Answering a Reader Question #461

True And Natural Beauty Wrote:

 Hi!
So I don't wear makeup very often but I know how to apply it and all tht stuff, and I can wear cute clothes and things like that, but when I go to take a photo is looks horrible! I've been told by many friends and family that I am pretty etc., and I read all sorts of photogenic tips and stuff but they never seem to work out. Thanks!

Hey, True And Natural Beauty!

Having an issue with being photogenic can be a huge obstacle, especially if your goal is to get into modeling. I have met a handful of people that in person look amazing but for whatever reason, it doesn't translate well on camera. But it's good that you've been reading tips and experimenting though.

Have you done a test shoot with a professional photographer to try out the tips you've read about? Taking pictures with a friend that's using a nice camera doesn't always produce the same results as when working with a professional photographer. If you haven't done so already, it couldn't hurt to try and find a local photographer that is willing to work with you and do a test shoot (free shoot) so that you can see if you really can be photogenic or if you're just being too hard on yourself (we are our own worst critics).

Are you the only one critiquing your photos or have you shown them to friends and family? Sometimes hearing other people's opinions can help. If you notice their feedback is positive and they say you look good, chances are they're telling the truth and maybe you can't see it because you're analyzing yourself too much. It's easy to do without realizing it so get some feedback from people you trust and see what happens.

Another alternative would be to get 3-4 pictures of professional models doing a certain pose or expression and try to copy it in front of the camera. Then look at the resulting photo and see how closely your photo resembles the reference one. That will make it easy to tell if you are photogenic or not.

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