Facial expressions are as important in communicating to the camera in a photo shoot as words are in talking to your friend on the phone.
For example, facial expressions are to deaf individuals what tone in conversation is to hearing people. They are an important way to communicate emotions to others and evoke a reaction. Therefore, facial expressions are an important source of information for human interaction.
How to smile
Learning how to smile sounds ridiculous - surely everyone can do it? In fact, smiling 'to order' is a real skill, and one that professional models need to master.
To improve your smiling skills, position yourself in front of a mirror and practise the following steps.
Put your lips together without moving them. Look at your face in the mirror, concentrating on the eyes. At first, they're lifeless. Now lift up the corners of your mouth and watch your eyes come alive.
To create a smile, say "MMM" without opening your mouth. No teeth should be showing. Don't forget to turn the corners of your mouth up.
To create a broader smile, say "MMM" again with your mouth still closed and again, don't forget to turn up the corners of the mouth.
This time say "ME", whilst opening your mouth and showing your teeth but keeping it soft. Next say "ME" again, this time with a big smile showing all your teeth.
When you say "HEY," you produce a very natural facial expression. Say "HEY" and hold it - you will notice your tongue is coming forward and your lips are apart. Now try it again, saying "HEY" with a smiling expression.
Create a gaunt look by saying the word "POOR", keeping the lips very soft and sultry and holding for a few seconds.
To achieve an open and happy laugh try saying "HAA", remembering to focus your gaze on someone or something to avoid a "lifeless" look.
Facial Expressions Exercise
It’s important for a mode to know how to use their face. try this exercise to feel more comfortable using your face to express different emotions or lack thereof.
In front of a mirror, for at least 20 – 30 minutes just use your face to convey emotions.
Emotions or Ideas to Convey
Generally happy / content
Fun, laughing and playful
Scared, trapped or lost
Sad or broken hearted
Serious model face
Empty, lonely or bored
Fantasizing or day dreaming (happy)
Fantasizing or day dreaming (sad)
Scheming and flirting
Try and focus on different options for each emotion for each area of your face, you eyes, mouth and angles you can tilt your face to try and more strongly emphasize the emotion.
One more thing: The most expressive feature on a person's face is their eyes, so an important thing to remember about facial expression - though it might seem obvious - is to open your eyes. Unless specifically directed by the photographer, make sure that your eyes are wide open. You can test this by looking at two photos side by side, identical other than a tiny difference in the wideness of your eyes, and you will know which is the better.
For example, facial expressions are to deaf individuals what tone in conversation is to hearing people. They are an important way to communicate emotions to others and evoke a reaction. Therefore, facial expressions are an important source of information for human interaction.
How to smile
Learning how to smile sounds ridiculous - surely everyone can do it? In fact, smiling 'to order' is a real skill, and one that professional models need to master.
To improve your smiling skills, position yourself in front of a mirror and practise the following steps.
Put your lips together without moving them. Look at your face in the mirror, concentrating on the eyes. At first, they're lifeless. Now lift up the corners of your mouth and watch your eyes come alive.
To create a smile, say "MMM" without opening your mouth. No teeth should be showing. Don't forget to turn the corners of your mouth up.
To create a broader smile, say "MMM" again with your mouth still closed and again, don't forget to turn up the corners of the mouth.
This time say "ME", whilst opening your mouth and showing your teeth but keeping it soft. Next say "ME" again, this time with a big smile showing all your teeth.
When you say "HEY," you produce a very natural facial expression. Say "HEY" and hold it - you will notice your tongue is coming forward and your lips are apart. Now try it again, saying "HEY" with a smiling expression.
Create a gaunt look by saying the word "POOR", keeping the lips very soft and sultry and holding for a few seconds.
To achieve an open and happy laugh try saying "HAA", remembering to focus your gaze on someone or something to avoid a "lifeless" look.
Facial Expressions Exercise
It’s important for a mode to know how to use their face. try this exercise to feel more comfortable using your face to express different emotions or lack thereof.
In front of a mirror, for at least 20 – 30 minutes just use your face to convey emotions.
Emotions or Ideas to Convey
Generally happy / content
Fun, laughing and playful
Scared, trapped or lost
Sad or broken hearted
Serious model face
Empty, lonely or bored
Fantasizing or day dreaming (happy)
Fantasizing or day dreaming (sad)
Scheming and flirting
Try and focus on different options for each emotion for each area of your face, you eyes, mouth and angles you can tilt your face to try and more strongly emphasize the emotion.
One more thing: The most expressive feature on a person's face is their eyes, so an important thing to remember about facial expression - though it might seem obvious - is to open your eyes. Unless specifically directed by the photographer, make sure that your eyes are wide open. You can test this by looking at two photos side by side, identical other than a tiny difference in the wideness of your eyes, and you will know which is the better.
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