Middle school was rough. Not only did you have to contend with the mean girls, but you also had to participate in the dreaded “Class Picture Ritual”: The one where your mom dressed you up in a lacy dress with collar and sent you off for humiliation and suffering. Thankfully, this awful tradition stops after you hit eighth grade, but the pressure to look good in photos never goes away. Now, with friends posting pictures on MySpace and sending out albums for the world to see, it has become even more crucial to know how to strike a perfect pose.

Posing tricks.
So next time you have to face your public, try some of the following tricks picked up from the stars and photographers.

  • To look your slimmest, try standing with one foot slightly in front of the other and gently pivot on your feet so that your body, including your shoulders, is at a slight angle. Putting your hands on your hips can make your waist look instantly smaller.
  • If you’re sitting down, lean forward and rest your elbows on your knees. That way you’ll disguise big thighs.
  • Look lively. Greta Garbo froideur isn’t always the most flattering attitude to adopt in photos. In fact, some professional portrait photographers insist the best pictures are always taken when the subject is looking animated and chipper. That way, the subject’s personality is captured. You can still engineer your “best side” in front of the camera.
  • Practice in front of the mirror. Perfect a pose you’re happy with so you can strike it the moment the camera comes out.
  • Brighten up. Dark colors can often be slimming to wear, but black can drain the color from the face, so choose brighter colors for your top half to bring out the best in your skin tone.