Whether it’s a formal fashion-shoot or a quick selfie with your friends, there are a few easy-to-follow rules professional models use to ensure the resulting photo emphasizes their strengths and masks any weaknesses. Follow the rules below to make the most of your look in photographs.

Bend the knee

Straight, locked knees in a photo look uncomfortable. The pose must look relaxed. Instead of standing with straight legs, bend one leg and shift the weight of your body to the other leg. Make sure the bend in the leg faces the same direction as the foot is pointing (which should be slightly outward). Another similar method is to simply cross your legs at the ankles (again placing the weight on the back foot).

Place the hair for best effect

Hair position is often given little attention when taking selfies but bad hair is the first thing people notice in a photo. Most importantly, make sure the hair is not sitting on your shoulders. Hair should be in front, behind, or tied up. It’s also okay to put one side in back and the other in front.

Camera angle from above

Never shoot the picture from below. The camera should always be at eye level or higher.

Head high, chin forward

It is important to maintain proper posture while being photographed. This means standing up straight. You should pretend you are stretching the top of your head as close to the ceiling as possible. At the same time, move the chin (or think “ears”) forward to mask the loose skin underneath the chin.

Turn the shoulders

It’s common nature to face the camera straight on but this makes a person look bigger than they really are. Instead, turn one shoulder slightly toward the camera to better slim and shape the profile of your face.

Lift the arm

It’s only natural to stand with your hands and arms at your side. However, this pose looks awkward in photographs. Instead, lift the arm an inch out so it’s “floating” and not pressed against the side of your body. The same effect can be achieved by placing a hand on the hip so the arm is naturally pulled away from the body.

Watch the nose in sideways photos

Make sure you don’t turn the head too far sideways in profile shots. If you hide the opposite cheek, the nose extends in front of the face making it appear larger than it truly is. Turn the head slightly toward the camera so a sliver of the opposite cheek is visible.

Space between the waist

The lower back should be arched. Here’s an easy way to envision it - if standing against a wall, there should be enough space between the lower back and the wall that you can pass your entire arm through it.

Eyes forward

You want to capture as much of the eye's iris as possible. A look to the side is okay but the amount of “white” in the eyes should be controlled by reducing the sideways look so more of the iris shows in the photo.