Next week we’ll roll into the holidays again — that wonderful time of year when there is no shortage of family and friends and food . . . and probably photographs. Thanksgiving dinner with the family? Picture time! Christmas cocktails with the girls? Let’s all look cute for the camera!

Whenever Danny and I pose our subjects for portraits, we try to pass along a few simple tips they can use any time they’re photographed, because it’s amazing how changing the way you stand oh-so-slightly can determine whether you like how you look in your pictures. So here are a few quick– very quick, and by no means comprehensive — tricks for looking your best each time a friend wants to grab a quick group photo. Of course there are times when we intentionally break these rules when we’re posing our subjects individually, and different bodies pose well different ways, but here are some standard go-to rules that will help anyone, male or female, look great in a snap.

Turn your body at a three-quarters angle to the camera rather than facing the camera squarely — it’s frequently more figure flattering:

Put your weight on the leg farther away from the camera and put a little bend in the leg nearer the camera — it will keep you from appearing rigid, and as an added bonus, it can be slimming:If you’re sitting, be sure to cross your legs away from the camera rather than toward the camera — it will almost always be more flattering to your legs:Tilt your head slightly — it will make you look loose and relaxed:

Give your hands something to do so your arms don’t just hang at your sides — it will help you look comfortable and purposeful:Oh, and one more thing, but I think you’ve probably got this one down:

Smile!

~ Laura