STRIKE A POSE

With so many soirees every social butterfly needs to know how to strike a pose on spot. Getting that perfect pose is not easy and most of the famous poses you see take practice. Here are some tips from Hannah Slamen with The Foto Atelier, to help you look picture perfect for when that flashbulb pops up.

By Hannah Slamen

1. Place one foot behind the other and turn it at and angle to the camera, preferably 90 degrees. This has a slimming effect and looks more natural.

2. Place your weight on your back foot. This creates a relaxed look. Placing the weight on the front foot creates an edgy look, while equally distributing the weight looks stiff.

3. Tilt your head slightly at an angle to one side or another. It's common to want to "stand up straight" but tilting the head will make you appear more relaxed.

4. If the camera is at eye level or lower, lower your chin very slightly. If you're worried about a "second chin" raise the camera above eye level and look up slightly. This works well seated.

5. Place your hands correctly. Hands are often the second most prominent feature in a picture after the eyes, but we often don't know what to do with them. When hands are below the waist, the wrist should curly down or be neutral. When hands are above the waist, the wrists should curl up. Also, don't make them overly prominent. Keep thumbs and fingers in and try to avoid the hands being prominent in the composition or too near the camera compared to the rest of the body. Again, breaking the rules can create an edgy look.

6. Smile. Often people don't feel comfortable smiling on demand. Obviously it's better to make it spontaneous, but not always possible. Remember that a really big all out smile rarely looks fake like the half smiles that people sometimes try. Also, people often try to go for the serious or thoughtful look to avoid smiling, but end up looking like they're serial killers or half asleep. If you want to go for the thoughtful look, it's especially important to remember the other steps. Look relaxed and tilt the head while looking towards the camera with the eyes.