Hi Friends! It’s a crazy, busy, exciting time here at jessicadrummond.com. My new programs are in development, and the website will be updated to reflect them in mere weeks. I am behind the scenes creating some really amazing stuff for all of you busy, burned out moms out there and your tween and teen daughters! Get excited for all of that to be coming your way in just a few weeks. Very soon you will have access to a brand new system that combines my years of research, education galore, and my deep pockets of patient and client caring experience to help you get your glow back, lose your muffin top, and optimize your hormone superpowers. PLUS, you will learn the ins and outs of teaching your tween how to optimize her health by flipping the script on “The Talk” from a squirm-fest (for both of you) to a celebration!
In the meantime, I have one more guest post for you today. Once I reveal my unique system, you won’t be able to stop yourself from joining in. And, when the results are in, you will want to capture your uncovered glow in pictures! Emily DeWan is going to show us how to put our best faces forward for our powerful mother/ daughter after shots. Enjoy!
Hooray! It’s time to get your portrait done! Are you ecstatic every time you have to step in front of a camera or are you convinced that you’re not photogenic and dread the experience? Follow these tips to start enjoying the portrait process. Have fun!
How’s your smile?
Spend some time in front of a mirror smiling at yourself – yes, you’ll probably feel a bit silly at first. Try smiling with your mouth closed, mouth open, teeth showing, squinting your eyes more, and any other version you can come up with. Pay attention to how the rest of your face looks with each version – eyes, eyebrows, cheeks, chin, and ears. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “smile with your eyes.” There’s lots of truth in that advice! Block your mouth and nose when looking in the mirror, and just watch your eyes as you smile, frown, look contemplative, etc.
Practice your posing.
Still in front of a mirror, practice sitting and moving around to different positions to get a sense for what feels best and looks most flattering. Rotating your body about 30° – 45° away from the camera, keeping your face mostly facing forward, and leaning forward a little bit will usually be more flattering than your whole body being upright and straight forward. Now what will you do with your arms and hands? It’s best to keep at least a small amount of curve in your arms, and leave a little room between your arms and torso. Try different positions in front of the mirror: resting your hands on your lap, resting one hand next to your body, placing them on a chair, or placing them on your hips.
Fashion crisis!
Deciding what to wear for your portrait can be a daunting task. Look through your closet to pick out all tops that catch your eye and lay them out. When looking at each one, what is the first thought that comes to mind? How does each item of clothing make you feel? Take the ones that conjure up positive emotions and try each one on. You not only want clothing that is flattering, but also that you feel good in.
How about a dance party?
Right before you leave for your portrait session, put on some of your favorite music and dance around your kitchen to loosen up. Do some salsa to shake your hips, jump up and down to ska, or belt along to your favorite broadway musical.
Enter a happy mindset.
Photos that capture people exploding with laughter are fun to look at because the joy can be seen and felt so easily. Before your shoot, do everything possible to enter into a happy mindset. Think of a time that you were brimming with excitement, or that you were laughing hysterically with a friend. Do your best to step into that happy feeling so that your smile is an extension of that mindset.
Take a breather.
Even when conjuring up a joyous memory, a smile can start to feel forced and uncomfortable if you’re posing for too long. Try a little reset: close your eyes, completely relax your face, and breathe in and out deeply a few times. Once you feel more relaxed, do one final exhale while easing into a soft smile, and open your eyes.
Emily DeWan loves photographing people of all ages. Based in NYC, she specializes in personality-driven portraits and beautiful moments of weddings. Emily has been known to bark like a seal and create impromptu dance parties to help her subjects relax and have fun, whether they’re 6 months or 60 years. Book your portrait session at emilydewan.com.
Hooray! It’s time to get your portrait done! Are you ecstatic every time you have to step in front of a camera or are you convinced that you’re not photogenic and dread the experience? Follow these tips to start enjoying the portrait process. Have fun!
Great article! I should send this out to everyone before their photo sessions – people get sooo nervous in front of the camera sometimes. Super helpful.