A beautiful, eye-catching profile photo is an important aspect of a well-managed Facebook account. Follow these simple guidelines for natural facial expressions and stunning body positions. By asking someone to take a photo, you can also have more style options or poses to try. No matter which method of taking photos you choose, you can beautify your photos with simple digital edits before uploading them to your Facebook account.
Step
Part 1 of 4: Showing the Right Expression
Step 1. Roll your eyes
A surprised or stiff expression will make you look terrible. The easiest way to make photos look better is to squint your eyes slightly.
Don't squint too far so you don't seem "tortured" or desperately trying to direct your eyes to a certain point
Step 2. Tilt your head to the side
There's something that makes almost everyone hate a photo of a driver's license, passport, or other identification card. The wide gaze that is directed rigidly at the camera is certainly not pleasing to the eye. Before taking a photo, flaunt your best body side and tilt your head slightly.
Step 3. Show off the charm of your white teeth
A smile can make a photo look better. Several studies have shown that smiling faces are preferred over faces with neutral expressions. Relax your mouth, show your teeth, and smile naturally.
Don't throw in a stiff or "cheap" smile
Step 4. Avoid a raised lip expression (duck face)
Bringing your lips forward in a less natural way or other unusual expressions actually degrades the quality of your profile photo. Exaggerated expressions make you look silly and actually hide your true beauty or facial appearance.
Step 5. Stick to natural expressions
People should be able to match your profile photo to your normal appearance. The uploaded profile photo must be able to show your face naturally, like when you meet in person.
- If you wear makeup, use lipstick with a light color and make sure the eyebrows look neat and perfect so that it can enrich the facial expression shown.
- Remove sunglasses or other accessories that can hide or block parts of your face.
Part 2 of 4: Positioning Yourself
Step 1. Have someone take your photo if possible
When other people take photos, you are more free to pose as you wish. Having the help of other people also makes photos look neater. Plus, a friend or someone else who took the photo can give you feedback.
Step 2. Try taking a head-to-shoulder, or head and torso photo
A profile photo does need to highlight your face, but it can also show other parts of your body as long as the photo is taken properly. For a simple pose that displays confidence, stand with one hand on your hips. Tilt your elbows slightly back.
If you want to show more body parts in your photo, make sure the face is in focus and the parts of the face are easily visible
Step 3. Tilt your body
Good posture is important, but standing up straight can sometimes make you look stiff and unnatural in photos. Try tilting your body slightly to the side, and leaning your head slightly forward. This pose makes your body look more relaxed and proportional.
Step 4. Stand or turn to one side
Professional photographers often discuss the rule of thirds. Imagine that you are drawing two vertical lines that divide the photo into three equal parts. Position yourself on one of these lines, instead of standing or positioning yourself right in the center of the picture.
Part 3 of 4: Finding the Right Setting
Step 1. Don't take photos in front of a mirror
Selfies taken while standing in front of a mirror with a visible cell phone have now become sort of a cliché. Point the rear camera at your face and take photos for best results. Most modern smartphones have a front camera so you can take photos while viewing facial expressions directly on the screen.
- You can also hold your phone or camera with something and use the timer feature to take a photo.
- A selfie stick (selfie stick or selfie stick) helps you take more stunning photos.
- If you need to take a picture in front of a mirror, hold your phone or camera at shoulder height and tilt it forward. If you zoom large enough, your phone or camera won't take the photo.
Step 2. Display an attractive environment
Photos of faces on a white background seem boring. Try taking photos with natural landscapes, office environments, or colored backgrounds.
Make sure the background of the photo is not too complicated or complex. If you use a photo of yourself at a concert as a profile photo, your face will appear to blend in with the faces of other visitors
Step 3. Take the photo in a well-lit place
Find a balance between dark environments and overly bright lighting. It will be difficult for you to take good photos at night. Lighting at 11-1 pm is often too bright. Therefore, try to take photos in the morning or evening, before sunset.
- Natural light is often considered the best light source for photos. Even so, you can still take profile photos with room lights. Position yourself so that the light source does not shine directly at your face.
- If you need to use the flash, try having someone take a photo to prevent the light from being fired too strongly at your body or face.
Part 4 of 4: Photo Editing
Step 1. Crop your photo
Facebook displays profile photos in a square shape. Photos will be displayed in a resolution of 170 x 170 pixels on the desktop version of the Facebook page, and 128 x 128 pixels on smartphones. Before uploading a photo, you can use your preferred photo editing program to make sure the photo can be cropped to that resolution and still look presentable.
Step 2. Set the color saturation level to keep it low
Colors that are too rich or bright make the photo look less natural. Use an image editing program to lower the color saturation level before uploading the photo.
Step 3. Increase the brightness level of the photo
If the photo looks too dark, you can use a graphics editing program to increase the brightness. However, don't overuse the brightness setting. If you increase the brightness too high, the photo will appear faded and unnatural.
If the photo looks too dark, take the photo again in a better-lit place
Tips
- If possible, use a regular camera, not a cell phone camera. Taking selfies using a cell phone camera is very practical. However, standard cameras have more advanced features to allow you to take better photos, especially if someone else is willing to help take the photo.
- If you're taking a profile photo for a professional Facebook account, wear more extravagant clothes or-at least-the clothes you normally wear for work. In fact, for an informal profile photo, it doesn't hurt you to wear more presentable clothes. Wear clothes that can highlight your charm and make you feel more confident.
- Keep in mind that some of the clothes you normally wear may appear different in your profile photo. For example, a top with wavy trim that makes your legs appear longer doesn't have the same effect as a profile photo that only shows your shoulders and face.
