way that makes them feel awesome, because when people feel awesome they look awesome. For family portraits I tell clients to coordinate outfits, but avoid really busy prints and do not go all matchy-matchy. And for the love of God no jeans-and-white-tshirt combo.
posted by rhapsodie at 2:09 PM on August 10, 2011 [1 favorite]


Seconding the advice to trust the photographer - maybe even let her know that you'd appreciate some extra guidance if you're unsure. If she's as good as you say she is, she will have the right eye for this kind of stuff.

I'm sure you've thought of this already, but I'd consider looking at Awkward Family Photos to make sure you don't make any common mistakes...
posted by rossination at 2:38 PM on August 10, 2011 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Things that we've done:

1. I go to a department store or Sephora and get my makeup done (for free!) -- I don't TELL them that we're having photos, but instead, I just say that I want to try some stuff out and that I don't know anything

2. I go with picking up tones of color. So, for example, I put my kids in a brown and blue plaid shirt and jeans. Then one of us adults wears a blue sweater and another adult wears a brown sweater (or dress or whatever.) I usually go for blue + something because we own a lot of it already and we all look okay in blue.
I also pick out multiple outfits, take photos of the clothes together, and ask friends what they think.

Here's one set where my toddler wore a grey/blue plaid and grey jeans. Dad wore a bright blue sweater and jeans. Mom wore white shirt and jeans and a purple sweater.

Here's a set where my kid wore bright blue plaid shirt with khaki shorts (and then switched to a white shirt with blue stripes), dad wore light blue shirt and khaki shorts, mom wore jeans with a yellow tee shirt and light blue cardigan.
posted by k8t at 4:20 PM on August 10, 2011


Best answer: Regarding best face effects, no matter in which direction your face or chin is tilted, try to always remember to elongate your spine - mentally try reach the crown of your head toward the sky. This will give you better overall posture and will help the light to fall more flatteringly on your face.
posted by Oriole Adams at 4:31 PM on August 10, 2011


Wear newish clothes that fit well, no trendy styles; a crisp collar with a blazer or cardigan is a good call. If your favourite sweater is pilled, either shave off the pills or forget it; any rattiness will show up -- consider ironing everything. Prioritize hairstyling and lipstick -- skin problems can be edited.

Please relax. Bring a bottle of wine to share amongst the adults if you think there will be a good amount of tension about having the picture taken; it makes it hard to get a flattering shot when people are sitting there thinking "I hate having my picture taken; I'm going to look old/fat/whatever!" and tensing up.

If you have a previous picture of yourself that you absolutely adore, feel free to show it to your photographer.

I don't know that I would worry about it quickly looking dated; I mean, if you want timeless, dress in conservative classic clothing and tidy hairstyles but... You also, I suspect, want it to capture 2011, which is, hopefully, a great time in your life. So if in five years it's already starting to look a little 2011y, is that really a bad thing? I kinda relish my early-years pictures where instead of dressing neatly I have on neon tights, an alligator shirt, a tee that said "Much Music." Good times, good times...

(I think jewel tones = "dated" in 2011)
posted by kmennie at 7:48 PM on August 10, 2011


Get the adult female (who presumably has the most experience with this) to find a good translucent powder that works for everyone. Retouching will take care of the shine, but hey, it never hurts to have a good foundation.

Unless you have a completely distinctive style, keep the clothes simple. Do not all wear the same thing (that always freaks me out). We had family pictures where everyone wore a white top and black pants or skirt, of any style. There was enough variety that we didn't look like a cult or a choir, but there was still some uniformity. This was for a big family group, though--for a family of four, you can definitely mix it up more and it won't look busy. I would avoid busy patterns or plaids on the grownups; it's fine on a young child.
posted by thinkingwoman at 7:55 PM on August 10, 2011


Best answer: I've noticed that people will often lift their chin a bit when getting their picture taken. I think it's because it feels like you're stretching your neck a bit to eliminate jowliness under the chin and maybe get a little more reflection under your eyes to get rid of dark shadows. What happens on film though, is that you lose your jawline so there's no definition between head and neck. A little bit of darkness under the eyes can be touched up no problem, but there's no way to add a jawline back in.

Instead, tilt your chin down just a bit right before the photo is taken. Not a lot, just a little. It will feel odd and you'll think you're giving yourself chin fat, but trust me on this, you're not.
posted by ella wren at 8:33 PM on August 10, 2011


Response by poster: These are great tips. Thanks to everyone.

Especially:

A little bit of darkness under the eyes can be touched up no problem, but there's no way to add a jawline back in...Instead, tilt your chin down just a bit right before the photo is taken.

Prioritize hairstyling and lipstick -- skin problems can be edited.

If you are worried about chin flab, hold your tongue on the roof of your mouth.


k8t, thank you for sharing your album. It was helpful, and you have a beautiful family!
posted by Knowyournuts at 4:55 PM on August 11, 2011


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