Glamour Posing Tips - What is the best angle for your face?

One of our idols in the photography world is Sue Bryce.  In our opinion, she is the expert when it comes to making women look and feel beautiful.  Her education and techniques on glamour photography have assisted us with our posing techniques in our pin-up and film noir photography sessions.

We have also had the good fortune of working with a wonderful local petite model, Cassidy.  We often get together to test our knowledge and push ourselves further in the creative world.  This past week, we met to practice Sue Bryce's angles & rule of 9's.  This is a ten minute exercise that I encourage everyone to practice with your clients!  We grabbed an iPhone and a dark backdrop and shot the different facial poses in order to find which pose best suited Cassidy's face.  The result? Cassidy learned which of the 9 poses she liked best on herself and we learned which to concentrate on when photographing her.  A win-win if you ask me.

Cassidy practicing the rule of 9's

Each of us has a different shape to our face and Sue teaches you to find the angle that is most beautiful on your client.  It also assists photographers when clients have one eye slightly smaller than the other or when the client feels there is "better side" to their face.  Doing this quick exercise with your client before you start your portrait session will assist you in capturing amazing photographs every time.

Here are a few tips to practice in the comfort of your own home by taking selfies to learn the best angle for your face:

1.  Select the angle which emphasizes your best features and downplays some your less favorite features.
2.  If your eyes are your best feature, then take the picture from a little higher angle, tilting your face slightly upwards and smiling from your eyes.
3.  If your nose is your best feature, then hold the camera pointing straight to your face and take the picture. If your nose is not the best feature then tilt you head slightly towards one side before taking a straight picture.
4.  If your lips are your best feature then take the picture from slightly below, pointing the camera up towards your face.

5.  Figure out your face shape and practice what angle looks best that does not add any mass to your face where you do not want it.  For example, if you have an oval face, tilt your head a little towards the right or left when looking at the camera.  This prevents making your face look larger in photographs.

6.  Always remember to smile sincerely and from the heart.  If you try to fake a smile, it will look artificial and unreal in your pictures.  Showing true emotion in your photographs is always more beautiful.

As with anything, practice makes perfect.  If you are not up to the challenge of taking selfies, practice the different angles in the mirror or have a friend photograph you.  Place the results in a grid like we did with Cassidy and you are sure to find your favorite angle!  Happy experimenting!

For more information on Sue Bryce, visit her website at https://suebryceeducation.com.  She offers education on all sorts of photography topics that will assist you in your photographic journey!