Tips for Brides (T4B) is a weekly feature where I talk about a cool tip that I think will benefit brides everywhere. For more T4Bs, click here!

This is the first of what will hopefully become a weekly feature – Tips for Brides! In keeping with the Photographers’ Tip, and by my lovely November bride’s special request, today’s tip is going to be about posing for the camera.

I think the primary thing on every girl’s mind when posing for a camera is looking as skinny as humanly possible. There are a few ways to do this.. The most well-know is called the “bevel.” This is the stance that you see on the red carpet from virtually every celebrity. Essentially you stand at a 45 degree angle to the camera, put your weight on one foot, cross the other foot over it, pop your knee, and lean back slightly. Here is what it looks like in practice (note: these poses are more dramatic, for artistic effect; you’ll want to be a lot more subtle when posing with the girls for a snapshot):

Basically this pose creates an hourglass figure, accentuating your waist and giving your body some serious curves. A similar but less-dramatic option is to turn your hips to the side and either pop your knee just a bit or point that leg straight out, but turn your shoulders to face the camera.

One factor you’ll notice in many of my photos is girls with arms on their hips, or hanging down away from their bodies. No matter how skinny you are, no one – NO ONE – looks good with the arms squeezed up against their sides. It makes your arms look larger than they are, and does nothing to show off your waist. Keeping your arms away from your body keeps the skin pulled tight, making your arms and waist look thinner. Notice the hippy arms and subtle bezel working together:

Sitting down is another tough situation. It can create unflattering rolls or pooches, and virtually eliminates your silhouette. Instead of plopping down indian style or sticking your legs straight out, try sitting on your hip and swinging your legs to the side. This creates what we call an “S-curve” that is slimming and curvy, as well as modest for girls in short skirts.

Another important part of looking good in photographs is to know your best angles. Spend some time in front of a mirror and move around, studying the way your body moves and at what angles you think you look best. Better yet, pull out some recent photographs and pick out the ones where you think you look hot. See if there are any common features in how your body is positioned relative to the camera, and keep that in mind when taking photos in the future.

Hopefully this has been a little bit of an insight into posing technique and how to look your best in photographs. Enjoy!