Saturday 10 May 2014

Strike an unforgettable pose. The secrets of being photogenic revealed!


In a world where social media reigns supreme, we all are interested in how we can become photogenic so we can have more 'shareable' pictures.



Hello everyone, hope you all are doing great? I am. This is not the article I intended  to post today, I had other plans but I changed my mind. Sometimes 'whimsical'  can be a good thing. Actually something happened and the post I was working on suffered some setback and was taking longer than I thought and I knew that, if I waited till I could push that post through, hell might well freeze over before I did. And I know that you, my dear readers don't like to be kept waiting...

A few days ago I went to a photo studio to take some professional photos for something very important. Please don't ask me what. lol. At the studio I saw this really cute chair that reminded me of my highly controversial post on high heels. I thought it was really cool. I mean hot. lol, so I quickly asked to take a picture with it. And boy, did they oblige?!

                                                     It was fun!
 For some of you, my dear lovely, beautiful readers, this is the first time you would be seeing a picture of me up-close.



Yea, there you have me! I am yours truly.

Apparently, I had a good photo day. But did I, really?


You see, The main reason  I went to the photo studio was actually to have a portrait of me taken. The high heels chair shoot was just a spin-off. So the major thing that took me to the studio was to get a portrait picture. This is where I had a little challenge.

I am a very visual person, so before I went to the studio, I already had a picture of what I wanted to look like in the photo. It was clear in my mind what I wanted.

The photographer got down to work without delay and began to snap away. But every time I looked at the pictures, I wasn't satisfied. I kept telling him " I have not gotten the look I want". Then he would take some more shots and show me, but I still could not get the look I anticipated. Being a perfectionist,
 I kept insisting he took some more shots. I knew the patience of the photographer was waning but I wasn't about to give up until I got what I wanted.

In the past, I have had many beautiful and even jaw-dropping pictures of me taken. I have also had some ugly ones. Ever been there where you take a photo of you, and if it turns out fine, you are happy and  accept that it's a true image of you. But when it turns out ugly, you are angry with the photographer as though it was his fault. Reminds me of school days, when results come out and we are asked about our grades. If it's an A, the reply would be a confident "I got an A" but if you failed, you wanted to distance yourself from the result and refuse to own it by saying something like " that stupid lecturer gave me a D" lol yea we can all relate to that. At the studio, I found myself in a similar situation.

After numerous  shots, and failed attempts to satisfy me, the photographer finally ran out of patience and said something like " madam I'm sure you would be able to see the one you like when we upload them on the system" with a note of finality, as he walked out of the room.

My frustration with my failure to get the look I had envisioned got me thinking. Are there secrets to taking really good photos or is it just subject to luck? What about my lucky photo days, what did I do right ? And then my bad photo days, what exactly went wrong?

Let's just say, in the days following my photo studio experience, photography became my muse.

Below, I have put together 10 tips on how you can come out with better photos every time you strike a pose. In essence, any pose you strike from now on will be unforgettable.

1. If you know beforehand that you are going to be having a photo session, plan ahead. Hit the gym, go on a diet, do anything to make sure you lose some weight. Those extra pounds that may not be noticeable to the naked eyes just has a way of manifesting in pictures.

2. Smize. Yea, I did not mean smile. Smize actually means smiling with your 'eyez'. This trick was popularized by super model Tyra Banks who always looks stunning in her photos. To smize engage the muscles of your eyes while smiling.

3. Squinch. Again I did not mean squint. It is said that Portraitist Peter Hurley invented the squinch. It is the act of squinting eyes in such a way as to ooze confidence. This trick will make you far more attractive than staring wide eyed into the camera which can sometimes portray fear and uncertainty. To squinch, lift and tighten the lower eyelid and only allow the top eyelid to come down slightly. Still don't get the picture? Consider this photo
Do you see the difference? if not I have more proof.


Aha! I'm sure you get the picture now. lol

4. Don't stand straight like a stick, do a little pose to look cool.

5. What you wear matters. Yep! Wear a color that flatters you. Also make sure your clothes are not baggy, it can add extra weight to your figure.

6. Don't be afraid to take many pictures. Take pictures until you feel like you've got the best shot possible.

7. Go through your photos and look for the best ones. Look for what makes the best photos and continue using the methods that got the best shots. Also remember that you can learn a lot  from your worst photos. Discover why they don't look good, then ensure history is not repeated. lol

8. Use flash judiciously and do not use it when you don't have to. A flash in poor light can often result in ugly looking reflection or make your photo appear washed out.

9. Keep a note book and make notes about what works well and what doesn't, in your photography life.

10. Get your photos off your memory card as soon as possible. Make a backup; make a second back up if possible. Everyone of us has or will experience the heartbreak of losing a precious image or images unless we cultivate a back up habit.

Whether it's just taking a plain old selfie
 or doing a full photo shoot, you would definitely do with these tips. You don't ever have to be camera-shy again.

I told you! 'whimsical' can be good.

That's all folks, keep it here for more mesmerizing  musings.

Remember to share this with your friends, they will be grateful you did.

If this is your first time here, you are welcome. Click here on our first post to get a 'hang' of what this blog is all about.


Personal photos taken @ Take Me Images photo studio.







Twitter: @zuchyagoha

20 comments:

  1. You are beautiful, you write beautifully. This life is not just fair.

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  2. Well written Mo j.keep them coming

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  3. Beautiful as always. You should start your own magazine.

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  4. Now,I know better. So many truths in one article. I can relate to this

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  5. Hmmmmmm... TAKE ME Steve!!! *grins*

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  6. I just finished an exhilarating photo shoot! *cleans brows. I wish I had known these tips to help. Additional tip learnt from my shoot: pay attention to the tiniest detail, it can make or Mar a picture. Say cheese!

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    Replies
    1. Uche... Never knew you're also a follower like moa...

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    2. Moniq... Nice tips, I'll give them to my next girlfriend ie if she doesn't already know them...
      Nice work, awaiting more tips

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  7. Very useful tips

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  8. This is cool, I would have love to see various looks of you xplaining this in your photoshot tho... Nice work keep it coming
    www.fashionitazbybuiti.blogspot.com

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  9. Informative, but d truth is, if your not good looking, all these tips would be useless. Cos lets be honest, gleee gleee is gleeee gleeee.

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  10. Nice tips....we should have a photoshoot session someday.

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  11. Just learnt all d tricks I actually need. Nice 1 mo'j

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  12. Whao, I have a photo shoot next month & this is just coming @the right time, Monica, good job done. You rock, pls keep it up. Busayo

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  13. Whaooo! This is awesome. Monica,I have learnt a whole lot from you.keep it going...kudos

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  14. Nice piece,really great

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  15. Very nice piece

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  16. Beauty and brains!!...nice...do they still make them that wat?

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