How to Take Your Own Outfit Photos

Have you ever put together the perfect outfit and desperately want to show it off, but just can’t get the right photo? Sometimes something looks great in the mirror, but inexplicably looks worse in photos. Here are some tips to help you out the next time you want to take a great outfit photo.

Plan Your Photo

Before you get started, you need to have everything planned out. A few things that you need to plan before taking your photo include:

Knowing what “vibe” you want. For example, if your outfit is very 70s themed, you’ll want to consider different elements than if you were in leisurewear.

Where are you posting your photo? If you’re going to post your gorgeous outfit photo online, that can also influence the way it looks. For example, posts on Instagram tend to be more edited than posts on Snapchat.

Choose your pose (and practice). Consider how your clothes fit on your body and what you want your body to look like. If you want to look tall and elegant, perhaps you’ll add heels with arch support and pose with perfect posture (you might want to add gel supports to avoid being uncomfortable). If you want to look relaxed, you might want to be sitting down. Practice this pose until you’ve found exactly what you like.

Choose a setting. A good background (especially good lighting) can make a huge difference in how your photo turns out.

Set up Your Camera

Based on how you want your photo to look, choose how high, how far away, and at what angle you’ll want. Some outfits or elements will need a closer shot, while others may need to be far away with a high angle, such as if you’re wearing heels with arch support to look taller. Try setting your camera up in different ways to see what you like best.

Focus Your Camera

Focusing your camera can definitely take some experimenting. After your camera is set up, focus your camera on the spot where you'll be posing. Putting an object where you’ll be and focusing the camera on the object can be helpful.

Turn On Your Timer and Take a Pic

Once you’ve positioned and focused your camera (and practiced posing a little bit), turn on your camera timer to the amount of time you’ll need to settle into your pose. You’ll want to take multiple pictures during this step so that you get the perfect shot.

Edit to Your Heart’s Desire

If you’re not a fan of editing photos, you can ignore this step. However, adjusting just a few settings – such as lowering or raising the contrast or exposure, or changing the saturation or highlights – can help your photo look better.

Feel Confident Taking Your Own Outfit Photo

These photo-taking tips will help you take the perfect photo of your outfit. While photography definitely takes a little bit of practice, you’ll be an expert in no time with these tips!