These days, everybody has a headshot. If you don't know what you're doing with your eyes, mouth, or jaw to make sure that yours look their best, Peter Hurley is here to instruct you.
People pose for more pictures than ever these days, at their own and others' hands. And since we basically live our entire lives online, those pictures are more important than ever–now, any old romantic prospect or potential empoyer who knows your name can find a photo of you to go with it.
With that in mind, we asked portrait photographer Peter Hurley, whose video on "squinching" (squinching: narrowing your eyes slightly to create a confident look. No, not too much–that's squinting. Watch the video for more), went viral recently, to share with us tricks for how to look your very best when posing in front of the camera–even if you're also the photographer.
Consider the Whole Face
I've got a slew of tips, but squinching and emphasizing the jawline are the first two I start with. The jawline is number one (see video below). The squinching is cool, believe me–if people can get people to squinch in front of their cameras, or if they're doing selfies, they're going to look way more confident and cooler–but if their jawline's not out, then it doesn't give them any definition around their face, so it doesn't really help them out anyway. So you have to get the jawline first, then throw in the squinch.
You can only move your mouth, eyes, and eyebrows. Those are the three things you can move on your face. I like to engage eyebrows. That's another thing that I'll work on down the road. But you don't necessarily have to. I've had clients say, "I can move my nostrils." I don't think it's really going to help your picture-taking ability–you're not going to get any more photogenic by flaring your left nostril slightly. Other than that it's really subtleties. It's really the subtle things that make the difference.
Seriously Do Say "Cheese"
Another tip is always adding a slight smile. If you don't have it–if you don't have a slight smile it doesn't warm (the photo) up and you can appear really standoffish and mean. It's not appealing. If you add that simple tiny little smile to it it really helps. I'm actually thinking about doing some sort of selfie video tutorial that incorporates these ideas.
It's kind of like mental gymnastics. You've got to layer them all in. You've got to get the eyes going, the little smile, the forehead out. There's a lot to think about. When I'm coaching people I stay on top of them and it's funny. You really have to be aware that you're going for this, or in a split second it's gone. We don't want to look blank. People are way more engaging when they look like something's going on. When you squinch it makes (you) look more appealing and interested.
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You Actually Do Have a "Good Side," So Find It
People always talk about their side: Which side is their good side, so I was going to do a video explaining how to find your good side and how important it is to be on your good side and that sort of thing.
