Photos are a great way to express your femme self. Whether you take selfies or go to a studio, beautiful images can be a real confidence booster.
Fortunately, you don’t need supermodel genes to look great in photos. It’s all about skill – and avoiding some common mistakes.
Read on to learn about 5 common photo posing mistakes… and how to fix them!
1. Shooting shoulders straight on
If you have broad shoulders (like most crossdressers and transgender women), you should angle your shoulders away from the camera to create a slimmer look. This downplays their width, creating more feminine-looking body proportions.
2. Holding your body too straight
There’s nothing worse than looking stiff and awkward in your photos. The secret to flattering, feminine photos is to create softness and curves with your body. Experiment with bending your arms and legs slightly, tilting your head, pushing a hip out, and relaxing your fingers.
3. Shooting in unflattering light
Lighting makes all the difference in the world in photos. The #1 rule is to avoid strong overhead or side lighting since this creates ugly shadows on the face. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
- If you’re indoors, move away from overhead lights and try placing a couple lamps with soft lighting around you.
- If you’re outdoors, avoid shooting in strong midday sunlight. The best time of day is to shoot at dusk or dawn when the sun has a soft, diffused glow.
- If you take selfies, try a selfie light ring that attaches to your phone. This allows you to take flattering photos in low light settings.
4. Placing the camera below eye level
Nobody wants to rock a double chin in their photos, so never pose with the camera below eye level. The lens should be at or above eye level to diminish a double chin and downplay a large jawline. As an extra bonus, this angle also makes your eyes look bigger.
5. Not engaging your mind
I love watching America’s Next Top Model because it shows that modeling is as much about mindset as it is about natural-born beauty. If you’re not feeling fabulous, it WILL show up in your photos.
So how can you increase your confidence when taking photos? An easy trick is to imagine that you’re portraying a character (either real or imagined). For example: Gisele Bundchen, Cleopatra, or Sophia Loren. “Modeling” somebody else is a great way to channel their energy in photos.
Let’s see your best shot!
Taking great photos is only the first step. Sharing them with the world is where the real magic happens!
On that note, I’d love to see the photos you’re most proud of. Please share your femme photos in the comments below!
Love,
Lucille
P.S. If you enjoyed this article, you’ll love my Stepping Out Secrets Program! This training program covers the 6 “alluring arts” that must be mastered to present yourself as a woman. It even includes a bonus module on photo posing!
transformation tips?
Lucille,
Excellent tips–very accurate. I have learned most of these by the process of trial and error–mostly, a whole lot of error–and still frequently make mistakes posing improperly. It ain’t easy to highlight your good points and mask the many bad points, especially when you only have a moment to get everything in order before the camera clicks. 1 other piece of advice to you wanna-be but aging models out there: flash photography highlights EVERY SINGLE wrinkle in your face, so either use a muted flash, stand back a bit from the camera, or try to get someone to take your pix with a good low-light camera so the flash won’t be necessary (or with enough light from some other source that the flash is more filler than primary). Just my two Lincolns worth–and a couple of pix from the recent DLV gettogether….
I usually forget to smile in many of the pictures. Even though my natural smile is more like a grin, it helps when I do. I wish I had more of a pretty smile showing beutiful white teeth but I don’t have that.
Tina,
I think you have a nice smile, it’s natural and not at all forced. I have some of the same issues as u mention, my teeth aren’t white and I forget to smile – however, maybe this is because I’m naturally grumpy-looking (sometimes even my daughter tells me to smile), at least partly because I’m a lonely (and divorced) c-d in the closet.
I remember seeing another post from u, think u were in a formal blue suit, but in both pics I think u look fab and 100% femme.
Andrea
(Expect u may never read my reply, but I only recently found this site)
Hi Lucille, great tips, worth spending a bit more effort to get a better picture. Still using the hypnosis files. thx Lace
These are a few of my favorites from last summer. I am hoping to improve on my look this summer as well as the quality of my pictures too. Hopefully I get to see some results from my flat to fab by the end of this summer.
Keri Elise Rose
Photography is not only a fun way to express a feminine persona but a wonderful way to measure progress. BTW, all of the girls here, offering their reply, look fabulous!
lucille…i just joined you a couple of days ago…i don’t know what you think of my photo…but i am trying…love your program
Nataliya (jay shipley
…. Best way to photograph me is with the lens cap on 🙂
This is my favorite photo ever taken. It was taken at a makeover and the photographer knew exactly when to capture the moment. I was nervous and shy and she gave me words of confidence that made me think of how beautiful I was and then snapped the shot. So, maybe another step to great photos is to give the person flattering compliments. It will put a smile on their face and put them in the right mindset. If someone tells you you are beautiful, and you believe it, then you truly are!