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Get your Picture-perfect smile - tutorial for awkward people

Get your Picture-perfect smile - tutorial for awkward people

Genre
How-to Guide
Date
Oct 28, 2022
Snippet
Do look find yourself looking awkward on unhappy in photos? This article covers how to find your most flattering smile.
Notes to self
Cover image source: @ Crystal Clues on YT
Cover image source: @ Crystal Clues on YT

Introduction

Getting a smile that looks good on your face can be hard. What feels the best/most natural on your face, might not be what looks the best on your face. For example, if you catch a candid photo of me genuinely smiling, you’ll notice my smile much, MUCH more gummy than it is in posed pictures.
Here’s how I learned to smile a convincing and relaxed smile that helps me look good in pictures and turn the charm up when I need to. Even if you’re too old for picture days this article is still a good way to help you learn how to develop a sustainable and authentic way to smile.
Take note that this will describe a “Picture day” smile, which is meant to flatter your face and make you look the best in photo. It should NOT be confused with an authentic, natural smile which come in all different unique and quirky configurations.

The 3 levels of smile

  1. The close mouthed smile
  1. The pleasant, polite toothy smile
  1. And the photo-ready toothy grin smile

Ordered Check-list

  1. Relax forehead by letting your eyebrows fall to their natural, relaxed position
  1. Relax your body and especially your shoulders
    1. Don’t know what a “relaxed” position looks like? Unclench your hands and toes. Pull your shoulders down and back, but keep you chin level
  1. Keep your chin level to the ground
  1. Relax your cheeks
  1. Pull the corners of your mouth back (NOT up.) *Emphasis on corners,
  1. Show your top teeth, and keep your bottom teeth hidden with your (relaxed) bottom lip
  1. (Optional) Keep your top gums covered with your top lip
  1. Bring the smile to your eyes by letting your cheeks get pushed up by the corners of your mouth
  1. Squint the bottoms of your eyes

Don’t

  1. Strain your neck
  1. Over do it
  1. Smile with your bottom teeth
  1. Putt your chin up (at least for photos)
  1. Scrunch your nose (at least for photos)
    1. I love a scrunched nose smile - it can make a your and the photo you’re in more authentic and candid. However, its not what typically we’re looking for in a picture day photo.
 
A closed mouth smile can still look stiff and awkward (even on a really pretty girl)
A closed mouth smile can still look stiff and awkward (even on a really pretty girl)
An overly-toothy smile can come off as forced and insincere
An overly-toothy smile can come off as forced and insincere

Practice and Test

You can find your photo smiling face by practicing it - especially by taking photos or videos of yourself and looking at yourself afterwards. Looking at your own photos and videos is MUCH more effective than just using a mirror to practice. Looking at yourself in the past through a screen, it is much easier to critique yourself than it is to do it live in the mirror. Here are some questions you can ask yourself when looking at those photos:
  • Does it look natural?
  • Do you like what you see?
  • Were there any steps you forgot or need to adjust to suit your face?
Ultimately, your smile is yours! You should be the only to decide if you like your smile or not. Test out new smiles until you’re satisfied with the way it looks on you.

Sources

  1. Body Language & Emotional Intelligence: Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3053: Giada De Laurentiis, Insincere Smiles and Divorce (PHOTOS) (bodylanguagesuccess.com)
  1. How to Smile to Win Your Pageant - YouTube, I especially recommend the section on Stamina @ 9:13