This article is part of Science of People’s “Optimizing Your Photos” Series. Other articles in this series you might like:
- How to Look Thinner in Pictures
- How to Look Older in Pictures
- How to Look Younger in Pictures
- How to Look Taller in Pictures
Fun sized, vertically challenged, petite, or just plain short, whatever you choose to label yourself as, there are times when you wish you were born to be tall.
While it sucks that you can’t change your physical height, beauty bloggers have discovered creative ways to look taller in photos without even wearing heels.
Here are 7 easy tips to help you instantly add inches to your height in pictures.
How to Look Taller in Pictures:
Angle the Camera From Below
At a petite 5’3, fashion blogger Kat Collings knows a thing or two about how to look taller in pictures. She did an experiment taking pictures with the camera positioned at different angles and found that pictures taken from below make you look the tallest. Since the camera is angled up, it elongates your figure and gives the illusion of more height.
Be the Tallest Thing in the Picture
Just like how you usually don’t notice how short you are until you’re standing next to someone tall, posing with people or objects that are significantly taller than you emphasizes your height, or lack thereof. When taking pictures, stand alone or beside the next shortest person/thing so you look taller by comparison.
Take Walking Photos
You don’t have to stand still to pose for photos. Beauty blogger Chriselle Lim recommends taking pictures when you’re in the middle of a stride to make your legs look longer and leaner. Next time you take a solo photo, take the biggest step forward with one of your feet as you can without looking unnatural.
Fill the Entire Frame
Unless there’s something really awesome in your background that you want to capture to make a memory, limit the size of your frame to your height. Extra space above and below you in pictures makes you look shorter so, the less of it the better!
Don’t Mid-Body Crop
You might take pictures from the waist up to hide your short legs but mid-body photos actually make you look shorter. A lot of our perceived height comes from our legs, so it’s important to take full body pics to show length.
Wear a Single Color
You’d be surprised how much your clothes play a role in what height you appear to be. According to fashion journalist Taniya Talukdar wearing a single color – or close to it – gives your figure long, clean lines that lengthen your body. The effect is even more powerful when you wear darker colors that transform your image from small and youthful to tall and sophisticated.
Stand Straight
If you’re concerned about look short in pictures the last thing you want to do is actually make yourself shorter. On her blog, Style Lullaby, the model Sharon Wu stresses the importance of good posture to make yourself look taller in pictures. Standing straight with your head up and shoulders back ensures you’re at your maximum height so you can take advantage of every inch you have. This tip also applies when you’re taking sitting photos.