it can be specific to body features common with being trans or just general photography technique in general, no matter how basic. example photos are ok, but we do not demand them. just thinking this would be a helpful thread to have !!
a tip of ours (for those femme-leaning at least):
having the camera from a more top-down perspective seems to make the jawline look a little nicer. this is true of most others in that they look skinnier, but it especially seems to bring out the femme look in our experience.
Only take photos on days that you feel good, otherwise the photos will look like shit.
Take 100 pics and delete the worst 99.
Its the digital photography secret. Digital pictures are free! Take as many as you can. Keep the one that is right.
use your hands and pose up. standing like a brick makes ya look like a brick, have some fun with it!
if you can’t get a shot that your smile looks real try a few with different expressions, and come back to the smile. take a few pics to try and capture it, smiles can be hard to get right
I used to always do a forced smile for pictures. Dysphoria made it impossible to smile genuinely. Though I’m fine now, the forced smile is a difficult habit to break. Thanks for the advice I think it will help!
Try in different light sources, especially when wearing makeup.
Especially with LEDs these days which generate very specific wavelengths of light rather than wider spectrums that incandescent bulbs emit, artificial lighting often changes your look. So if you can, try some natural lighting, or use a light source that has both cool and warm LEDs as opposed to one that has just neutral LEDs.
You’ll find different color light sources bring out different colors on your face and cell phones try to correct for that, but most don’t do a good job and end up making it worse by overemphasizing certain shades, IMHO.
Also, a tone of people take selfies in the car. Good lighting, good angles etc. So replicating those conditions might be a thing?
Only experience is for myself, transfemme:
Try both sides of your face. I have found that on a day to day basis my “good side” tends to change.
Also I was always annoyed, that I liked my reflection more than the photos I took until I added a depth of field effect while taking the shot.
Try out different light! Weather I like a pic of me can vastly change depending on light source, intensity and angle.
Definitely hoping to see some helpful advice. Never knew why i HATED photos of me until my egg cracked, so i have very little experience in this area. But now that i actually like pictures of me, its a detriment
I hated photos but the only times I did that was with these kind of angle. Funny walking egg that I was (ᵕ—ᴗ—)






