We’re all for sharing the tricks of the trade, from Kourt’s secret to shiny hair to the beauty hacks the Kardashians/Jenners swear by—we’re here for spreading the insider knowledge. To add to the list of professional tips, we tapped celebrity photographer (and friend of the family), Mike Rosenthal, to dish on how to look taller in photos. Because the more you know, right? Not to mention, the holiday season equals family and friend reunions galore, which we all know also means the photo opps will be popping.
Apps and tuning aside, there are ways to fudge the appearance of your height and fool the eye to make your stems look a couple of inches longer than they really are. Below, Rosenthal explains three ways to look lengthier in your next Instagram shot.
“There are a few easy tricks to looking taller in a photo. The first is posture. If you are slouching, you usually won’t appear as tall as if you’re a bit more upright. Not a hard rule, but more of a guideline.
The second is the camera angle. In the old western movies (and even in movies today), the hero is shot with the camera a bit lower, so we (the viewers) have to look up at them. Play with putting the camera a tad lower. Just keep in mind that if the camera is lower, you may have to drop your chin a bit to avoid viewers looking up your nose.
The third is also a trick from old western movies—pay attention to your surroundings. If you’re standing next to smaller things or people, you’ll appear bigger. If you’re next to or in front of something large, you’ll look smaller.
So if you want to look tall, stand up straight, next to your shorter friends, and put the camera down low.”
Duly noted, Mike.
Our editor, Michelle Scanga, also has a handful of tips she swears by. “I consider myself to be on the shorter side, hitting around 5’4″ (without heels), but with the below tricks, I always appear taller in photos.
-Like Mike mentioned, stand up straight and then what I do is extend one leg out to the side a bit no matter if I’m standing or sitting. This elongates your figure by making your legs look longer. Also, try to keep your arms down as opposed to putting them on your hips.
-When in doubt, opt for high-rise slim pants. Cropped jeans and trousers tend to cut off your frame and can sometimes look unflattering in photos.
-The last ‘photogenic’ trick I always try to keep in mind when I’m taking pictures is to pull my shoulders back (almost to the point where it feels uncomfortable but still looks natural) and then slightly arch my lower back to ensure my torso and the upper half of my body are completely extended and stretched to their fullest.”
Shop the pieces Michelle wears to look a solid three (or more) inches taller below.