how to be "PHOTOGENIC"

Summary

In this insightful video, Nikki shares her expertise on how to be photogenic, emphasizing comfort in front of the camera as key. She offers practical tips on finding the right photographer, using tripods, maintaining good posture, and utilizing proper lighting to enhance photos. Nikki also discusses the importance of confidence, experimenting with backgrounds, camera angles, and candid moments, encouraging viewers to practice and find what works best for them to improve their photography skills.

Takeaways

• 😊 Photogenic means being comfortable in front of the camera, not just about looking like a supermodel.
• 👫 Get your photo taken by someone you are truly comfortable with, like a best friend or significant other.
• 📱 Use a tripod if you’re not comfortable with others taking your photo; phone tripods are affordable and convenient.
• 🧍‍♀️ Good posture is key; keep your shoulders back and imagine a string pulling you up for better photos.
• 📸 Adjust your chin up, forward, and then down to accentuate your neck and create a more open look.
• 🔆 Lighting is crucial; make sure it comes from above and in front to avoid unflattering shadows.
• 📸 Experiment with flash in daylight to enhance your photos and create a well-lit appearance.
• 🔄 Decide if you prefer your face mirrored or not in selfies, and use the flip function if needed.
• 🌄 Experiment with different backgrounds that contrast with your skin tone to make you stand out in photos.
• 📷 Place the camera farther away and zoom in to reduce distortion and improve the overall look of your photos.

Q & A

What is Nikki's definition of being photogenic according to the video?

Nikki defines being photogenic as being comfortable in front of the camera, rather than just being attractive or always looking good.

Why is it important to be comfortable with the person taking your photo, as mentioned by Nikki?

Being comfortable with the person taking your photo allows you to act more naturally and be your best self, which can result in more authentic and flattering photos.

What does Nikki suggest if you're not comfortable with people taking photos of you?

Nikki suggests using a tripod, which can be found affordably on Amazon, to take photos when you're not comfortable with others taking them.

What posture and positioning tips does Nikki give for the top half of the body in the video?

Nikki advises to keep your shoulders back, as if a string is pulling you up, and to put your chin up, then bring it forward and down to accentuate the neck area.

How does Nikki recommend achieving a serious and intimate look in photos?

Nikki recommends giving the camera your best 'death stare,' which involves squinting slightly and tensing up the eye area while relaxing the rest of the face.

What is Nikki's advice on confidence when trying to be photogenic?

Nikki suggests starting by wearing things that make you feel good and doing your hair how you like it. She also emphasizes the importance of feeling good on the day of the photo session.

Why is good lighting crucial for taking better photos, according to Nikki?

Good lighting can make photos look much better by filling in shadows and avoiding the appearance of pores. It's also important for the light to come from above and in front to avoid casting weird shadows.

What is Nikki's opinion on using flash in daylight for photos?

Nikki believes that using flash in daylight can enhance the lighting and make the face lit from all angles, giving a different and potentially better look to the photos.

How does Nikki suggest dealing with the mirroring effect of selfies?

Nikki suggests checking if you prefer your face mirrored or not by flipping the photo in the editing section of the photo app.

What is Nikki's advice on camera quality and how to experiment with it?

Nikki advises experimenting with different camera qualities, such as the new iPhones that show every pore or a Samsung camera that smooths the skin naturally, and even using a lower quality digital camera for an aesthetic look.

How does Nikki recommend taking full-body photos to make yourself look taller?

Nikki recommends taking full-body photos at a lower angle, which will accentuate the body and make you look taller.

What is Nikki's suggestion for making group photos look more natural and fun?

Nikki suggests making the distance between people smaller, hugging, looking at each other, and keeping the mood light-hearted and fun to make group photos look more natural.

How does Nikki recommend improving your photos with other people?

Nikki recommends taking candid photos, having a staring contest to break into laughter, and looking for something to do in the photos, like fixing hair or holding a prop.

What is the final piece of advice Nikki gives for improving one's photogenic skills?

Nikki advises to practice and keep taking photos as often as possible, experimenting in different environments, lighting conditions, and with different people to see what works best.

Outlines

00:00

📸 Embracing Comfort in Photography

Nikki, a social media influencer known for her pose ideas and photo tips, introduces her YouTube video on how to be photogenic. She redefines 'photogenic' as being comfortable in front of the camera rather than always looking perfect. Nikki emphasizes the importance of choosing someone you're comfortable with to take your photos and suggests using a tripod for those who prefer not to have others take their pictures. She also highlights the significance of good posture and positioning, such as pulling the shoulders back and accentuating the neck area. Nikki advises viewers to be confident, start with feeling good about their appearance, and relax their face and body. She stresses the importance of good lighting, suggesting natural light or the use of additional light sources like iPhone selfie lights, and offers tips on camera angles and editing for better photos.

05:01

🌈 Enhancing Photos with Backgrounds and Techniques

In the second paragraph, Nikki discusses the impact of background choices on photos, advising lighter-skinned individuals to use darker backgrounds to stand out and vice versa for those with darker skin tones. She shares examples from her explore feed to illustrate how different backgrounds can enhance a person's presence in a photo. Nikki also suggests placing the camera further away and zooming in to reduce distortion, and prefers horizontal selfies for a more aesthetically pleasing look. She advises on group photo dynamics, recommending a light-hearted and fun atmosphere to capture natural moments. Candid photos, as well as engaging in activities or staring contests, can lead to more genuine smiles and laughter. Nikki encourages viewers to find props or actions to include in their photos and to practice taking photos regularly in various settings to improve their skills. She concludes by inviting viewers to follow her on Tick Tock and Instagram for more pose ideas, photo tips, and editing tutorials.

Keywords

💡Photogenic

Photogenic is traditionally defined as being very attractive in photos, often associated with supermodel-like qualities. In the video, however, Nikki redefines photogenic as being comfortable in front of the camera. This shift emphasizes the importance of confidence and ease during a photo shoot, rather than just physical appearance.

💡Comfortable

Comfortable in this context refers to feeling at ease and relaxed when having your photo taken. Nikki stresses that being photographed by someone you trust, like a significant other or close friend, can help you feel more comfortable, which is key to taking great photos.

💡Posture

Posture refers to the way you hold your body while being photographed. Nikki advises viewers to maintain good posture by keeping their shoulders back and imagining a string pulling them up. Good posture enhances how one appears in photos, making the subject look more poised and confident.

💡Lighting

Lighting is a crucial element in photography that can greatly affect the quality of a photo. Nikki highlights the importance of having good lighting, preferably natural light, which can smooth out imperfections and enhance the subject's features. She also mentions the use of flash in daylight to improve lighting in photos.

💡Confidence

Confidence is the feeling of self-assurance that Nikki believes is essential for taking good photos. She advises viewers to wear clothes they feel good in and to take photos on days when they feel happy, as confidence will naturally shine through in the images.

💡Mirrored Image

Mirrored image refers to the flipped version of a photo that the camera sometimes shows after taking a selfie. Nikki suggests experimenting with both mirrored and non-mirrored images to see which version of your face you prefer, as it can impact how satisfied you are with your photos.

💡Tripod

A tripod is a three-legged stand used to hold a camera steady. Nikki recommends using a tripod, especially for those who feel uncomfortable with others taking their photos. This tool allows individuals to take their own photos, experiment with angles, and have more control over the process.

💡Background

Background refers to the area behind the subject in a photo. Nikki emphasizes choosing a background that contrasts with your skin tone to ensure you stand out in the image. She suggests that lighter skin tones should be photographed against darker backgrounds, and vice versa for darker skin tones.

💡Editing

Editing involves adjusting a photo after it has been taken, such as correcting lighting or enhancing colors. Nikki mentions editing as a way to refine photos, especially when experimenting with techniques like using flash in daylight or adjusting the mirrored effect.

💡Candid Photos

Candid photos are images taken without posing, capturing people in natural and unplanned moments. Nikki suggests taking candid photos as a way to avoid the stiffness that can come with posed pictures. These photos often appear more authentic and relaxed.

Highlights

Nikki redefines 'photogenic' as being comfortable in front of the camera rather than traditionally attractive.

Choose someone you're comfortable with to take your photos, as this will help you relax and be yourself.

Show the person taking the photo an example of what you want the picture to look like to ensure better results.

If you're not comfortable with others taking your photo, use a tripod for self-photography.

Good posture is crucial; keep your shoulders back and lift your chin slightly to accentuate your neck.

Practice a 'death stare' or a slight squint for a serious and intimate look.

Confidence is key to looking good in photos; start by wearing clothes and styling yourself in ways that make you feel great.

Good lighting is essential; natural light or a light source from above and in front is preferable.

Use flash in daylight to enhance lighting and create a different photo effect.

Experiment with flipping your photos in editing to see if you prefer the mirrored or non-mirrored version.

Lens Buddy is a helpful app for taking multiple timed photos without manually setting the timer each time.

Taking photos at a lower angle can make you appear taller, especially for full-body shots.

To avoid facial distortion, place the camera further away and zoom in for a more natural look.

Candid photos can often capture more natural and enjoyable moments than posed shots.

Practice regularly in different environments to discover what works best for you.

Transcripts

hi my name is Nikki and you may know me

from my pose ideas and photo tips on

Tick Tock and Instagram but today I'm

coming at you with a long form video on

YouTube because I wanted to go in depth

on how to be photogenic I think at least

once a day I get a comment that's like

step one be photogenic or I'm not

photogenic so I can't do this now the

dictionary as well as millions of people

describe photogenic to be very

attractive like supermodel like always

looking good in front of the camera

always stunning but I've kind of

developed my own meaning of the word

photogenic and it is to be comfortable

in front of the camera I'ma stop talking

we have a lot to get through don't get

your photo taken by someone who you're

not comfortable with and you may think

you're comfortable with your parents but

like truly are you gonna just bust down

and like act your best self in front of

them probably not I think if you have a

significant other or a best friend that

is way way better and even like a

distance friend I wouldn't really trust

with taking my photo show the person

taking the photo what you want the photo

to look like like I'll go and make my

boyfriend stand there I'll take the

photo of him how I want it to look and

just all the settings and stuff and then

just passing the phone and he can like

copy that if you're not most comfortable

with people taking photos of you then

get a tripod these phone trapouts on

Amazon have become really affordable and

like it's really helpful for taking

photos good posture and positioning of

the top half of the body is also very

important you want to make sure your

shoulders are back and that like a

string is pulling you how your mother

taught you okay and for this area I

actually got a tip from my modeling

agency which is to put your chin up then

bring it forward and then down and

that's going to really accentuate your

neck area and make it look open give the

camera your best death stare like if

you're going for a serious and intimate

look you better be staring it down I'd

almost recommend squinting a little and

tensing up your eye area and then

relaxing the rest of your face honestly

was going to help you throughout your

whole photogenic journey is being

confident and I know that's hard for

some people so you can start off by

wearing things that make you feel good

doing your hair how you like it and also

let's be realistic it's not like I get

out of bed every morning and take a

selfie you know I need my hour of

getting ready and I also need to like

feel good on the day that I'm taking

photos because if I'm sad or Moody that

day then like the photos are just not

gonna be good relax your face and body

now the main parts that tend to stiffen

up is your jaw and your shoulders so you

want to make sure that your shoulders

are always dropped as I said posture and

doing some nice little jaw exercises you

know just like

and just let it loose I cannot stress

this enough good lighting is gonna make

your photos so much better so you have

at the time you're probably thinking

that you're the problem of the photos

but I guarantee you it's probably the

lighting so you've probably seen like

behind the scenes of like model photo

shoots and they have these huge studio

lights just facing at the bottle and the

key is that these lights are big and

bright enough to fill in the model's

pores you want to make sure that your

lighting is coming from above and also

from in front of you even if the

lighting is a bit off to the side then

it's gonna cast some like weird shadows

on your face and this goes for any kind

of lighting so natural light is probably

the best because the sky is obviously at

the top and you could just use window

lighting to point it at you also those

little iPhone selfie lights I don't know

if you've seen those PS all the products

I talk about in this video I'll leave

the links to in my description box so

you guys can check out also the sun is

like a big lamp so when it's the morning

or the evening and the Sun is pointing

this way instead of straight down you're

gonna get the best photos like that

another little tip I have is to use

Flash in the daylight and this will make

your lighting even better better so like

in this photo here you could see that

the girl's face is like lit from all

angles and that's because of the flash

it gives a different look to your photos

but like if you do a little bit of

editing after an experiment with it then

I think it can truly look good see if

you like your face mirrored or not see

when you take a selfie and the camera

automatically flips it you may actually

just like your face not flip so in the

photo app of the editing section you

could go to the top left corner I

believe and like flip the photo if

you're taking photos by yourself by the

way then lens buddy is a really good

option for a timer so it has this timer

which you just click and it repeatedly

takes photos every like two seconds or

every 10 seconds and you don't have to

like press the timer every time like you

have to do in the camera experiment with

camera quality so the new iPhones will

show your every port and like some

people may not like that I mean I know

that my mom likes her Samsung camera a

lot because it like Smooths her skin

naturally and you can even experiment

with taking your photos with like that

digital camera like a family camera

would be and it's like way lower quality

nowadays lower quality is more of like

an aesthetic so people don't really

think much into it take your photos at a

lower angle this goes for full body

photos and mirror selfies so just bring

the phone way lower and this will

accentuate your body and make you look

taller keep this next up in mind for

side profile photos so if you're

positioned to the side somehow and your

nose is just sticking out and it's apart

from your face it will actually look

better if you turn a little bit and your

nose is still part of your face this

area is seen I hope that makes sense but

it's a little better to be like this

instead of being like this make yourself

stand out in the photo by experimenting

with backgrounds so if you're a lighter

skin tone and you're pretty pale then

you don't want to be standing in front

of a white wall because that's going to

wash you out you want your background to

actually be darker than you so that your

face can stand out in the photo this

will of course be opposite for tan or

darker skin where instead you would want

your background to be lighter than you

so like a white wall or snow or whatever

you can see I actually screenshotted my

explore feed where these two girls were

in front of different backgrounds and

they have different skin tones and

notice how they're both so noticeable in

their photos in their own ways place the

camera further from you and then zoom in

this is because a phone and camera

lenses which tend to distort your face

and body try it out with like Snapchat

where you can zoom into the front camera

and just put your phone further and zoom

in and you'll see how much of a

difference it makes compared to when

your phone is like this this doesn't

always have to be for selfies you could

also do it with you know your back

camera and zoom in also something about

horizontal selfies just makes your

selfies look so much better and I think

this may also be with the Distortion

that the side of your phone takes of

your face when you're taking a photo

like this compared to when your phone is

horizontal and all of this space isn't

distorted anymore if you're taking a

photo with other people and you guys are

just kind of standing there awkwardly

make that distance a little smaller

besides yourselves start hugging them

and then you can all start looking at

each other and it'll make for a way

better photo than something so unnatural

just like looking at the camera also

when you're taking photos with other

people try to keep the mood very light

hearted and fun and just take the photos

when the timing is right because if all

of a sudden someone says oh let's take a

photo and everyone's like yo that was

unexpected then everyone's just kind of

gonna be flustered and overthinking it

also Canada photos are a great go-to if

you don't want to like pose everyone

just take photos as people are doing

something and they're in their natural

state if you're with one other person

taking the photo then literally have a

staring contest with them and then one

of you guys is gonna smile and then

you'll both break into laughter and then

that's when you click the photo look for

something to do in the photos so my

go-to is always fixing my hair or even

like touching my clothes holding

something like a mug or a book or

whatever other prop or an action like

walking you may not expect for me to say

this in a photo video but you know how

when you were a kid you didn't really

care about how you looked and you would

just have fun and like the photos would

turn out so cute naturally pretend

you're that kid again and really just

admit that energy you know and the last

thing I'm going to leave you with here

today is to practice and just keep

taking photos as often as you can if you

really want to get better at it photos

in different environments and different

lighting with different people people

you're just gonna feel it out see what

photos turn out best and then keep doing

what works I really hope this helps you

guys if it did please consider

subscribing if you're not already and if

you're looking for pose ideas or photo

ideas or any kind of like photo editing

tutorials they are all on my Tick Tock

and Instagram which you can check out

here I hope you have a lovely day you're

beautiful I love you okay bye