Why People are not Photogenic

Some people look sexy when they move their mouth to talk, or their face movements / body language in general are attractive, which is something pictures can't always capture. Same works the other way around I guess.

The thing about being photogenic is that you could be the best looking person in the world and just take terrible photographs. There are certain things people can do to make themselves more or less photogenic. There are certain things that some people are lucky enough to have which means that they'll always take a good photo even if you wake them up in the middle of the night and say cheeeeeezzzzzz!

I think that’s got a lot to do with being able to smile naturally and look natural in front of the camera which doesn’t seem to be something that everybody can do.         

It can also be a cluster combination of lighting, depth, angle, lens, and time being caught still. A lot of attractive people are less photogenic because their attraction is not 100% from how their face looks frozen (i.e. a photo). To go back to my points of the combos,

Lighting: affects how things are perceived, especially in photographs. They can affect depth. This is especially true when it comes to faces or people. Some people look great under certain light, others do not & vice versa.

Depth: is affected by a combo of angle and lighting. Photography loves to trick the eye about actual depth (why some people look fatter in photos or why some people look skinnier, etc)

Angles: can really determine how a person will look in a photo. For example, a straight shot of the face may be less flattering than a face shot taken from someone standing a little to the right of the person being photographed, etc.

Combine all this with the fact that you are literally freezing an object (your face; you) that is meant to be moisturized to show all attractive characteristics and non, you get a huge plate of mess.

Don't forget the weather, it affects how your photos will look too.     

There are things that women do, obviously like wearing makeup which tends to give you a healthier appearance, and we know that a healthy appearance is closely related to attractiveness. So things like having a healthy skin colour and skin texture, things like having blood profusion in the skin. Someone that exercises regularly has a lot of blood circulation, makes them look healthier.

And that is why some people are photogenic and some people are not, when IRL they are attractive or not.

Below are few other things you can do to make yourself photogenic next time you feel like taking a shot or two:

Photoshop yourself: Light used well is like natural photoshop. When you’re inside, always stand facing wherever the light is coming from (the window). Inside or outside, don’t go in direct sunlight. It will cast intense shadows. Unless, of course, it’s very early morning or sunset, in which case the light is amazing, soft, and makes everything and everyone beautiful. If none of these apply, find a spot where the light is a little more moderate (or wait for an overcast day). At night, it’s war because it all depends on your camera (and on the flash, the setup, and the ISO settings)

Be a poser: It doesn’t hurt to figure out and master a few poses that make you look good.

For close-ups, looking over your shoulder is cute. Or something a little more simple, chin down, big smile, open eyes. For a full body shot,  try to face the camera.

If you’re standing and the camera is above you, you’re gonna get squished and lose 5 good inches, so not fair. It’s best to have the camera at chest height to avoid any deformations.

A recent study shows that camera angle can make people look more or less attractive, depending on whether they're male or female. So a camera angle tilted looking down on a female face makes her look more feminine and therefore more attractive, whereas a camera angle sort of looking up at a male face makes him look more masculine.

If you’re seated, however, a shot from above is a Godsend. Lift your head toward the camera which is usually where the light is coming from (remember the light Photoshop effect)

Play: Learn to love yourself. Have fun. It’s hard to do but to be beautiful in photos you have to play with the camera a little. Move, laugh, do something silly, make a sexy face. Don’t keep the same overly frozen smile for five minutes while photos are being taken. Try to find different emotions within you, crack yourself up, chat it up, have someone tell you a story, move.

Say no:  Sometimes, conditions are perfect for a horrible photo. You’ve just spent the whole night out, you’re exhausted, the light is shitty, you’re wearing the Big Lebowski clothes (it happens to

everyone), you’re sweating, your hair looks like it just spent six days in the wilderness. Oh, well, it’s just not your day. Say no to the photo shoot. Simple as that.