How to Become Photogenic? Tips from A Photographer and A Psychoanalyst

Today we will discuss how to become photogenic and few tips from photographers and psychoanalysts. Everyone knows what photogenicity is, but few understand what it depends on. Natural data? Photo quality? The skill of a model or a photographer? A high self-evaluation?

Each of us can be photogenic ā€“ we need to try a little. “In my opinion, I’m hideous on the covers of magazines,” actress Charlotte Gainsbourg admitted in an interview with Psychologies. I do not consider myself photogenic; I prefer to see myself in motion, movies, or video.

Even stars accustomed to professional filming and tricks (from makeup to retouching) that “enhance” the image do not always like them on glossy paper.

“I’m not very photogenic” ā€“ this is the phrase photographers hear from celebrities at the beginning of almost every photo session.

Blogs and Internet forums also continue to discuss photogenicity and how to “look good in a photo.” This topic may seem empty and trivial, but in a hyper-narcissistic society, where a person exists only through his appearance, his image, it is of decisive importance. We live in the days of social networks, and in them, the role of images is increasing.

Merciless Gaze

We all experienced this strange feeling when looking at our frozen image – as if you hear your voice in an answering machine. Many try to attribute their frustration and discomfort to a lack of photogenicity.

Non-photogenicity is not nearly as painful as physical disabilities; it is softer than clumsiness – a minor defect that justifies our unwillingness to see our accurate portrait. The truth, which our frozen face reveals in the photograph, catches by surprise because it shows a motionless, irregular, alien face.

Our self-image tends to be younger than the face in the photograph; this is why the image seems foreign and puzzling.

We look at ourselves without condescension, we study every detail with partiality, we pursue the slightest flaw, we subject the slightest awkwardness to evil criticism. Our harsh sentence is not subject to appeal.

Those who stiffen in front of the lens or avoid it are afraid of the gaze of others. Maybe because they were not looked at enough in childhood and were little loved, or perhaps because they assume in others the same lack of condescension and the same severity with which they evaluate themselves.

Allow Yourself to Relax

Lighting, angle of view, posture – the look and skill can show our individuality on film. Some photographers are known for discovering hitherto unknown aspects of a person’s personality – almost like psychoanalysts. But for a miracle to happen, a balance is needed between self-awareness, the model’s self-respect, and respect for others, in this case, the photographer.

For a professional photographer, everyone is photogenic. Of course, some faces are easier to photograph, others more difficult, but our job is to see and play on the features of each.

I remember how I asked my friend, who was terrified of the camera lens, to come to my photo session one day. At first, we chatted for a long time; she said that she didn’t like herself: nose, extra pounds, folds under the chin. At the beginning of the shoot, she was tense, nervous, doing everything to ruin the photo. It took an hour for her to relax finally.

Time is the determining factor for a good portrait. When I showed her the resulting photographs on the big screen, she cried because she saw herself beautiful for the first time. She never thought it could be like that.

How to Become Photogenic?
How to Become Photogenic?

Are we all photogenic? “The answer is definitely yes, but only if you agree to trust the photographer,” says Pierre-Anthony Allard. “If you relax and let the photographer guide you, he can capture your beauty, that subtle moment when your inner light meets the exterior light when something unpredictable and exciting shines through the skin is read in the eye.

How to Become Photogenic? Professional Advice:

How to Become Photogenic?
How to Become Photogenic?
  1. Look at yourself in the mirror, study your face, its expressions while talking to yourself, as if you were playing the role of yourself. Play in front of the lens – this acting often makes actresses better than models in photographs.
  2. Find your best three-quarter angle.
  3. Exercise to relax the mouth’s muscles before shooting: move your lips silently so that they will take the ideal position.
  4. Forget about the long list of your shortcomings: if we try to hide them during the shooting, the result is unnatural. On the contrary, look at them as unique advantages.
  5. Do not be afraid to give free rein to your emotions – the film loves them very much.
  6. Open your eyes – this is the main secret of photogenicity. The photograph is mute, and the one depicted in it can only express his desire in his eyes. The gaze should be directed into the eyes of the photographer, that is, into the camera.
  7. Trust the photographer, don’t avoid the lens even mentally; otherwise, the shooting will be like hunting.
You may also like to read: Photogenic Secrets: Iā€™m not Photogenic, What can I do?
How to Become Photogenic?
How to Become Photogenic?

and finally from V. Pathak, psycho-analyst:

  1. Define the root of your dissatisfaction with yourself (self-knowledge, self-esteem, beauty) is?
  2. Look at yourself in the mirror and answer the question: what do I see? what worries me? Why?
  3. Accept the idea that there is a gap between what we see and what we show, and the difference is the same for everyone.
  4. Remember to remind yourself that other people do not see in us what we see ourselves, and certainly overlook the small details of our appearance that upset us.
  5. Train yourself to meet the glances of other people calmly – this will allow you to relax and not strain your face.
Scroll to Top