10 Tips to Help You Look Better in Photos

6. Grab some chairs. Want a family portrait, not a police lineup shot? Use chairs to break up the monotony. And if you are larger, stand. Have the skinnier people take the chairs, since they don’t have to worry about their stomachs sagging. Large people look even larger sitting in a chair.

Lean forward onto a railing to make yourself look thinner, relaxed and refined, just like Cary Grant did here.

Getty Images

7. Go for the classic lean shot. This one, revered by the great photographers of Hollywood’s golden age, makes you look thinner, relaxed and refined. Vintage portraits of stars including Cary Grant, Barbara Stanwyck and Jimmy Stewart were regularly shot this way. You can do it, too. Lean back against a wall or forward onto a railing, as in this classic shot of Grant from 1947.

“Always bend at the hips and keep the back straight,” DiNunzio says. And if you want to look like a great Hollywood star regularly in rotation on Turner Classic Movies, a man can add a nice suit and tie with some pleated pants and a woman can don a gown before leaning against a wall or pole.

Backgrounds shouldn’t divert attention

8. Ditch the clutter. A spare background without distractions keeps the focus on you and makes you look better. Don’t let anyone take your picture in a room where things like candlesticks and lamps can grow out of your head.

9. Hug your kids or pets. This is especially appropriate for a person with a larger body. Wrap your arms around your children or fur babies. This will tilt the chin up and accentuate the jawline. But make sure that no part of your face is obscured. “The head must be out to the side enough to be seen clearly,” DiNunzio says.

10. Bring the heads together. Most families feature people of different heights. They look great and closer to each other when they are on the same plane. Have parents lean in with the kids, or have everybody sit together on a stoop to level the playing field.

DiNunzio says she gets calls every day from people looking to book her services. Then they say, “Can you make me look younger?”

Her response? “I often say a good picture is one where they are so happy and showing the love they have for their family. It’s most important to concentrate on the feeling of the love,” she says.

But following some of her favorite tips, such as avoiding direct sunlight, scheduling shoots later in the day and angling the camera downward, will always make people look better, she says.

“If somebody wants to photograph me, I will immediately sit down, turn slightly sideways and look up,” DiNunzio says. “I’m aware of what I would look like if I didn’t.”