How To Look Thinner In Your Headshot
Almost everyone asks me some version of this, usually with an apology first. “I don’t photograph well.” “Can you make me look thinner?” “I just don’t want to look heavy.” It’s one of the first things I hear when someone walks into the studio here in Laureles, and it’s almost always harder on themselves than the situation deserves.
The truth: the camera does not add ten pounds. That’s a myth left over from wide lenses and old film. But bad posing absolutely adds the look of weight, and most of us spent our whole lives posing badly because nobody ever showed us better. If you’ve looked at a photo of yourself and thought “do I really look like that?” — usually the answer is no. You look like that when you stand straight on, drop your chin, hunch your shoulders, and let your face go slack. Which is exactly what most untrained people do the second a camera comes out.
Here’s what works. I’ll walk you through all of it during the shoot anyway, but it helps to know ahead of time.
Body angle beats everything
Don’t stand square to the camera. Turn your shoulders 30 to 45 degrees away, then turn your head back toward the lens. This one move makes everyone — everyone — look slimmer. A square shoulder line reads as wide. An angled one reads as narrow. Same body, better photo.
Bring your jaw out and slightly down
Most “second chins” aren’t real. They happen because the camera sits low and you tuck your chin to look at it. The fix feels ridiculous: push your jawline forward and slightly down, like a turtle leaving its shell. It stretches the skin under the jaw and sharpens the line. It feels weird. It looks great. If your photographer never mentions this, find a different photographer.
Skip the tight closed-lip smile
A pressed-lip smile can create a double-chin effect even on thin people, because the wrong muscles fire. A real smile — one that reaches the eyes — lifts the cheeks and defines the jaw. Self-conscious about your teeth? A soft, slightly parted “almost-smile” beats a clenched grin every time.
Shoulders back, chest open
Hunched shoulders push your head forward and read as heavier. Rolled back and slightly down, they open the chest and lengthen the neck. It feels like a tiny change in the mirror. In photos it’s huge.
Lean in a little
Leaning your upper body an inch or two toward the camera makes your face the focal point, which is what you want in a headshot. Pair it with the jaw move and you get a confident, engaged look. Don’t overdo it — an inch is plenty.
Wardrobe that helps
- Dark, solid colors slim. Loud patterns pull the eye to the body.
- Open collars and V-necks lengthen the neck. Crew necks give you the “head on a pillar” look.
- Fitted, tailored clothing reads slimmer than baggy or tight.
- A jacket adds vertical lines that slim the frame. Works for anyone.
One last thing
After twenty years, I can tell you nobody looks at their own photos as kindly as their friends do. The thing you’re worried about is usually invisible to everyone else. A flattering, professional headshot is possible at almost any size and any age — it’s light, angle, expression, and direction, not the body under the clothes. Don’t wait until you “lose the weight first.” Just book the session. The photo will be better than you expect.
Book your session here and I’ll handle the rest.