{"id":11824,"date":"2012-06-08T10:00:30","date_gmt":"2012-06-08T17:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/valleygirlblog\/?p=11824"},"modified":"2012-06-08T10:10:01","modified_gmt":"2012-06-08T17:10:01","slug":"put-your-best-face-forward-how-to-look-good-in-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/valleygirlblog\/news\/put-your-best-face-forward-how-to-look-good-in-photos\/","title":{"rendered":"Put Your Best Face Forward: How to Look Good in Photos"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Have you ever wondered how celebrities and your seemingly always photogenic friends can always take a stellar picture? Well, there’s a science behind it that virtually anyone can master to look his\/her best. I conducted a quick Q&A with Dr. Jeffrey Spiegel<\/a>, facial plastic surgeon and professor at Boston University School of Medicine, who has devised the following tips to \u201cputting your best face forward.”<\/p>\n

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Dr. Jeffrey Spiegel<\/em><\/p>\n

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AFM:<\/strong> How did you devise this [tips on how to be photogenic]?
\nDr. Spiegel:<\/strong> I do facial plastic surgery and research into facial evaluation.\u00a0 That is, we try to understand how we recognize people we know, what makes a face seen as a man or a woman, how we know if someone is young or old, and importantly, what makes a face attractive.\u00a0 It turns out that there are specific features that when enhanced make a person more attractive, and these are different for men and women.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I also noticed that people will instinctively pose in a way that makes their face look more attractive.\u00a0 So, by analyzing photos and thinking about areas that make a person most attractive, I could recommend positions for maximum attractiveness.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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AFM:\u00a0<\/strong>Have you noticed a difference in how faces are perceived across different social media? (e.g. small Twitter avatar v. larger Facebook photo)
\nDr. Spiegel:\u00a0<\/strong>People will often use an avatar as a way of expressing something about their personality so they may not be a photograph of the individual.\u00a0 However, keeping in mind facial position and lighting angles can help anyone to present their most attractive face in a photograph, if a facial photograph is what they want to show.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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AFM:\u00a0<\/strong>What are the results of manipulating yourself in a photo to look “good”?
\nDr. Spiegel:\u00a0<\/strong>Well, the result is that you’ll look better, be happier with the photograph, and overall more confident and pleased with showing yourself to the world.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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AFM:\u00a0<\/strong>Any other suggestions Dr. Spiegel has to enhance one’s appearance in photos.
\nDr. Spiegel:\u00a0<\/strong>There are many things to consider.\u00a0 These include facial position as we’ve discussed, but also considerations of where light is coming from, the framing of your face in the photo, and your expression.\u00a0 One simple tip is to avoid side lighting if you are trying to downplay wrinkles or blemishes – in these situations, lighting from the front will even out the skin somewhat.<\/p>\n

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Supermodel Molly Sims looks slightly upwards toward the camera to look her photogenic best.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read on for Dr. Spiegel’s expert tips on how to look your best in photographs:<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n