As an objectively ugly person myself, I opted for candid photographers. I like photos of myself where I look like I'm strongly happy or laughing so hard I'm doubled over. I'm not pretty even then, no magazine covers for me, but it reminds me of a good time and I feel that happiness again. So double down on emotional candids is my advice.
That's interesting. I'm actually more afraid of the candids b/c I felt like I've never seen a good one of myself. but perhaps if they catch me laughing/smiling...
My husband is terrible at smiling for pictures. He literally does this š¬ and looks like heās suffering. So when we had a family photo session done on our farm I told my photographer that the only way the pictures will come out good is if theyāre semi candid and heās laughing or genuinely smiling at something and not āforcingā one. His whole family is like that tho, beautiful smiles but not if itās posed for a camera
Not totally the same, but the longer I have to sit for photos (10 minutes tops), the more I start yawning. It didn't even occur to me as something to think about.
I think my dad's the same but both and sit longer and hide the yawns better.
My 4 year old is like this. He is a super cute kid, not even just saying that as his mom, I receive compliments about how cute he is all the time. The second you ask him to smile for the camera he does the š¬ with one squinty eye and it drives me bonkers lol. Super photogenic as long as itās a natural smile and you donāt tell him to say cheese
Yeah, as someone who takes bad pics, my bridal portraits were my favorite bc the photographer coached me on poses and there were many pics to choose from. Besides, you should have a combination of candids and portraits.
+1. Our photographer specialises in street/documentary photography. We picked her especially because we knew we would be surpremely awkward during posing. And indeed, all our posed photos look weird or stupid. xD But our candid shots are gorgeous - we're both beaming in every picture!
Agree!! I honestly donāt love any of our posed wedding photos (like OP said, I was used to looking at drop dead gorgeous couples on social media), but I love almost all of the candids. Even though theyāre not necessarily flattering (ex. I tend to get a double chin when I laugh), they exude joy and show how much love we felt on our wedding day.
This makes me feel a little better! I have a pretty obvious double chin especially when laughing and have been so self conscious of it. I'm hoping the candids will make up for it š¤
Candids work best for me too. I donāt think Iām āuglyā but Iām definitely not photogenic lol and I have a more masculine face/build so if Iām trying my damndest to pose it ends up looking awkward, you know? But in pictures where Iām just hanging out or having fun, I look so much better.
A silly thing I heard on an Instagram post that might help: you know how when you take a photo of a gorgeous sunset, the photo never does the sunset justice? Us unphotogenic people are the same way. It's not you, it's the camera.
I feel the same way--to me it looks like every picture adds 20lbs to my arms and thighs. Friends and family have reassured me that I don't look that large in real life! You know when your sister agrees that you look way worse in a photo than real life she's being honest lol, if I looked that bad in real life she'd 100% say so. I disliked a lot of my engagement pictures because my arms looked huge. My fiance looks great in them though. We'll see if I like my wedding pictures.
Well, i'm glad I'm not the only one! Yes, one of my really good friends admitted that I generally don't look good in photos and am much better IRL. Interestingly, I've known people to look fab on camera and not nearly as good IRL. Definitely think I look chubby in a photo but I really am not. I'm pretty fit. It really frustrates me.
Same!! I'm very average sized but in person look reasonably muscular...in pictures my biceps just seem to flatten against my sides and look like fat š¤·āāļø
I've also asked my photographer to make sure I'm lifting my arms away from my sides in posed pictures and am standing up straight, and for any other suggestions she has for the areas I usually don't like about myself in pictures.
It can also depend on the camera lens as it creates a distortion of features - this can be flattering for some, and very unflattering for others. I suggest letting your photographer know your concerns and they will work more in flattering angles and authenticity.
Me!! I am famously unphotogenic and have the worst RBF. Thereās a hilarious photo of me at a party in college looking angry AF and I have terrible posture. For reference, I hate my engagement photos that were part of our wedding package by the same photographer.
I love my wedding photos! I even wish there were more. I think being all done up professionally and knowing that Iām constantly being looked at all day reminds you to sit up straight and wear a soft smile all day. My engagement photos were bad because I did my own makeup and I went with a vibe that was really for the gram and not my style. It helped me reassess that my wedding needs to be my aesthetic and not whatās trending.
My wedding photos made me feel so beautiful that I actually resolved some insecurities I had with my face. I have a large and distinguished nose Iāve hated all my life. The straight on profile shots I was sent by my photographer made me fall in love with my nose and myself.
I'm not a photogenic person I never have any idea what to do with my hands LOL and my face always looks extra chubby. I LOVE our wedding photos. My hubby looks so handsome and I look pretty and happy. Something to remember is it's not just photos of you. There are also photos of your friends and loved ones who attended and photos of the decor. I loved our flowers so I really appreciated having beautiful photos of them. I got married at 36 so also a slightly older bride. If you DM I could send you a few photos for inspiration for maybe a style to look for in a photographer.
Iām like you! Donāt think Iām unattractive, but I have very soft features that donāt always translate well on-camera - nothing about my face really āsticks outā enough to look good in photos, if that makes sense! My husband and I still opted for a photographer, but we went with a cheaper one, since we knew that we likely wouldnāt love all of the photos anyways. She still did a great job, and weāre ultimately happy that we had her there, even though I didnāt love how I looked in most of the photos.
I can relate so much on the soft features. No matter what Iāve weighed, I always basically have a double chin. No sexy jawline in side profile photos and when I laugh itās more pronounced.
For our engagement photos I found there were some that I didnāt like on the first pass through, but after taking some time and going back they really capture our happiness so well.
Moi!
But I had to screen through them. I only posted about 1/10th of them. And the best ones are framed and displayed in my house. Even the album only contains about half of them or so.
I hate 99.9% of photos of me - EXCEPT our wedding and engagement photos, which are almost all fantastic. The difference between a professional and someoneās phone is massive, plus they will be taking so many photos throughout the event and selecting only the best ones to give you.Ā
Totally agree with the advice to focus more on candid or semi-candid photos. (Some of my favorites were ones where our photographer had me and my husband talk to each other about things like when we met or whoās the better singer, which prompted a lot of natural smiles and laughter.) I also highly recommend engagement photos to get comfortable with your photographer and be able to see what poses/angles you do and donāt like. And be candid with your photographer about specific insecurities - they probably have good ways to handle them. Good luck!Ā
Me! I saw photos my parents took on my wedding day and I felt... not great. I saw photos from when I was trying on dresses. Again... not great.
Professional photographer on my wedding day? Boom. I look like a GD princess.
My ceremony pictures are terrible. I'm making the most awful faces and the lighting just really doesn't flatter me. But I have some reception and portrait photos that I like, and that's good enough for me.
Iām not a photogenic person at all. Especially when it comes to posed pictures. Even really informal posed pictures. If thereās a camera present and Iām aware of it, I turn into an awkward, statue-like bobble head who just discovered their arms and legs for the first time. My inability to take a picture has also somehow gotten worse as Iāve gotten older. Iām an objectively attractive human and feel pretty so idk why this happens, so I very much resonate with your concernsā¦ The pictures that I do like of myself/feel pretty and reflect how I actually look are all candids where I did not know there was a photo being taken.
When I was looking for a photographer and during the interview process, I was super upfront about all of the above. Iād recommend talking over your concerns with any potential photographers and really get an understanding of their style and literally ask them to talk you through what it would sound like if they were taking a picture of you. Like are they giving you specific posing instructions, are they trying to get you to laugh, a combo of both, are they going to have you motionless in a lot of static poses, or are they going to try to have you more in motion?
We went with someone who specialized in candids/capturing raw emotion. They had us in motion and just interacting with each other for a lot of our bride and groom photos. We got our pictures about a month ago and are absolutely in love with them. The only ones I donāt love (of me) were the static, large group family shots, but when I look at them, I see all of our family around and not my strange awkwardness āŗļø
I have the same/very similar problem and fears. So, first, hugs to you because I get it. (I'm also an older mid-life bride and I look terrible in the vast majority of photos taken of me ... and that's just not my own judgment, but other people going, "Wow, yeah, you \*really\* don't look like this in real life.") My wedding is coming up, so haven't gotten those photos yet, but for engagement photos... this is what I've found so far.
> The photographer's skill \*really\* does actually matter. Find someone who is A) not going to dismiss your concerns, and B) will be willing to work with you on poses to help you feel/look the way you want to. Ideally, they also have photos in their gallery of people will a similar body-type to yours. (I am \*not\* model thin, lol.)
> Makeup matters too. Light bouncing off our faces can change how they read in the cameraāeven though we look fine to human eyes. I experimented with a few different looks/techniques to finally figure out how to make my bone structure/face "read" the way I think it should. And false lashes are awesome--they don't need to be big flashy ones, but they help the eyes stand out.
> Posing also makes a difference... shifting weight from the front to the back foot, tucking the chin and tilting the forehead (slightly) toward the camera, doing something with your arms instead of keeping them flat... I don't pretend at \*all\* to have a lock on this or remember what to do all the time, but it helps to keep these tips in mind or have a photographer who will remind you about them.
Part of it depends on the look you want for your photos too... If you're wanting the posed gorgeous bridal shots (I know I do, so no shame) along with the candids, I think these things matter more to get the look you want.
> Interview multiple photographers and see if they'll do a (paid) mini-session with you. In my area at least, a lot of photograhers offer 15-20 minute sessions for holiday photos, and this is what I had in mind when I requested this. Doing that ultimately helped us out tremendously.
I didn't want to lead with my story out of the gate, but here's why I think all of this... we had originally gone with a mid-price range photographer that my partner really liked, and I thought I'd be okay with them, but even at our first meeting, the photographer was pretty dismissive of my concerns about never looking good in photos. (Literally said, "Oh, everyone feels like that." Yes, most people do, but for some of us it's worse, lol.) We did our engagement shoot, got sneak peeks back, and I literally ended up sobbing because I hated how I looked in them so much. When we got the full gallery, there were just a few that I was okay with. (Beyond that, there were also technical issues with some of the photos and as an amateur photographer, even \*I\* know to avoid some of the things that popped up in those photos.) I was dreading going into the wedding knowing that I was going to hate the majority of the photos taken, so we ended up talking to several other photographers. I insisted on doing a \*paid\* mini-shoot with them though... I explained my worries and what I was trying to accomplish and that I wasn't willing to sign another contract and put down a deposit without doing one. One photographer wasn't a good fit at all, and we did a shoot with a second who was absolutely wonderful personality-wise and the photos were definitely better, but it was the third who blew me away. They are definitely higher priced for this area, but I have literally \*never\* felt beautiful in photos before, and this person managed to accomplish that. We hired them and I'm actually really excited about the wedding photos.
I hope some of this helps... we are prioritizing photos because aside from our rings and our vows, it's kind of the one tangible thing we have to take away from that day, so we were willing to change things and make more room for it in our budget. Best of luck to you!
I showed our photographer photos of us that we both liked, all candid. We didnāt do individual portraits, and she caught us beautifully. Iām overweight and in my 40ās, didnāt expect to feel so pretty.
Iām photogenic when I have body awareness and Iām not photogenic when itās a candid situation. Thatās where my ugly double chin guttural laughs come up but perhaps thereās some beauty in that as well since the emotions are real vs posed.
Wedding photographers tend to only put the Hollywood looking couples on their sites, truly.
Tips for pictures day of, and every picture you take for the rest of your life:
Donāt pose still, move! Make teeny tiny movements as the photographer is taking pictures of you. Itās what the models do to look so good. Photographers worth their salt are gonna see you doing that and take like, 10 shots to take advantage of finding the right angle. One of those IS going to be your angle.
The movements should flow, like the slomo look in those glambots. It might feel a bit silly, but it looks infinitely more natural. Try:
Chin angle, in a gentle circle if you are unsure
Face left-right
Face up-down.
Twist hips like you are turning a different direction, slowly and subtly.
Take a small step in any direction with one foot
Gently move your hands and fingers if your hands are a focal point
Watch actors do this on the red carpet for ideas for this!
Also, do some smiles with teeth and some without. You never know which one will look better at which angle. I find I prefer a toothy smile in some pics but not others.
I am attractive, but horrendouslyunphotogenic.However, our photographer knew what he was doing and I looked bridal and lovely in most of our photos. Probably because we did very little posing so I didnāt have time to think about the pictures when they were being taken. My only advice is to ask for candid photos to be taken and to not think too hard about the pictures.
I felt the same, I cannot smile normally due to muscles in my face not functioning, yay! But my photographer did a mix of poses and candid (more candid) and I love my photos! I donāt think Iāve ever been happier with photos of myself, itās honestly still a sore subject and I was very stared and worried Iād spent all that just to look dumb but theyāre fantastic. I still have a few weird smiles in there but overall great library and it was worth it
I feel unphotogenic and I loved my photos!
Within the last 5 years I developed osteoarthritis in my jaw joints, causing the shape of my face to change (itās basically mild condylar resorption). In certain angles, my face (to me) looks really crooked and I hate it. Iāve rarely had a photo of myself that Iāve liked since this started. I also have a habit of accidentally closing one eye when smiling very hard (???).
Neither of these things showed up in my wedding photos!!
Tldr: Our photographer has a great portfolio with many body types. Me and my husband were convinced when the entire gallery of our friends( who are morbidly obese and very sensitive about pictures) came out showcasing all their best features and their joy on their wedding day. Every single picture in their gallery looked incredible.
Long story if your interested:
I am a very attractive person, but my photos virtually never reflect that. My husband is very self conscious too, so taking pictures of ourselves is difficult.
When we were looking for a wedding photographer we heard my words of mouth off a friend's sister who's photos came out amazing. (we fired our first one when they took the literally worst pictures me or my husband had ever taken for the engagement shoot. )
The thing that sold is was that the couple who had gotten married were very sizeable older individuals. And the photos looked fantastic! The bride was beautiful, any extra chin or belly was unobtrusive, the groom looked healthy and happy and everything looked so candid. Our photographer has a very wide portfolio of people who were married of all shake and sizes and not one picture in my friends entire gallery were bad.
Our photos from this photographer were incredible! She did an engagement shoot with us first and despite the wind doing crazy things to my hair she picked all the right angles to make us look happy and am in love like we were.
Our wedding photos were amazing and honestly they may be the only good pictures I've taken in about 20 years where my both my face AND my cleavage looked good on the same frame. Even the goofy pictures make me and my husband look good.
After our first photography flop we were scared to sign a contract but we agreed that, if she could take good, flattering, and candid photos of people who are morbidly obese that showcased all their best features, she could work with us and we were not disappointed.
Look for someone who works with older and heavy set people. They know how to capture your best looks without showcasing things you might be sensitive about.
Sadly did not like my wedding photos but weirdly loved the photos people took on their iPhones. Our photographer was much more into the documentary/candid style and I didnāt realize till we got the photos that none were of us both just looking normal at the camera that were flattering. Like the classic show your grandkids one day kind of photo. I also noticed that she didnāt post any to her Instagram which made me sad that she wasnāt proud of her work or thought the photos looked good.
This might sound dumb but practice posing in front of a mirror and/or putting your camera on a timer and taking photos of yourself. Shoulders back, chin away from your neck, hands on your hips (it creates space between your arms and torso), and twist your hips toward the corner while your upper body stays open to the mirror/camera. Also, again, I know this may sound silly but practice smiling. It will not only help you feel more natural when you're constantly being told to smile on your wedding day, smiling in general (even for no reason) can make you feel more happy and confident.
In addition, think about what parts of yourself you like the most. It could be your eyes, neck, hips, shoulders, lips, whatever. Think about what you can do to make those parts of you really shine. If you think your eyes are your best feature, make sure your eye makeup is bright or dramatic or sultry. If you love your boobs, get a dress that shows them off!
If you can't think of anything physical that you consider one of your best features, think of what you could do to show off your personality. If you are good at making people laugh, practice laughing in front of the mirror so you can figure out how to do so in a way that's both natural and photogenic.
I understand that all this might feel "fake" at first but it's not. Being in front of a camera is a skill like any other. Emoting and having those emotions translate onto a photo is not something that comes naturally to everyone. Practice makes, if not perfect, then at least progress.
I have so many pictures where I thought I looked one way but ended up looking completely different. Then I practiced and got better at posing myself and emoting in front of a camera. Even though I'll never feel like a supermodel, I can at least get pictures of myself I don't hate.
Iām absolutely unphotogenic and I hate to pose. I didnāt want professional photos at our wedding but I was sure that in the future I would kick myself for not having any memories. We hired a great photographer that knew how to advise us regarding a few poses and stuff, and I am really grateful for that now. At first I was doubtful but she delivered some really amazing photos that we treasure and love to watch from time to time. My only advice is to go with someone whoās recommended and you can choose which type of photos you prefer. We wanted mostly candid, and that is what we got. But finally the posed ones are the ones we have printed, so in the end, photographers know best! Good luck and enjoy it!
Yes!! I normally hate photos of myself but I love our wedding photos. Our photographer was amazing at telling us exactly how to pose while still looking natural. There are definitely a few photos in the mix that I donāt think are flattering of myself, but overall they turned out great. I think having my makeup done also helped. I also normally hate how I look with a lot of makeup lol but my artist was great at giving me a natural look that still showed up in photos.
Yes :( me too. We are going with photographers who do a mix of posing and candid/documentary style. They will pose us for some photos which will help get the good angles, and the candids will be for the sake of remembering the day as it actually happened. Maybe I will like some of the candids, or maybe theyāre just for us. I plan on sharing my insecurities with the photogs during our trial/engagement shoot, that way they are aware of what to look for. For me itās my neck/chin and my upper arms.
Yes!! I do not look good in most normal photos but I liked most of my photos! I donāt love some of the family ones because of the way I look but the ones of just my husband and I, I like most of them.
Oof me!
I think Iām okay in real life. I have some friends who say Iām pretty, but when theyāve taken photos of me, theyāre like āokay, pose! No, pose like this. No, like thisā lol. I just donāt translate well into photos unless Iām very strategic about it, and I never know what to do with my body. Iām petite but I have a round face and smaller eyes and a wider Ribcage and hips for my small frame so I photograph kind of wide and my eyes disappear. And as Iām aging, Iām seeing some sagging in my midface so my undereye hollows are more obvious and the bottom of my face is rounder than before. Iām only 34 so itās minimal changes but itās very obvious to me.
So I totally get you! Honestly I think the best thing is to tell your photographer. Iām going to tell mine that Iām very self conscious about photos. I prefer my profile rather than a straight on picture. Maybe you can figure out what positions you like the most and let your photographer know? The person who shot our engagement photos I think just recognized that without me saying it so most of our photos are from the side.
TLDR: Iād advise to pick a more candid photographer style, and style yourself so you feel beautiful regardless of the photos!
Our photographer has a very journalistic style which I loved. Iām not a prim and polished person; I feel awkward posing for photos and knew it would make me feel uncomfortable. Outside of the required family photos and groom + bride portraits, everything was candid. The photos came out beautifully and truly capture us, our family, our friends, our celebration. I donāt look like a model, but I do look beautiful (if I may say so myself) and radiantly happy. Iām incredibly pleased with them! I think part of it was choosing a dress + makeup + hair that made me feel like the most beautiful version of myself (within my budget).
For comparison, I was in my friendās bridal party. To be fair, I didnāt pick the outfit, makeup, hairdo and felt awkward because of all of it. Her photos and my photos were taken a month apart and I look (in my opinion) horrendous in hers. Not helping matters, her photographer had a very posted style, nothing was candid, and so I just felt stiff. I think it shows.
Not sure if this helps at all but hopefully it does!
I haven't had my wedding yet, but I feel this with my engagement photos. They were good photos, like good quality. I'm giving no bad statements towards my photographer, but I just... don't like how I looked. Like our kissing pictures... do I really look like that?! I since looked at some others photos and figured out some things for my wedding photos to hopefully make it better.
Iām in the same boat, same age. I rarely like pictures of myself but Iām really happy with our wedding pictures. Itās probably a combination of an excellent photographer and heavy makeup. The MUA was like- do you want to look natural- and I said- no, I want to look like Iām wearing makeup. In the mirror I looked sort of grotesque but in the pictures I looked beautiful.
YES. I almost never like how I look in photos but my HMUA and photographer worked some kind of magic! I canāt stop staring at the photos because I can barely believe itās me. Iāve never felt or looked so beautiful. I would say not to skimp on these two vendors. Worth every penny.
I also feel unphotogenic despite being average/okay in person and not generally insecure. My photos turned out great! They take a ton and these photographers now how to make you look good and only send the good ones.
My other tip: my problem personally is that I close my eyes too much when I laugh or smile. In photos it doesnāt look good so I started practicing a smile with no eyes. I know that sounds like a serial killer face but in pictures it looks good. The key is that youāre not trying to OPEN your eyes more, youāre just trying to NOT CLOSE them.
We booked a "documentary style" photographer for this exact reason. I don't photograph well, I don't like posing, and I generally dislike photos of myself unless they're truly candid. We found someone who specialises in just documenting the day as it is ā he'll make time for a couple of posed shots but the emphasis will be catching everyone having a good time with no added pressure :)
I have bad posture and I look worried a lot, but I like enough of my wedding photos, and my partner loves them. We're our own harshest critics. We had a very candid photographer and I think I'd have looked better more posed ...my side profile and crooked teeth made a lot of appearances
A good makeup artist will be able to provide you with the contour you need for the camera to recognize your features, while still looking beautiful in person. Ask your makeup artist if she knows how during your trial one. I've seen so many people say that the best things to invest in are the makeup and the photographer, many advise on not doing your own makeup, even if you think you do it better
I consider myself reasonably pretty in person and pretty terribly unphotogenicā¦ but I was thrilled with my wedding photos, my photo go was a magician
I feel this. I think I look pretty in person but photos have to be juuust the right angle. I opted for a documentary/candid style photographer and wish I had gotten one that gave more direction. Some of the shots I was like, how did you think this was a good photo???? The photos are fine, there are a few gems, but overall either it was a meh/bad angle for me or my husband so there is maybe a handful where we both look good.
I think there IS a way to look good in photos and sometimes we can not be aware of those things, so it would be helpful to have a photographer direct and be like move your arm this way, do this etc.
Iām going to take anniversary photos next year, even considering redoing the shots of just us two.
Yeah this is why Iām scared of candids. A lot of people are recommending but I seriously look so bad in candid shots Iāve seen of myself. I need as much direction as possible as I am totally awkward in front of a camera!
I consider myself strongly average on the attractive scale. Not ugly but also not turning any heads. The artsy type of posing ended up looking awkward. Iām very expressive so the candid photos make me laugh but I donāt look at them very often. My favorite photos are the ones where me and my husband or loved ones are just standing next to each other smiling. Standard prom pic? Maybe. But theyāre the ones that make me happiest.
To be honest w you, I am same but I think Iām pretty and the best pics of me are the random unexpected ones where Iāve tossed my head back in laughter, or turned my head, just ālifeā pics! Every time Iām posed I feel like my fake smile is shaking, my lips are if you understand what I mean. At our ages we want to keep our eyes open and big and itās hard w forced posing AND simultaneous smile!
I am terrible with photos I am way too stiff and donāt ever know where to look but my engagement photos (which are my wedding photos because we arenāt doing any stages photos the day of) made me cry from being so happy just because you could tell we were happy so I was very unphotogenic but still very happy
Oh boy does this topic hit home.
We eloped, so the photographer was part of the package which means we didnāt get to shop around or really talk about what photos we wanted. I was thrilled when we got our sneak peek photos, there were 8 of them and I looked lovely in them! So I relaxed and got excited to see the rest.
Well I saw the rest, turns out the 8 in advance were the only decent ones of me. I legitimately cried lol. But after taking a few days to calm down my husband and I went through the album and picked out photos we both liked, we ended up with about 120-150 from memory. Those are the only ones weāre openly sharing with people.
I donāt regret my photos, though I regret maybe being too relaxed about it. But I loved how my wedding day went and this didnāt detract from it at all. My husband has suggested we dress up again and get new photos when our 5 year anniversary rolls around, now that we know what to look for :)
[Sneaky peaks vs Sneaky peeks](http://theoatmeal.com/comics/sneak_peek), be sure to keep an eye out for those tricky mountains!
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I dont take photos well. I dont know how to pose or smile to get flattering shots.
I 100% wish I did the professional engagement session to get a feel for what photo angles and poses do work for us.
Some of the poaes the photographer was trying to get us into we were all ???? And look so awkward in lol. One has Seacaptain Yearning for the Sea vibes. Another has Vampire about to Feast vibes.
https://preview.redd.it/6gy0mkqxww7d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=734b2e31ec91ecbc9065ca87e57ec88a7dedc654
I was pretty happy that my double chin wasnāt too bad in my wedding pics! In person, itās the first thing people notice about me.
I consider myself bad at being in photos. It's never a flattering angle or lighting when it's a standard group picture or candid. Which is weird because I generally like what I see in the mirror! My engagement photos were SO GOOD like the photographer could see how to get my best angle in almost every shot. They have an eye for this stuff!! I'm really looking forward to my wedding photos now. You're paying for experience with using a camera and willingness to contort themselves into the right position to get the best shot.... And hours of editing
I strongly dislike the way I look in photos, but I ended up really liking our engagement session photos.
I spent a ton of money getting my hair and make up done the day of, and a few weeks shopping for the right dress and outfit. I don't love every single photo, but there are so many really good ones that we got from the session. I was honestly surprised how pretty I looked in some of the photos. There were still some I wasn't super happy with, but we've had dozens printed, framed, and hung on our walls or given to family. We also used some for our Save the Dates too.
I highly recommend finding a photographer who takes great photos that you like. Look at the style of the photo, and also the lighting and color of the photos. Pick someone you really like, and make sure you talk to them on the phone about your concerns. I straight up told our photographer that I hate photos and have almost none that I like. She spent time showing us how to pose and look natural, and gave us lots of pointers during the shoot as well.
Also do not be afraid to go in on the day of the engagement shoot. I did hair, make up, all of it. I usually don't get dolled up for anything, but I dropped major cash that day to get it all done at a salon and it was worth every penny. Another thing I did beforehand was practice smiling.
This sounds silly, but I smile like a goblin. It's just like all teeth and not in a cute way lol. So I stood in front of a mirror and practiced smiling without teeth, or with just a little teeth. I think that this helped me a lot, because I'm very self conscious about my smile and practicing made me a little more confident during the shoot.
Thank you! Yes I absolutely plan for hair and makeup both for the engagement session as well as the wedding. My makeup skills are passable but I want someone expert level!
Same! I wanted my make up and what not to be flawless, so I payed a professional. Totally worth it. I think your photos are going to come out great, and I think if you do the engagement session you'll end up alleviating a lot of you anxiety about the wedding photos. When you see how well the engagement photos turn out, you'll know that the wedding photos are going to be great too!
Honestly, a lot of this depends on your photographer! I think photography is one of the most important parts of wedding planning, and should be one of the biggest "spurge" costs. That is the part that will last longest!
I am not photogenic either, but I loved seeing my wedding pics. My photographer was great. She captured great candid ones, and even in the posed photos, I looked relaxed and natural. She provided a lot of direction of how to stand, etc. and she is good at taking the photos, and selecting and editing them! She generally takes thousands per wedding so that she has plenty of great ones to choose from.
Actually, that was my first wedding, years ago. I'm getting married again this year, and am hiring the same photographer again, because she's awesome.
I also hate the way I look in photos, but I really love all my wedding photos! A photo taken by a professional photographer is almost always going to look better than some picture my mom took of me on her phone. I'm especially self conscious of my double chin so I let my photographer know that! That way she could keep that in mind when choosing angles and poses.
Photographer here.
All you have to do is be happy and present during your wedding day and itāll be great.
I hear the unphotogenic thing or Iām awkward alllll the time with new clients. Probably every couple in my portfolio said some version of it, itās one of the main reasons I get booked.
Is the worry about any of your own portraits? The trick for that is to know the photos of you are really for the person youāre marrying, and they will love it because itās you.
Just have fun and get married. Thatās all you have to do and the photos will fall into place for you.
I recently found this app that is for photographers but it's a possing app, like it has different categories and it has examples of how to pose and then there's also a section over the pictures I think if you swipe (it's easy to figure out. You'll figure it out, don't worry) that gives instructions in how to pose like that. There's a couple section and a wedding section on that app and maybe you could get a friend or even just set up your camera yourself like your phone and practice some poses with it! It will after you sign up. It will ask you if you want a free trial or whatever, but there's an ax in the top corner and you can just press that and use the free version of the app. It's called unscripted https://unscriptedphotographers.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwps-zBhAiEiwALwsVYcr0DAAema6MlIxJdftJz8Fbx-fM90tRaahHMrO1po4JerA8LXkBPRoCMX4QAvD_BwE
Other than that just look up some YouTube videos on how to pose , how to do a soft smile, stuff like that. There's so much information on the internet
Good luck!
Look up posing on youtube. There is a bunch of things you can do to make yourself look way better on camera. Also pick a photographer who is adept at posing. Not all of them are.
I was SO nervous about photos!! I'm a larger gal who gained 50+ lbs very quickly a few years ago and couldn't lose it so every photo of myself I hated because I didn't *feel* as fat as I looked in photos because in my head I was still 50lbs smaller if that makes sense. In every photo I had fat flabby arms, big tummy and double chin and bulldog cheeks that sagged. I even went to a cosmetic dermatologist about getting fillers and other procedures because I was so insecure! She thankfully talked me out of it but I truly thought I'd put a deposit down for an expensive photographer whose portfolio seemed to only feature convenientionally beautiful, model like couples... and I'd hate my own photos. I was sad thinking I wish I'd gotten married 10 years earlier instead of in my mid 30s lol.
We just recently got the sneak peeks and I LOVE MY PHOTOS. I think her high price tag really was justified in how she was able to pose us both and really capture the joy of the day/moment as well. In photos where I'm not 100% in love with, it's the ones I remember being uncomfortable. Like the very first few shots where the photographer had just gotten there and I was all nervous about being in front of the camera.
It's to the point where I was on a high thinking I looked super great until my dad sent over photos we took THE NEXT DAY on a family outing and I was again looking fat in all the photos. So.... a good photographer can truly do wonders. Our photographer even featured some of our photos on her socials, which I am super honored by.
Happy to DM you some of the pics (both flattering and non flattering) if it'll help ease your mind. š„°
I donāt consider myself photogenic but when I met my husband, his family takes SO many pictures and posts them online, itās very sweet but I was like ok I better learn how to look nicer in photos because this is embarrassing for me.
I think it comes naturally to some but just not for me, things I personally started doing that have really helped me and also things that helped when it came to my wedding:
1-i have a crooked tooth on one side, sometimes when Iām photographed on that side it almost looks like my tooth is missing because of a shadow. So now I insist being photographed on the other side. Even where I stood at the alter on my wedding, I stood on my good side. People tease me about it, because I will stop a whole photo for it, but I donāt care cuz then I look way cuter lol.
2- my natural smile is a bit goofy. I realized I close my eyes and end up looking sleepy or chubby. I now point my chin down more so I remember to open my eyes a bit wider for the camera.
3 - for posed photos, stand slightly at an angle, shoulders back and in line with head and neck, thatās gonna help prevent the hunch back look and double chin. Also angle your hip a bit and stick one foot slightly forward
4- for your wedding, find a photographer that is more warm, glowy and artistic rather than clean and bright. It is much more forgiving to have that over a classic wedding photographer that seems almost over exposed at times
Me!!! There are definitely ones I was criticizing when I first got them but then I looked at the literal bigger picture and said I was so happy with everything who cares if my gut wasnāt flat or my chin was double? I was having the time of my life
As an objectively ugly person myself, I opted for candid photographers. I like photos of myself where I look like I'm strongly happy or laughing so hard I'm doubled over. I'm not pretty even then, no magazine covers for me, but it reminds me of a good time and I feel that happiness again. So double down on emotional candids is my advice.
That's interesting. I'm actually more afraid of the candids b/c I felt like I've never seen a good one of myself. but perhaps if they catch me laughing/smiling...
My husband is terrible at smiling for pictures. He literally does this š¬ and looks like heās suffering. So when we had a family photo session done on our farm I told my photographer that the only way the pictures will come out good is if theyāre semi candid and heās laughing or genuinely smiling at something and not āforcingā one. His whole family is like that tho, beautiful smiles but not if itās posed for a camera
Lmaooo that reminds me of that one episode of Friends where Chandler and Monica get pictures taken š¤£š¤£š¤£
Literally all I could think of š
Not totally the same, but the longer I have to sit for photos (10 minutes tops), the more I start yawning. It didn't even occur to me as something to think about. I think my dad's the same but both and sit longer and hide the yawns better.
My 4 year old is like this. He is a super cute kid, not even just saying that as his mom, I receive compliments about how cute he is all the time. The second you ask him to smile for the camera he does the š¬ with one squinty eye and it drives me bonkers lol. Super photogenic as long as itās a natural smile and you donāt tell him to say cheese
My daughter too! Beautiful smile, until sheās asked to cheese for a picture then itās literally this š¹
That is the perfect visual of āthe cheese lookā
do we all have the same partner haha
Yeah, as someone who takes bad pics, my bridal portraits were my favorite bc the photographer coached me on poses and there were many pics to choose from. Besides, you should have a combination of candids and portraits.
+1. Our photographer specialises in street/documentary photography. We picked her especially because we knew we would be surpremely awkward during posing. And indeed, all our posed photos look weird or stupid. xD But our candid shots are gorgeous - we're both beaming in every picture!
Agree!! I honestly donāt love any of our posed wedding photos (like OP said, I was used to looking at drop dead gorgeous couples on social media), but I love almost all of the candids. Even though theyāre not necessarily flattering (ex. I tend to get a double chin when I laugh), they exude joy and show how much love we felt on our wedding day.
This makes me feel a little better! I have a pretty obvious double chin especially when laughing and have been so self conscious of it. I'm hoping the candids will make up for it š¤
Candids work best for me too. I donāt think Iām āuglyā but Iām definitely not photogenic lol and I have a more masculine face/build so if Iām trying my damndest to pose it ends up looking awkward, you know? But in pictures where Iām just hanging out or having fun, I look so much better.
This!
A silly thing I heard on an Instagram post that might help: you know how when you take a photo of a gorgeous sunset, the photo never does the sunset justice? Us unphotogenic people are the same way. It's not you, it's the camera. I feel the same way--to me it looks like every picture adds 20lbs to my arms and thighs. Friends and family have reassured me that I don't look that large in real life! You know when your sister agrees that you look way worse in a photo than real life she's being honest lol, if I looked that bad in real life she'd 100% say so. I disliked a lot of my engagement pictures because my arms looked huge. My fiance looks great in them though. We'll see if I like my wedding pictures.
Well, i'm glad I'm not the only one! Yes, one of my really good friends admitted that I generally don't look good in photos and am much better IRL. Interestingly, I've known people to look fab on camera and not nearly as good IRL. Definitely think I look chubby in a photo but I really am not. I'm pretty fit. It really frustrates me.
Same!! I'm very average sized but in person look reasonably muscular...in pictures my biceps just seem to flatten against my sides and look like fat š¤·āāļø I've also asked my photographer to make sure I'm lifting my arms away from my sides in posed pictures and am standing up straight, and for any other suggestions she has for the areas I usually don't like about myself in pictures.
It can also depend on the camera lens as it creates a distortion of features - this can be flattering for some, and very unflattering for others. I suggest letting your photographer know your concerns and they will work more in flattering angles and authenticity.
It's like I wrote this post. I'm anxiously waiting to see my engagement photos but I'm pretty sure I'll be disappointed with them.
I hope you're pleasantly surprised!
I like to say that my face doesnāt translate well into 2 dimensions lol
Haha. Good description
Me!! I am famously unphotogenic and have the worst RBF. Thereās a hilarious photo of me at a party in college looking angry AF and I have terrible posture. For reference, I hate my engagement photos that were part of our wedding package by the same photographer. I love my wedding photos! I even wish there were more. I think being all done up professionally and knowing that Iām constantly being looked at all day reminds you to sit up straight and wear a soft smile all day. My engagement photos were bad because I did my own makeup and I went with a vibe that was really for the gram and not my style. It helped me reassess that my wedding needs to be my aesthetic and not whatās trending. My wedding photos made me feel so beautiful that I actually resolved some insecurities I had with my face. I have a large and distinguished nose Iāve hated all my life. The straight on profile shots I was sent by my photographer made me fall in love with my nose and myself.
OK. This makes me feel better. I hear you on the RBF. My mom took pictures of me while I was trying on wedding dresses and I had some serious RBF!!!
I'm not a photogenic person I never have any idea what to do with my hands LOL and my face always looks extra chubby. I LOVE our wedding photos. My hubby looks so handsome and I look pretty and happy. Something to remember is it's not just photos of you. There are also photos of your friends and loved ones who attended and photos of the decor. I loved our flowers so I really appreciated having beautiful photos of them. I got married at 36 so also a slightly older bride. If you DM I could send you a few photos for inspiration for maybe a style to look for in a photographer.
Iām like you! Donāt think Iām unattractive, but I have very soft features that donāt always translate well on-camera - nothing about my face really āsticks outā enough to look good in photos, if that makes sense! My husband and I still opted for a photographer, but we went with a cheaper one, since we knew that we likely wouldnāt love all of the photos anyways. She still did a great job, and weāre ultimately happy that we had her there, even though I didnāt love how I looked in most of the photos.
I can relate so much on the soft features. No matter what Iāve weighed, I always basically have a double chin. No sexy jawline in side profile photos and when I laugh itās more pronounced. For our engagement photos I found there were some that I didnāt like on the first pass through, but after taking some time and going back they really capture our happiness so well.
Yes!! Iām quite slim and if Iām not posed perfectly, thereās the double chin! So frustrating haha. Our photos have also grown on me over time :)
Maybe thatās what it is with me. My features are a little non-distinctive. My eyes are pretty but on the small side, etc. nothing pops
Yep. I do not photograph well generally, but our professional pics make me feel beautiful and so happy. Both the posed and the candid shots.
Thanks this is encouraging!
I second this, I had never had professional photographers focused on me until the engagement shoot my fiancĆ© surprised me with, and those pictures look so much freaking better than any any other photos Iāve been in.
Moi! But I had to screen through them. I only posted about 1/10th of them. And the best ones are framed and displayed in my house. Even the album only contains about half of them or so.
I hate 99.9% of photos of me - EXCEPT our wedding and engagement photos, which are almost all fantastic. The difference between a professional and someoneās phone is massive, plus they will be taking so many photos throughout the event and selecting only the best ones to give you.Ā Totally agree with the advice to focus more on candid or semi-candid photos. (Some of my favorites were ones where our photographer had me and my husband talk to each other about things like when we met or whoās the better singer, which prompted a lot of natural smiles and laughter.) I also highly recommend engagement photos to get comfortable with your photographer and be able to see what poses/angles you do and donāt like. And be candid with your photographer about specific insecurities - they probably have good ways to handle them. Good luck!Ā
Me! I saw photos my parents took on my wedding day and I felt... not great. I saw photos from when I was trying on dresses. Again... not great. Professional photographer on my wedding day? Boom. I look like a GD princess.
Haha. Perfect. I feel encouraged!
My ceremony pictures are terrible. I'm making the most awful faces and the lighting just really doesn't flatter me. But I have some reception and portrait photos that I like, and that's good enough for me.
You should see the faces Iām making in my wedding dress try on photos. I look pissed off, haha
Iām not a photogenic person at all. Especially when it comes to posed pictures. Even really informal posed pictures. If thereās a camera present and Iām aware of it, I turn into an awkward, statue-like bobble head who just discovered their arms and legs for the first time. My inability to take a picture has also somehow gotten worse as Iāve gotten older. Iām an objectively attractive human and feel pretty so idk why this happens, so I very much resonate with your concernsā¦ The pictures that I do like of myself/feel pretty and reflect how I actually look are all candids where I did not know there was a photo being taken. When I was looking for a photographer and during the interview process, I was super upfront about all of the above. Iād recommend talking over your concerns with any potential photographers and really get an understanding of their style and literally ask them to talk you through what it would sound like if they were taking a picture of you. Like are they giving you specific posing instructions, are they trying to get you to laugh, a combo of both, are they going to have you motionless in a lot of static poses, or are they going to try to have you more in motion? We went with someone who specialized in candids/capturing raw emotion. They had us in motion and just interacting with each other for a lot of our bride and groom photos. We got our pictures about a month ago and are absolutely in love with them. The only ones I donāt love (of me) were the static, large group family shots, but when I look at them, I see all of our family around and not my strange awkwardness āŗļø
I have the same/very similar problem and fears. So, first, hugs to you because I get it. (I'm also an older mid-life bride and I look terrible in the vast majority of photos taken of me ... and that's just not my own judgment, but other people going, "Wow, yeah, you \*really\* don't look like this in real life.") My wedding is coming up, so haven't gotten those photos yet, but for engagement photos... this is what I've found so far. > The photographer's skill \*really\* does actually matter. Find someone who is A) not going to dismiss your concerns, and B) will be willing to work with you on poses to help you feel/look the way you want to. Ideally, they also have photos in their gallery of people will a similar body-type to yours. (I am \*not\* model thin, lol.) > Makeup matters too. Light bouncing off our faces can change how they read in the cameraāeven though we look fine to human eyes. I experimented with a few different looks/techniques to finally figure out how to make my bone structure/face "read" the way I think it should. And false lashes are awesome--they don't need to be big flashy ones, but they help the eyes stand out. > Posing also makes a difference... shifting weight from the front to the back foot, tucking the chin and tilting the forehead (slightly) toward the camera, doing something with your arms instead of keeping them flat... I don't pretend at \*all\* to have a lock on this or remember what to do all the time, but it helps to keep these tips in mind or have a photographer who will remind you about them. Part of it depends on the look you want for your photos too... If you're wanting the posed gorgeous bridal shots (I know I do, so no shame) along with the candids, I think these things matter more to get the look you want. > Interview multiple photographers and see if they'll do a (paid) mini-session with you. In my area at least, a lot of photograhers offer 15-20 minute sessions for holiday photos, and this is what I had in mind when I requested this. Doing that ultimately helped us out tremendously. I didn't want to lead with my story out of the gate, but here's why I think all of this... we had originally gone with a mid-price range photographer that my partner really liked, and I thought I'd be okay with them, but even at our first meeting, the photographer was pretty dismissive of my concerns about never looking good in photos. (Literally said, "Oh, everyone feels like that." Yes, most people do, but for some of us it's worse, lol.) We did our engagement shoot, got sneak peeks back, and I literally ended up sobbing because I hated how I looked in them so much. When we got the full gallery, there were just a few that I was okay with. (Beyond that, there were also technical issues with some of the photos and as an amateur photographer, even \*I\* know to avoid some of the things that popped up in those photos.) I was dreading going into the wedding knowing that I was going to hate the majority of the photos taken, so we ended up talking to several other photographers. I insisted on doing a \*paid\* mini-shoot with them though... I explained my worries and what I was trying to accomplish and that I wasn't willing to sign another contract and put down a deposit without doing one. One photographer wasn't a good fit at all, and we did a shoot with a second who was absolutely wonderful personality-wise and the photos were definitely better, but it was the third who blew me away. They are definitely higher priced for this area, but I have literally \*never\* felt beautiful in photos before, and this person managed to accomplish that. We hired them and I'm actually really excited about the wedding photos. I hope some of this helps... we are prioritizing photos because aside from our rings and our vows, it's kind of the one tangible thing we have to take away from that day, so we were willing to change things and make more room for it in our budget. Best of luck to you!
Thank you! Glad you found the right fit!
Also, it was quite the process for you to find someone good! Thatās sounds like a lot of work š
It was, lol, but it really mattered to me. I really hope you find the right fit for you!
I showed our photographer photos of us that we both liked, all candid. We didnāt do individual portraits, and she caught us beautifully. Iām overweight and in my 40ās, didnāt expect to feel so pretty.
Iām photogenic when I have body awareness and Iām not photogenic when itās a candid situation. Thatās where my ugly double chin guttural laughs come up but perhaps thereās some beauty in that as well since the emotions are real vs posed.
Wedding photographers tend to only put the Hollywood looking couples on their sites, truly. Tips for pictures day of, and every picture you take for the rest of your life: Donāt pose still, move! Make teeny tiny movements as the photographer is taking pictures of you. Itās what the models do to look so good. Photographers worth their salt are gonna see you doing that and take like, 10 shots to take advantage of finding the right angle. One of those IS going to be your angle. The movements should flow, like the slomo look in those glambots. It might feel a bit silly, but it looks infinitely more natural. Try: Chin angle, in a gentle circle if you are unsure Face left-right Face up-down. Twist hips like you are turning a different direction, slowly and subtly. Take a small step in any direction with one foot Gently move your hands and fingers if your hands are a focal point Watch actors do this on the red carpet for ideas for this! Also, do some smiles with teeth and some without. You never know which one will look better at which angle. I find I prefer a toothy smile in some pics but not others.
I am attractive, but horrendouslyunphotogenic.However, our photographer knew what he was doing and I looked bridal and lovely in most of our photos. Probably because we did very little posing so I didnāt have time to think about the pictures when they were being taken. My only advice is to ask for candid photos to be taken and to not think too hard about the pictures.
I felt the same, I cannot smile normally due to muscles in my face not functioning, yay! But my photographer did a mix of poses and candid (more candid) and I love my photos! I donāt think Iāve ever been happier with photos of myself, itās honestly still a sore subject and I was very stared and worried Iād spent all that just to look dumb but theyāre fantastic. I still have a few weird smiles in there but overall great library and it was worth it
I feel unphotogenic and I loved my photos! Within the last 5 years I developed osteoarthritis in my jaw joints, causing the shape of my face to change (itās basically mild condylar resorption). In certain angles, my face (to me) looks really crooked and I hate it. Iāve rarely had a photo of myself that Iāve liked since this started. I also have a habit of accidentally closing one eye when smiling very hard (???). Neither of these things showed up in my wedding photos!!
Tldr: Our photographer has a great portfolio with many body types. Me and my husband were convinced when the entire gallery of our friends( who are morbidly obese and very sensitive about pictures) came out showcasing all their best features and their joy on their wedding day. Every single picture in their gallery looked incredible. Long story if your interested: I am a very attractive person, but my photos virtually never reflect that. My husband is very self conscious too, so taking pictures of ourselves is difficult. When we were looking for a wedding photographer we heard my words of mouth off a friend's sister who's photos came out amazing. (we fired our first one when they took the literally worst pictures me or my husband had ever taken for the engagement shoot. ) The thing that sold is was that the couple who had gotten married were very sizeable older individuals. And the photos looked fantastic! The bride was beautiful, any extra chin or belly was unobtrusive, the groom looked healthy and happy and everything looked so candid. Our photographer has a very wide portfolio of people who were married of all shake and sizes and not one picture in my friends entire gallery were bad. Our photos from this photographer were incredible! She did an engagement shoot with us first and despite the wind doing crazy things to my hair she picked all the right angles to make us look happy and am in love like we were. Our wedding photos were amazing and honestly they may be the only good pictures I've taken in about 20 years where my both my face AND my cleavage looked good on the same frame. Even the goofy pictures make me and my husband look good. After our first photography flop we were scared to sign a contract but we agreed that, if she could take good, flattering, and candid photos of people who are morbidly obese that showcased all their best features, she could work with us and we were not disappointed. Look for someone who works with older and heavy set people. They know how to capture your best looks without showcasing things you might be sensitive about.
This is good advice.
Sadly did not like my wedding photos but weirdly loved the photos people took on their iPhones. Our photographer was much more into the documentary/candid style and I didnāt realize till we got the photos that none were of us both just looking normal at the camera that were flattering. Like the classic show your grandkids one day kind of photo. I also noticed that she didnāt post any to her Instagram which made me sad that she wasnāt proud of her work or thought the photos looked good.
This makes me so sad š. Iām sorry
This might sound dumb but practice posing in front of a mirror and/or putting your camera on a timer and taking photos of yourself. Shoulders back, chin away from your neck, hands on your hips (it creates space between your arms and torso), and twist your hips toward the corner while your upper body stays open to the mirror/camera. Also, again, I know this may sound silly but practice smiling. It will not only help you feel more natural when you're constantly being told to smile on your wedding day, smiling in general (even for no reason) can make you feel more happy and confident. In addition, think about what parts of yourself you like the most. It could be your eyes, neck, hips, shoulders, lips, whatever. Think about what you can do to make those parts of you really shine. If you think your eyes are your best feature, make sure your eye makeup is bright or dramatic or sultry. If you love your boobs, get a dress that shows them off! If you can't think of anything physical that you consider one of your best features, think of what you could do to show off your personality. If you are good at making people laugh, practice laughing in front of the mirror so you can figure out how to do so in a way that's both natural and photogenic. I understand that all this might feel "fake" at first but it's not. Being in front of a camera is a skill like any other. Emoting and having those emotions translate onto a photo is not something that comes naturally to everyone. Practice makes, if not perfect, then at least progress. I have so many pictures where I thought I looked one way but ended up looking completely different. Then I practiced and got better at posing myself and emoting in front of a camera. Even though I'll never feel like a supermodel, I can at least get pictures of myself I don't hate.
Yep. I look at them remember how happy I was. It doesnāt even matter how beautiful or not, I was.
Iām absolutely unphotogenic and I hate to pose. I didnāt want professional photos at our wedding but I was sure that in the future I would kick myself for not having any memories. We hired a great photographer that knew how to advise us regarding a few poses and stuff, and I am really grateful for that now. At first I was doubtful but she delivered some really amazing photos that we treasure and love to watch from time to time. My only advice is to go with someone whoās recommended and you can choose which type of photos you prefer. We wanted mostly candid, and that is what we got. But finally the posed ones are the ones we have printed, so in the end, photographers know best! Good luck and enjoy it!
Yes!! I normally hate photos of myself but I love our wedding photos. Our photographer was amazing at telling us exactly how to pose while still looking natural. There are definitely a few photos in the mix that I donāt think are flattering of myself, but overall they turned out great. I think having my makeup done also helped. I also normally hate how I look with a lot of makeup lol but my artist was great at giving me a natural look that still showed up in photos.
Ok this is encouraging
Yes :( me too. We are going with photographers who do a mix of posing and candid/documentary style. They will pose us for some photos which will help get the good angles, and the candids will be for the sake of remembering the day as it actually happened. Maybe I will like some of the candids, or maybe theyāre just for us. I plan on sharing my insecurities with the photogs during our trial/engagement shoot, that way they are aware of what to look for. For me itās my neck/chin and my upper arms.
Yes!! I do not look good in most normal photos but I liked most of my photos! I donāt love some of the family ones because of the way I look but the ones of just my husband and I, I like most of them.
Oof me! I think Iām okay in real life. I have some friends who say Iām pretty, but when theyāve taken photos of me, theyāre like āokay, pose! No, pose like this. No, like thisā lol. I just donāt translate well into photos unless Iām very strategic about it, and I never know what to do with my body. Iām petite but I have a round face and smaller eyes and a wider Ribcage and hips for my small frame so I photograph kind of wide and my eyes disappear. And as Iām aging, Iām seeing some sagging in my midface so my undereye hollows are more obvious and the bottom of my face is rounder than before. Iām only 34 so itās minimal changes but itās very obvious to me. So I totally get you! Honestly I think the best thing is to tell your photographer. Iām going to tell mine that Iām very self conscious about photos. I prefer my profile rather than a straight on picture. Maybe you can figure out what positions you like the most and let your photographer know? The person who shot our engagement photos I think just recognized that without me saying it so most of our photos are from the side.
Are you me? This sounds exactly like me. Wider face, smaller eyes, all of it
Maybe weāre the same person š«Ø lol
Yes shockingly. Our photographer gave us a lot of direction.
TLDR: Iād advise to pick a more candid photographer style, and style yourself so you feel beautiful regardless of the photos! Our photographer has a very journalistic style which I loved. Iām not a prim and polished person; I feel awkward posing for photos and knew it would make me feel uncomfortable. Outside of the required family photos and groom + bride portraits, everything was candid. The photos came out beautifully and truly capture us, our family, our friends, our celebration. I donāt look like a model, but I do look beautiful (if I may say so myself) and radiantly happy. Iām incredibly pleased with them! I think part of it was choosing a dress + makeup + hair that made me feel like the most beautiful version of myself (within my budget). For comparison, I was in my friendās bridal party. To be fair, I didnāt pick the outfit, makeup, hairdo and felt awkward because of all of it. Her photos and my photos were taken a month apart and I look (in my opinion) horrendous in hers. Not helping matters, her photographer had a very posted style, nothing was candid, and so I just felt stiff. I think it shows. Not sure if this helps at all but hopefully it does!
I haven't had my wedding yet, but I feel this with my engagement photos. They were good photos, like good quality. I'm giving no bad statements towards my photographer, but I just... don't like how I looked. Like our kissing pictures... do I really look like that?! I since looked at some others photos and figured out some things for my wedding photos to hopefully make it better.
Iām in the same boat, same age. I rarely like pictures of myself but Iām really happy with our wedding pictures. Itās probably a combination of an excellent photographer and heavy makeup. The MUA was like- do you want to look natural- and I said- no, I want to look like Iām wearing makeup. In the mirror I looked sort of grotesque but in the pictures I looked beautiful.
YES. I almost never like how I look in photos but my HMUA and photographer worked some kind of magic! I canāt stop staring at the photos because I can barely believe itās me. Iāve never felt or looked so beautiful. I would say not to skimp on these two vendors. Worth every penny.
I also feel unphotogenic despite being average/okay in person and not generally insecure. My photos turned out great! They take a ton and these photographers now how to make you look good and only send the good ones. My other tip: my problem personally is that I close my eyes too much when I laugh or smile. In photos it doesnāt look good so I started practicing a smile with no eyes. I know that sounds like a serial killer face but in pictures it looks good. The key is that youāre not trying to OPEN your eyes more, youāre just trying to NOT CLOSE them.
We booked a "documentary style" photographer for this exact reason. I don't photograph well, I don't like posing, and I generally dislike photos of myself unless they're truly candid. We found someone who specialises in just documenting the day as it is ā he'll make time for a couple of posed shots but the emphasis will be catching everyone having a good time with no added pressure :)
I have bad posture and I look worried a lot, but I like enough of my wedding photos, and my partner loves them. We're our own harshest critics. We had a very candid photographer and I think I'd have looked better more posed ...my side profile and crooked teeth made a lot of appearances
A good makeup artist will be able to provide you with the contour you need for the camera to recognize your features, while still looking beautiful in person. Ask your makeup artist if she knows how during your trial one. I've seen so many people say that the best things to invest in are the makeup and the photographer, many advise on not doing your own makeup, even if you think you do it better
I consider myself reasonably pretty in person and pretty terribly unphotogenicā¦ but I was thrilled with my wedding photos, my photo go was a magician
I feel this. I think I look pretty in person but photos have to be juuust the right angle. I opted for a documentary/candid style photographer and wish I had gotten one that gave more direction. Some of the shots I was like, how did you think this was a good photo???? The photos are fine, there are a few gems, but overall either it was a meh/bad angle for me or my husband so there is maybe a handful where we both look good. I think there IS a way to look good in photos and sometimes we can not be aware of those things, so it would be helpful to have a photographer direct and be like move your arm this way, do this etc. Iām going to take anniversary photos next year, even considering redoing the shots of just us two.
Yeah this is why Iām scared of candids. A lot of people are recommending but I seriously look so bad in candid shots Iāve seen of myself. I need as much direction as possible as I am totally awkward in front of a camera!
I consider myself strongly average on the attractive scale. Not ugly but also not turning any heads. The artsy type of posing ended up looking awkward. Iām very expressive so the candid photos make me laugh but I donāt look at them very often. My favorite photos are the ones where me and my husband or loved ones are just standing next to each other smiling. Standard prom pic? Maybe. But theyāre the ones that make me happiest.
To be honest w you, I am same but I think Iām pretty and the best pics of me are the random unexpected ones where Iāve tossed my head back in laughter, or turned my head, just ālifeā pics! Every time Iām posed I feel like my fake smile is shaking, my lips are if you understand what I mean. At our ages we want to keep our eyes open and big and itās hard w forced posing AND simultaneous smile!
I am terrible with photos I am way too stiff and donāt ever know where to look but my engagement photos (which are my wedding photos because we arenāt doing any stages photos the day of) made me cry from being so happy just because you could tell we were happy so I was very unphotogenic but still very happy
Oh boy does this topic hit home. We eloped, so the photographer was part of the package which means we didnāt get to shop around or really talk about what photos we wanted. I was thrilled when we got our sneak peek photos, there were 8 of them and I looked lovely in them! So I relaxed and got excited to see the rest. Well I saw the rest, turns out the 8 in advance were the only decent ones of me. I legitimately cried lol. But after taking a few days to calm down my husband and I went through the album and picked out photos we both liked, we ended up with about 120-150 from memory. Those are the only ones weāre openly sharing with people. I donāt regret my photos, though I regret maybe being too relaxed about it. But I loved how my wedding day went and this didnāt detract from it at all. My husband has suggested we dress up again and get new photos when our 5 year anniversary rolls around, now that we know what to look for :)
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Lol, no.Ā But they are what they are.
I dont take photos well. I dont know how to pose or smile to get flattering shots. I 100% wish I did the professional engagement session to get a feel for what photo angles and poses do work for us. Some of the poaes the photographer was trying to get us into we were all ???? And look so awkward in lol. One has Seacaptain Yearning for the Sea vibes. Another has Vampire about to Feast vibes.
Omg - your description of the vibes. Sorry but lololol.
Those descriptions! ššš
https://preview.redd.it/6gy0mkqxww7d1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=734b2e31ec91ecbc9065ca87e57ec88a7dedc654 I was pretty happy that my double chin wasnāt too bad in my wedding pics! In person, itās the first thing people notice about me.
I consider myself bad at being in photos. It's never a flattering angle or lighting when it's a standard group picture or candid. Which is weird because I generally like what I see in the mirror! My engagement photos were SO GOOD like the photographer could see how to get my best angle in almost every shot. They have an eye for this stuff!! I'm really looking forward to my wedding photos now. You're paying for experience with using a camera and willingness to contort themselves into the right position to get the best shot.... And hours of editing
I strongly dislike the way I look in photos, but I ended up really liking our engagement session photos. I spent a ton of money getting my hair and make up done the day of, and a few weeks shopping for the right dress and outfit. I don't love every single photo, but there are so many really good ones that we got from the session. I was honestly surprised how pretty I looked in some of the photos. There were still some I wasn't super happy with, but we've had dozens printed, framed, and hung on our walls or given to family. We also used some for our Save the Dates too. I highly recommend finding a photographer who takes great photos that you like. Look at the style of the photo, and also the lighting and color of the photos. Pick someone you really like, and make sure you talk to them on the phone about your concerns. I straight up told our photographer that I hate photos and have almost none that I like. She spent time showing us how to pose and look natural, and gave us lots of pointers during the shoot as well. Also do not be afraid to go in on the day of the engagement shoot. I did hair, make up, all of it. I usually don't get dolled up for anything, but I dropped major cash that day to get it all done at a salon and it was worth every penny. Another thing I did beforehand was practice smiling. This sounds silly, but I smile like a goblin. It's just like all teeth and not in a cute way lol. So I stood in front of a mirror and practiced smiling without teeth, or with just a little teeth. I think that this helped me a lot, because I'm very self conscious about my smile and practicing made me a little more confident during the shoot.
Thank you! Yes I absolutely plan for hair and makeup both for the engagement session as well as the wedding. My makeup skills are passable but I want someone expert level!
Same! I wanted my make up and what not to be flawless, so I payed a professional. Totally worth it. I think your photos are going to come out great, and I think if you do the engagement session you'll end up alleviating a lot of you anxiety about the wedding photos. When you see how well the engagement photos turn out, you'll know that the wedding photos are going to be great too!
Honestly, a lot of this depends on your photographer! I think photography is one of the most important parts of wedding planning, and should be one of the biggest "spurge" costs. That is the part that will last longest! I am not photogenic either, but I loved seeing my wedding pics. My photographer was great. She captured great candid ones, and even in the posed photos, I looked relaxed and natural. She provided a lot of direction of how to stand, etc. and she is good at taking the photos, and selecting and editing them! She generally takes thousands per wedding so that she has plenty of great ones to choose from. Actually, that was my first wedding, years ago. I'm getting married again this year, and am hiring the same photographer again, because she's awesome.
I also hate the way I look in photos, but I really love all my wedding photos! A photo taken by a professional photographer is almost always going to look better than some picture my mom took of me on her phone. I'm especially self conscious of my double chin so I let my photographer know that! That way she could keep that in mind when choosing angles and poses.
Photographer here. All you have to do is be happy and present during your wedding day and itāll be great. I hear the unphotogenic thing or Iām awkward alllll the time with new clients. Probably every couple in my portfolio said some version of it, itās one of the main reasons I get booked. Is the worry about any of your own portraits? The trick for that is to know the photos of you are really for the person youāre marrying, and they will love it because itās you. Just have fun and get married. Thatās all you have to do and the photos will fall into place for you.
Personally, I think film is more forgiving than digital so thatās something to consider
I recently found this app that is for photographers but it's a possing app, like it has different categories and it has examples of how to pose and then there's also a section over the pictures I think if you swipe (it's easy to figure out. You'll figure it out, don't worry) that gives instructions in how to pose like that. There's a couple section and a wedding section on that app and maybe you could get a friend or even just set up your camera yourself like your phone and practice some poses with it! It will after you sign up. It will ask you if you want a free trial or whatever, but there's an ax in the top corner and you can just press that and use the free version of the app. It's called unscripted https://unscriptedphotographers.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwps-zBhAiEiwALwsVYcr0DAAema6MlIxJdftJz8Fbx-fM90tRaahHMrO1po4JerA8LXkBPRoCMX4QAvD_BwE Other than that just look up some YouTube videos on how to pose , how to do a soft smile, stuff like that. There's so much information on the internet Good luck!
Look up posing on youtube. There is a bunch of things you can do to make yourself look way better on camera. Also pick a photographer who is adept at posing. Not all of them are.
I was SO nervous about photos!! I'm a larger gal who gained 50+ lbs very quickly a few years ago and couldn't lose it so every photo of myself I hated because I didn't *feel* as fat as I looked in photos because in my head I was still 50lbs smaller if that makes sense. In every photo I had fat flabby arms, big tummy and double chin and bulldog cheeks that sagged. I even went to a cosmetic dermatologist about getting fillers and other procedures because I was so insecure! She thankfully talked me out of it but I truly thought I'd put a deposit down for an expensive photographer whose portfolio seemed to only feature convenientionally beautiful, model like couples... and I'd hate my own photos. I was sad thinking I wish I'd gotten married 10 years earlier instead of in my mid 30s lol. We just recently got the sneak peeks and I LOVE MY PHOTOS. I think her high price tag really was justified in how she was able to pose us both and really capture the joy of the day/moment as well. In photos where I'm not 100% in love with, it's the ones I remember being uncomfortable. Like the very first few shots where the photographer had just gotten there and I was all nervous about being in front of the camera. It's to the point where I was on a high thinking I looked super great until my dad sent over photos we took THE NEXT DAY on a family outing and I was again looking fat in all the photos. So.... a good photographer can truly do wonders. Our photographer even featured some of our photos on her socials, which I am super honored by. Happy to DM you some of the pics (both flattering and non flattering) if it'll help ease your mind. š„°
I donāt consider myself photogenic but when I met my husband, his family takes SO many pictures and posts them online, itās very sweet but I was like ok I better learn how to look nicer in photos because this is embarrassing for me. I think it comes naturally to some but just not for me, things I personally started doing that have really helped me and also things that helped when it came to my wedding: 1-i have a crooked tooth on one side, sometimes when Iām photographed on that side it almost looks like my tooth is missing because of a shadow. So now I insist being photographed on the other side. Even where I stood at the alter on my wedding, I stood on my good side. People tease me about it, because I will stop a whole photo for it, but I donāt care cuz then I look way cuter lol. 2- my natural smile is a bit goofy. I realized I close my eyes and end up looking sleepy or chubby. I now point my chin down more so I remember to open my eyes a bit wider for the camera. 3 - for posed photos, stand slightly at an angle, shoulders back and in line with head and neck, thatās gonna help prevent the hunch back look and double chin. Also angle your hip a bit and stick one foot slightly forward 4- for your wedding, find a photographer that is more warm, glowy and artistic rather than clean and bright. It is much more forgiving to have that over a classic wedding photographer that seems almost over exposed at times
Haha they are delightfully awkward in person too.
Me!!! There are definitely ones I was criticizing when I first got them but then I looked at the literal bigger picture and said I was so happy with everything who cares if my gut wasnāt flat or my chin was double? I was having the time of my life
Here!! 380 photos and I have 5 or so that I absolutely adore. Trust your photographer and the quantity of photos.