If youVe ever watched a model in repose, you'll notice that she stands with one foot at a right angle to the other, rather like a ballet dancer. She takes this pose so often before the camera that it becomes natural to her. It would be well if it became natural to you, for it is one of the most flattering and comfortable ways to stand.
The reason that this particular pose has been selected out of all others is that it throws the body into profile. The camera, you know, adds ten pounds to a figure, and therefore the less body you show to it, the less it has to work with. Thus a trained model knows how to stand three-quarter view, hips in profile and shoulders swung forward.
These are good hints to bear in mind when you are having your picture taken. If you remember just a few of them you'll never have reason to regret a snapshot. The awful part of snapshots usually is that the ones we like least turn out to be the ones people save, so, if you're guided by these suggestions, you'll reduce your chances of having unflattering pictures of you in public view.
One of the cardinal rules of posing for a picture is to remember that whatever is nearest the camera will photograph the largest. If you are snapped on the beach with your legs and feet pointing straight on, your big toe will look as large as your head. If you put out your hand toward the camera, like a policeman directing traffic, your hand will seem as large as your torso.
Of all the parts of the body, hands are usually the hardest to control when posing for a picture. Often the best thing to do with them is to lose them—that is, put them behind your back or in some way get them out of the picture. You can put them at your waist with your elbows akimbo if you choose. It takes a great deal of skill to manage hands well— actresses are often noted for the way they use their hands— but ordinary human beings seem to get tangled in them, with too many fluttery gestures. So unless you know what to do with your hands, the best thing to do is nothing.
Next to hands, legs are most difficult to tuck away neatly. Especially in beach snapshots, they seem to extend from the body in alaraiing proportions. If you are having a picture taken at the beach, get your legs in profile with your knees slightly bent. If you want your face turned toward the camera, keep your legs to the side, but turn your shoulders full on. This will give a full view of your face, but keep your legs in proportion. Lying, standing or sitting, always try to keep your legs together, not sprawled apart.
Thinking about all these things at once before the camera goes click is not easy to do. A model learns how to do it fast because she has to do it often. But any girl can learn to do it too with a little practice. It is a valuable lesson in muscle control. If you doubt it, just try holding any pose you fancy for a half a minute—not so easy as it sounds, is it?
Learning how to make your body move the way you want it to and make it stay that way is good training for coordination. And muscular coordination is something that will stand you in good stead all your life. Coordination counts—in the field of sports, on the dance floor, and even in the business of having your picture taken.
One of the most-looked-at pictures any teen has taken is the picture for her school yearbook. This picture need not ever cause any qualms if you give some thought to it. Remember all the little things I have been pointing out in this chapter and youll make a pretty finished print.
Keep in mind that an absolutely flat full-face view is not flattering. Slightly three-quarters to full profile will do more for your features. Your photographer will be aware of all this, of course, and pose you accordingly. So do what he says without quibbling.
To a photography appointment wear a white tailored blouse (unless your school has a prescribed uniform). Wear no jewelry, except perhaps a strand of pearls. As to makeup, wear lipstick and a bit of powder—take your photographer s advice as to how much to put on. Above all, do not change your hair style before your appointment—such experiments may turn out too disastrous, and you don't want to go down in history looking like a freak. Do go to your appointment with your hair arranged neatly, clean, and well combed.
"7/ only she weren't so sloppy."
This remark uttered ruefully or indignantly has caused the downfall of many an attractive teen-ager. Girls whisper about it behind her back. Boys mutter about it in their locker rooms. The word gets around and dates come few and far between. And the pity of it is that such unpleasant ostracism is easily preventable. No girl need be pushed out of the social swim simply because she is too lazy to look after herself.
It's no joke that you can't be too careful about your personal habits. When it comes right down to the facts of the case, nothing can beat day-to-day attention to details. As a model, I realize how true this is. Nobody wants to book a girl with dirty fingernails or a torn blouse. And certainly nobody wants to work with a model who stints on bathing and doesn't use a deodorant.
When you were a child it was all very well to skip your daily bath. It was a cute trick. But now that you are in your teens, such actions are no longer cute. They're tiresome. A dirty child will be excused, a dirty teen-ager never. Even if she is wearing the most expensive clothes, no teen can look alluring if her hair is badly combed, her nails grimy, her blouse spotted and her body generally unwashed.
A daily bath or shower should be the minimum for everyone. When you are planning to go out on a date, a second tub or shower should be taken. In the summer two baths a day are not excessive. Remember, too, that the tub is not a thing to hop in and out of. Plan instead to spend some time there once you're in. Soap thoroughly and really get the dirt off. Be sure also to remove all the soap and to dry yourself thoroughly from head to toe—and between the toes.
After every bath you should use a good deodorant. There is no time of year when this precaution should be omitted. In summer the heat makes it essential, as everybody perspires freely. The rest of the year the body gives off enough perspiration to justify a deodorant, particularly in winter, when hot houses and woolen clothing join forces. Remember, too, that woolens and sweaters should be cleaned often to remove any odor that may cling stubbornly to them.
If you perspire from nervousness, as many do, don't be alarmed, it is just a normal bodily reaction. However, if you know that you are subject to this sort of thing, be scrupulously careful. If you feel the necessity sew protective shields in your blouses and dresses. No one should ever slip up on these simple procedures. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. A date once made uncomfortable or a friend offended by your carelessness will take a long time to forget.
In addition to deodorants, you should get in the habit of using a light scent—any flower cologne will do, provided that it is fresh and fragrant. Dab a little behind each ear and at your neckline and along the length of each arm. There is no need to fear a liberal use of it, since cologne is not perfume. Its fragrance is light and passing. Before a date, it is an especially nice touch to sprinkle your hair with a drop or two.
I can't think of a nicer compliment than that of being told, "How nice you smell." To achieve this distinction, it is necessary to get accustomed to the use of cologne and to a cologne that is right for you. Which is the right one, I cannot say. A little experimentation will decide that for you—cologne is an individual matter and you should choose one that fits you. But do experiment and do pick one out and use it in preference to a perfume which is too highly concentrated an essence to be used effectively when you are young. Perfume, if incorrectly used, has a heavy, oversweet odor, but cologne is always refreshing, always pleasant.