You look fine in the mirror. Then you see a photo of yourself and it’s like watching a different person. Flat face, dead eyes, awkward posture. The camera doesn’t lie, but it doesn’t tell the whole truth either.
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Learning how to look good in photos as a man isn’t about being naturally photogenic. It’s about understanding angles, lighting, and facial control. Most guys never learn this, so they rely on luck and end up with a camera roll full of unflattering shots that tank their dating app results and social media presence.
The difference between camera-ready guys and everyone else comes down to specific, repeatable techniques. This guide covers exactly what works, including how to improve your resting face so you look better in candid shots, not just posed ones.
Why You Look Different in Photos Than Real Life
Cameras flatten three-dimensional faces into two dimensions, killing depth and definition. Features that look fine in person can disappear or become exaggerated on camera. Your jawline might look undefined, your eyes can appear smaller, and asymmetries become more obvious.
Focal length matters more than most guys realize. Phone cameras typically use wide-angle lenses (around 26-28mm equivalent), which distort facial proportions when you’re too close. Features closest to the lens appear larger, so taking selfies at arm’s length makes your nose look bigger and your face rounder.
Research from Princeton’s Department of Psychology found that faces photographed at 12 inches (typical selfie distance) are perceived as less trustworthy and attractive compared to the same face at 5 feet. The wider the lens and closer the camera, the worse the distortion.
Lighting creates or destroys facial definition. Overhead lighting casts shadows under your eyes and makes you look tired. Direct flash from the front flattens your face completely. Good lighting should come from slightly above and in front, creating subtle shadows that enhance bone structure without being harsh.
Fix Your Resting Face First
Before worrying about poses, fix what your face does naturally. Your resting face appears in candid shots, video calls, and any moment you’re not actively “on.” Most guys have terrible resting faces without realizing it.
Jaw Position and Facial Tension
Mewing applies here. Keep your tongue on the roof of your mouth, teeth lightly touching, jaw naturally closed. This prevents your mouth from hanging open slightly (mouth breathing face) and keeps your jawline defined.
Practice in front of a mirror until this position becomes automatic. You want zero visible tension in your face while maintaining proper jaw position. Guys who tense up look stressed and uncomfortable on camera. The goal is relaxed but structured.
A slight squint (more on this below) should also become part of your default face. Not a full squint, just enough to engage the muscles around your eyes so they don’t look dead and wide.
The Dead Eyes Problem
Wide, unengaging eyes make you look anxious, surprised, or vacant. This happens when you stare at the camera with zero muscle engagement around the eyes.
Real smiles and genuine expressions engage the orbicularis oculi muscle, creating subtle crow’s feet and making eyes appear more alive. You can activate this without a full smile by slightly engaging these muscles, what photographers call “smizing” (smiling with your eyes).
Try this: Think of something that genuinely makes you happy right before a photo. Don’t force a smile, just let that thought create subtle activation in your facial muscles. This creates a more natural, engaged look than a dead stare.
Facial Bloat and Definition
If your face looks puffy in photos, you might have actual facial bloat from diet, not just bad angles. High sodium, alcohol, and inflammatory foods cause water retention that kills definition.
Foods that debloat can significantly improve your baseline appearance. Reducing facial fat through proper cutting protocols also helps. A leaner face photographs dramatically better because bone structure shows through instead of being obscured.
For immediate pre-photo debloating, limit sodium and carbs 24-48 hours before important shoots. Some guys do a mini-cut before vacation specifically so they photograph better. It works.
The Squinch Technique
This is the single most important facial technique for men in photos. The squinch, coined by celebrity photographer Peter Hurley, involves raising your lower eyelids slightly while maintaining eye contact with the camera. It creates intensity and confidence instead of the dead stare most guys default to.
Here’s how to do it: Look at yourself in a mirror. Slowly raise your lower eyelids as if you’re about to squint, but keep your upper eyelids relatively still. You should feel the muscles under your eyes engage. Go about 50-70% of a full squint. Too much and you look aggressive, too little and it doesn’t work.
Practice this until it feels natural. The squinch should create a subtle narrowing of the eyes that reads as confidence and presence on camera. Combined with proper jaw position, this single change will drastically improve your photo quality.
Angles That Actually Work
Straight-on photos rarely work for men unless you have exceptional facial symmetry and definition. Most guys need angles to look their best.
The 2/3 Turn
Turn your body 30-45 degrees away from the camera, then turn your head back toward the lens. This creates a natural, masculine pose that shows your jawline in profile while keeping your face visible. It’s more dynamic than facing straight on.
Your shoulders should be angled, not square to the camera. This makes you look broader and more three-dimensional. Imagine you’re looking over your shoulder at something interesting just next to the camera.
Jaw and Chin Positioning
Extend your forehead slightly toward the camera while keeping your chin down. This sounds weird but it works. You’re essentially doing a subtle turtle neck extension that defines your jawline.
Peter Hurley calls this “bringing your forehead forward.” It feels unnatural but photographs extremely well. The movement is small, maybe 1-2 inches, but it eliminates double chin appearance and creates jaw definition.
Never tilt your head back. This creates nostril shots and shortens your face. Chin down, forehead slightly forward.
Height and Camera Positioning
Camera should be at eye level or slightly above, never below. Below-eye-level shots create unflattering upward angles that emphasize your neck and underside of your jaw.
For selfies, extend your arm fully or use a selfie stick to increase distance between you and the camera. This reduces wide-angle distortion. Better yet, set a timer and place your phone 5-6 feet away at eye level.
Posture and Body Language
Slouching kills photos. Your posture affects how your face looks because it changes neck position and creates unflattering angles.
Stand or sit with your spine straight, shoulders back but not tensed. This elongates your neck and creates better jaw definition. Think about someone pulling a string attached to the top of your head, lifting you slightly upward.
For sitting photos, lean slightly forward from your hips. This engages your core and prevents slouching while creating a more engaged appearance. Never sit back fully relaxed in casual photos unless you’re specifically going for a laid-back vibe.
Hand and Arm Placement
Avoid letting arms hang straight down. This looks stiff and creates a wider silhouette. Instead, create angles by putting a hand in your pocket, crossing your arms casually, or resting a hand on something nearby.
Don’t overthink it. Natural movement looks better than rigid posing. If you’re uncomfortable, it shows. Find positions that feel relatively natural and then hold them still for the photo.
Lighting Strategies You Can Control
Natural light from a window or outdoors an hour after sunrise or before sunset (golden hour) creates the most flattering results. This soft, directional light enhances features without harsh shadows.
Position yourself so the light source is in front of and slightly above you. This could mean facing a window indoors or positioning yourself so the sun is at a 45-degree angle in front of you outdoors.
Avoid harsh overhead sun (midday), which creates terrible shadows under your eyes and nose. If you’re stuck with overhead lighting, find shade or use a diffuser (could be anything that softens the light, even standing under a tree).
For indoor photos with artificial light, use multiple light sources instead of a single harsh one. Ring lights work well for close-up shots because they create even lighting without harsh shadows. Position them at eye level or slightly above, never below.
The Bathroom Mirror Problem
Most guys take mirror selfies in bathrooms with terrible overhead fluorescent lighting. This is why these photos usually look bad. If you’re taking mirror photos, turn off overhead lights and use a lamp or window light instead.
Flash is almost always a mistake. Built-in camera flash creates flat, harsh lighting that eliminates all dimension from your face. If you need more light, add ambient light sources, don’t use flash.
Outfit and Grooming Considerations
What you wear significantly impacts how you photograph. Patterns and logos often look busy on camera. Solid colors in darker or muted tones photograph better than bright whites or loud patterns.
Fit matters more in photos than real life. Clothes that are slightly too loose look worse on camera because the fabric bunches and creates unflattering lines. The right clothes for your body type will always photograph better than generic sizing.
Make sure your hair is in place. Run your hand through it right before photos to give it natural texture instead of looking helmet-like or messy. Product is fine but it shouldn’t look like you’re wearing product.
Grooming basics: clean-shaven or neatly trimmed facial hair, clear skin, no visible nose hair or unibrow. These sound obvious but they’re often overlooked. Proper skincare prevents the shiny, greasy look that kills photo quality.
Facial Hair and Jaw Definition
Facial hair can enhance or destroy your photos depending on how you use it. Stubble often photographs better than clean-shaven because it adds definition and masculinity. It also helps define your jawline if you don’t have strong natural definition.
Keep it trimmed and shaped. Patchy or unkempt facial hair looks worse in photos than real life. Use a trimmer to maintain consistent length and define your cheek and neck lines.
Full beards need proper grooming before photos. Trim stray hairs, use beard oil to eliminate dryness, and make sure the shape complements your face. A well-maintained beard adds masculine presence to photos.
Practice Makes Permanent
The difference between guys who consistently look good in photos and everyone else is practice. Take multiple shots, review them, adjust, and repeat. You need to build muscle memory for facial positioning and angles.
Set up your phone on a timer and practice different angles, squinches, and jaw positions. This feels ridiculous but it works. Professional models and actors do this constantly. Figure out what works for your specific facial structure.
Record yourself on video too. This shows what your face does naturally when you’re talking or reacting. You might notice habits you weren’t aware of, like asymmetrical expressions or tension in certain areas.
Editing and Post-Processing
Light editing is acceptable and often necessary. Adjusting exposure, contrast, and sharpness can make a significant difference without looking fake. Most phone cameras have built-in editing tools that work fine.
Don’t overdo it. Heavy filters, excessive smoothing, and obvious manipulation look fake and hurt more than they help. The goal is to make the photo match what you look like in person under good conditions, not create a fake version of yourself.
Cropping matters. Tighter crops work for profile pictures, while full-body or environmental shots need context. Make sure the crop doesn’t cut off your head awkwardly or create weird proportions.
Color temperature adjustment can help. Warmer tones generally look better than cool, blue-tinted photos. Slight warmth makes skin look healthier without looking orange.
Dating App and Social Media Specific Advice
For dating apps, variety matters more than having six versions of the same pose. You need clear face shots, full-body photos that show your build, and at least one photo doing something interesting.
Your main profile photo should be a clear, well-lit face shot where you look directly at the camera with proper squinch and jaw positioning. This isn’t the place for artistic angles or group shots. Women need to immediately see what you look like.
Avoid bathroom mirror selfies, gym selfies with terrible lighting, and photos where you’re obviously trying too hard. Natural-looking photos that happen to be well-executed work better than obvious thirst traps.
Group photos are fine for secondary slots but make sure you’re clearly identifiable and not getting mogged by better-looking friends. If you’re the least attractive guy in a group photo, it actively hurts you.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Forced smiles look terrible. If you’re going to smile, make it genuine or don’t smile at all. A confident neutral expression with proper squinch works better than a fake smile.
Don’t look away from the camera unless it’s intentional and you’re trying to capture something specific. Looking off into the distance usually looks pretentious, not thoughtful.
Stop taking photos from below. This angle makes you look like you have no jaw and creates an unflattering upward view. Camera at eye level or above, always.
Avoid over-filtering your photos to the point where you don’t look like yourself. The purpose of good photos is to present your best realistic self, not catfish people with heavily edited images.
Don’t neglect the background. Cluttered or distracting backgrounds pull attention away from you. Clean, simple backgrounds work better. Natural outdoor settings usually look good.
Long-Term Improvement
Learning how to look good in photos men actually want to use requires fixing both technique and baseline appearance. You can master every angle and lighting trick, but if your underlying facial structure, body fat percentage, and grooming are lacking, you’ll still get mediocre results.
Focus on improving your overall appearance through proper training, nutrition, and skincare. A lean, well-groomed guy with average photo skills will consistently look better than someone who’s out of shape trying to angle-fraud their way to good photos.
Building a better resting face through proper tongue posture, jaw position, and facial muscle control takes weeks of conscious practice before it becomes automatic. The investment pays off in every candid photo, video call, and social interaction.
The goal isn’t to become obsessed with taking perfect photos. It’s to understand the basics well enough that you can consistently produce good results without overthinking it. Master the fundamentals, then forget about them and let muscle memory take over.