Are you nervous about taking your picture for your dating app? Don’t be. We’ve got you. Here are some tips on making a great photo and looking your very best while telling that special someone out there what you are all about.

Your message

Do you want to look independent? Do you make everyone laugh? Are you out to seduce? Your goals will dictate the body language you need for your image.

In general, open arm and leg positions are more inviting. Standing at a slight angle to the camera is how you’d talk to someone you find interesting. Over the shoulder glances are like seeing someone stunning at a party. We only stand square on to someone when we are starting a fight.

Crossing arms or ankles is a way to protect ourselves from harm, so it won’t look friendly in a photo. Women crossing legs is different, because it is a natural sitting position. We find attractiveness in the opposite sex when they have something we don’t, or can do something we can’t. Women with parallel legs when crossed is a great example of this.

Laughter in an image is contagious. Humans can subconsciously tell a real laugh from a fake one in an instant. Faking a laugh with only the mouth looks like pain in a still image. Laughter is born in the eyes and the best way to laugh in a photo is to have someone make you laugh for real!

Also think about what your ideal partner is looking for. Someone who travels? A running-buddy? A super-model? A book-worm? Match your style to that persona.

My last trick here is to capture how you look when you are listening to someone. I mean really listening. Your eyes widen, your pupils expand, your lips part, you might rest your head on your hand, you bring your face closer. Maybe a slight head tilt. In a still photo, these small things all add up to picture that draws your viewer in.

Location

Find a simple location, indoors or out with nothing to jarring in the background. A red car parked behind you is a great example. A lot of people think they can blur the background to remove distractions, but a blurry red car is still a distraction.

Lighting without experience is tricky, but you can make it happen. Indoors you can find a nice big window with indirect sunlight. This will produce nice soft shadows on the face.

Leonardo DaVinci said you should always have your nose pointing to the light and I don’t disagree with him. Outdoors, the sun will cause harsh shadows and textures on your face. Open shade is better but you’ll look two dimensional without any shadows. Standing next to a bright wall will reflect light back at you works really well for a flattering headshot.

Variations

Close ups, full body, sitting, standing, painting, reading, holding coffee, cuddling your dog. Try it all. One think photographers do that most don’t is edit the pictures down from hundreds to just two or three of the best. The sixth-best photo might still be amazing, but its too many. Leave your audience wanting more!

Pre touching

My goal as a photographer is to remove distractions so the subject can shine. How does the saying go - make things as simple as possible but no simpler?

A little check in the mirror before you press the shutter button can make a world of difference! Check for messy hair, food in teeth and crumpled clothing.

My only advice is to avoid the classic Instagram model mistakes, like unflattering clothing, touching your head with your hands like you have a headache and a facial expression that looks like the photographer just insulted their mother. A photo the exact opposite of this will be prize-winning.

Retouching

My advice here is counter intuitive. I can spend an hour taking pictures of someone, only to be at my computer later and find a huge pimple on someone’s chin that I hadn’t noticed earlier. Or a stray hair over their eyes, or some bubbles between the teeth. These are temporary blemishes you’d never notice in person, so why leave them in a still photo where the face is studied much longer and deeply than in person?

Retouching is bringing an image closer to the reality of an in-person encounter. Like all good things, they quickly become bad when done in excess or to deceive. A Nutella sandwich is sublime. A tub of Nutella and a spoon can cause problems. Our goal is to flatter, not to deceive.

Use AI?

Here’s the tub of Nutella. The ethics of AI are just a new wrapper on an old problem. Since the birth of digital photography, you could clone and heal one part of a photo using another part of the same photo. AI now brings in data from other photos, and the modern twist is that you don’t even know the source of the pixels you are bringing in.

AI portraits are still a mixed bag. When you see the same dude in a suit with three different faces on your app, you know you aren’t dealing with someone with

Too much

Its a lot to think about all at once! That’s why experienced photographers like Yeager make much better pictures than most people can on their own. The photographer is always thinking about distractions, body language, messaging, variety and giving you the superstar treatment.

Fil Nenna is s portrait photographer from Marblehead MA, serving Boston’s North Shore. He specializes heashots of individuals and small businesses who want the best images for their digital world. Swipe right, err, or go to www.filnenna.com to check out his work.

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