How to Take Good Outfit Shots

I was trying out my new camera with my other half as the photographer. We took a few pictures to show what lenses you should use and how when taking outfit pictures.

General tips for posing

• Stand up tall
• Turn your face towards the light source if you can see one
• Keep your chin up!
• Crossing your legs makes your silhouette slim
• Hand on your waist accentuates the waistline nicely (work especially well with heavy coats like the one I'm wearing in the pictures below)

And for taking photos

• Find a background that's not too busy, repeating patterns like wallpaper are good and plain walls the best
• Hold the camera below eye-level, but waist-level at the lowest
• If your camera has a zoom function, zoom out as far as you can to avoid distortion
• If natural light is an option, go for it!

Picture number one: Taken with the camera lower than eye-level with the basic 14-42 mm kit lens of an Olympus Pen zoomed out as far as it goes.

Results: Not much distortion thanks to the lens. Holding the camera lower than eye-level helps reducing the "bobble head" look, most noticeably making legs look longer.

Picture number two: Olympus Pen with a 19 mm Sigma lens, held a little lower than eye level.

Results: Much like above with the 14-42 mm lens zoomed out. No distortion and nice proportions.

Picture number three: Olympus Pen 14-42 mm lens zoomed in, camera held at waist level.

Results: Visible distortion, legs look short and the waist area is thicker. If the camera would be at eye-level, it would result in a bobble head look with a huge head and tiny feet.