If you want to look better in photos, whether it's a group photo with your cell phone or a professional headshot with me, it's important to know which is your best side in advance because this should influence which side you part your hair. Yes!
Even though we've lived with and studied our own faces for decades, you might be surprised to hear that we are terrible judges of our own face. In fact, more often than not, clients come in for their photo sessions with their hair styled and parted on the wrong side.
So, let's start with what makes people beautiful. The super-short answer is... symmetry. The more symmetrical a face is, the more appealing it becomes. A-list movie stars and models often have very symmetrical faces. By knowing which side of your face is better to photograph, we can balance out your features so your face appears more symmetrical and appealing.
So, which side of your face is more photogenic?
The Selfie Technique
If you are someone that already takes a lot of selfies, you might already know which side you prefer. Scrolling through your selfies on your phone to see which side of your face you photograph more often might give you a deceptive answer because you might be looking at a mirror image. Not all front-facing cameras flip the mirror image photograph. Meaning, when you're looking at the left side of the photo, it might actually be your right side. So be careful to watch for that. Another technique is to consider which hand you generally hold your phone with when taking a selfie. That side of your face will probably be the side you like better.
Now let's look at your individual facial features to help us figure out your best side. There are two main areas to evaluate, the eyes and nose. Usually, the eyes will be the deciding factor, so those are evaluated first.
Eyes Everyone has one eye that's droopier than the other. Meaning, one eye appears smaller or is lazy. On my face, I actually have an eye socket that's not level! In order to balance out your eye sizes, you'll want to turn your face ever so slightly, with the little eye closer to the camera. This would be considered your good side.
Imbalanced eye size is more apparent when people are faking or forcing themselves to smile. When a smile is genuine such as when you bust out laughing, that automatically activates all the right muscles and your eyes will appear more balanced. During my photo sessions, I often say and do silly things to pull a natural smile out of you. Just go with it and play along. We won't be using the silly photos, but it's the natural smile in-between the laugh and the relaxed face that I'm attempting to capture.
Nose
If your nose is crooked, being photographed on the wrong side could make your nose look longer than it is and even more crooked. If your nose bends to the right, you'll want to turn your face slightly to the left to balance out the symmetry. Your right side would be considered your good side.
So what happens if you have a lazy eye and a crooked nose? In most instances, your best bet is to correct for the nose, but every face is different. It'll help you to take photos of both sides of your face to evaluate.
Hair Part
Now that you know what side of your face to favor, you should have your stylist cut your hair for a part on that side of your face. If your right side of your face is your good side, for photos especially, your part should be placed on the right side. What happens if your hair is parted on the wrong side? For women, less of your face will be shown in the photo, your hair looks less full, and the part (which ads interest to your face) cannot be seen.
My photo sessions include optional professional hair and makeup. The advantage of using a pro is that the artist is trained in camera-ready makeup, which is very different than everyday makeup. She'll be able to even out your eyebrows with makeup, properly contour your face, and apply enough coverage to compensate for the studio lighting. She'll also style your hair so your best side can be featured.
Hello friends, I'm Rachel Sorbet, a portrait photographer in metro Denver, Colorado. I specialize in on-location business headshots for offices and one-off studio sessions for individuals and families. I'd love to work with you or your team soon! (303) 709-6493