Taking Profile Pictures

Flattering faces
Profile pictures are all over the Internet: Flickr, Facebook, Google, Amazon, you name it. If you want your profile to stand out from the crowd, your pictures should give people a peek at your personality. Here are some tips on how to have fun with your photos.

Share the Inspiration:
"I wanted to create an early 1960s movie star retro look from my collection of vintage clothes and accessories. On a bright sunny day my friend shot a variety of angles of me and captured a bunch of spontaneous expressions. I picked one for my Facebook page."
— Kathleen, Baltimore, MD

Let your personality pop

• Have someone snap a few shots as you jump in the air, hang upside down, or dance to your favorite song.
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• Be a rock star. Wave your hair and pump your fist in the air like you don't care.
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• Dress it up. Put on your sports uniform, day-punk outfit, or favorite club-wear, then strike a pose.

Make the most of your scenery

• Choosing the right backdrop can tell someone a lot about you.
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• Photos taken poolside or at the beach say you love to play.
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• Are you into sports? Have a friend snap a candid shot of you as you drive one past the goalie, spike one over the net or slide into home.
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• Like dancing? Have your picture taken at your favorite hot spot.

Share the Inspiration:
"I love this shot of me and my boyfriend. We just got off the boat ride. It's so cool because you can see Niagara Falls behind us. I set the camera on Auto Flash so our faces would really shine."
— Abha, avid traveler

Have camera, will travel

• Show off your inner cosmopolitan. Always keep your camera ready when you travel.
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• The world can't help but notice your love for adventure when they see you snorkeling in the Caribbean, leaning on the Eiffel Tower, or admiring the Taj Mahal.

Choose your mood

• Let's face it. You're a complicated person with many sides and many moods. Here's your opportunity to share them all.
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• Go vogue, purse your lips, try a pout – come up with facial expressions that reflect all the moods that make you unique.

DIY on the fly

• Your hair is perfect; your outfit is perfect, the moment…perfect. You don't have time to wait for someone to stroll by to take your picture, so go ahead and snap some yourself.
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• Hold the camera in your hand and let the shutter button fly. Handheld portraits give you the opportunity to make those faces you'd be too embarrassed to muster around friends.

Use a real smile

• Seriously, don't say "cheese" – this typically produces an artificial smile.
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• Ask your friend taking the picture to say or do something funny to get you laughing.
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• If taking the picture yourself, think of something funny to elicit a natural smile.

Share the Inspiration:
"On Take Your Child to Work day, we handed participants a Kodak camera and taught them a few basics about self-portraiture. Leave it to kids to be creative!"
— Vera, Rochester, NY
Writer/photographer/mother

A new angle

• Aim the camera up, down, left, and right. Different angles give folks an 180° peek at the true you.
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• Want to see what they see? Take a picture of your reflection in the mirror.
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• Show your mysterious side by taking a picture of only a portion of your face.

Share the Inspiration:
"I wanted to glamorize an ordinary snapshot. First, I converted it to black and white and added contrast. Then I created a duotone with two bright contrasting colors: perfect for viewing on a monitor. Then I added a halftone effect to add texture."
— Ann, Rochester, NY

Improve on nature

• There's no shame in a little tweaking. Finesse your pics with photo editing software.
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• Bump up the color saturation or increase brightness or contrast to give your photo some pop.
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• Experiment with software tools, effects, wacky colors, or tones and give your profile just the right mood, and an "A" for creativity.

Animal lovers unite

• Say you're pro pets with a fun picture of you and your pooch.
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• Don't own a pet? No problem. A shot of you feeding pigeons at the park says more about you than if you're just sitting on a bench.

Goodbye, red eye

• How embarrassing. You go through all the trouble of setting up the perfect shot and there it is – red eye. When pupils affix on something bright, they shrink, reducing the potential for red-eye
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• Glance at a lamp or the nearest light source right before the photo is taken.