Get picture perfect — instantly — with these pro posing tips.
-AS SEEN IN BRIDAL GUIDE MAGAZINE-
Jean-Pierre Uys knows a thing or two about glamour. The award-winning photographer has shot countless A-listers around the world,as well as over 700 weddings. Here, he shares some key dos and don’ts to help you look your big-day best.
What’s wrong with this picture? Let’s break it down: Just standing there, with legs together, weight distributed equally on both feet and with hips square to the camera visually adds needless width to your body. Letting your arms dangle close to the torso only ups the resulting blocky look. Pulling the head up and back creates a double chin. It doesn’t have to be that way.
The easy fix: Success starts from the ground up: Place one foot forward so that one knee is in front of the other to create an hourglass shape. Keep your weight on the back foot and turn hips slightly to the side. Also, keep space between one or both arms and your waist. Not only will your waist look narrower, your arms will appear slimmer and your shoulders shapelier. Keep your head forward, as explained above right.
What's wrong with this picture? It's totally natural to for many of us to pull our heads back when we laugh or smile — especially when nerves are part of the equation, Jean-Pierre says. This compresses skin into a double chin. Here, our bride has great posture, but at the last minute pulled her head backward when she smiled, just as the shutter clicked.
The easy fix: Rather than pull back, push your head forward for front-facing photos. "Push more than you normally would," says Jean-Pierre. "It will still look natural in a 2-D photo." Practice in front of a mirror to see how you can create a sharper jawline using this move. Full-figured brides should also drop their chins ever so slightly.
What's wrong with this picture? When you white-knuckle your bouquet, the effect is almost messy looking. The overlapping of your fingers creates a strange shape and takes away from the beauty of both your hands and your flowers.
The easy fix: Relax, take a deep breath and shake out your hands. Now, place them one above the other to hold your flowers, with fingers parallel rather than bunched together.
