How to Be Photogenic

I know not everyone can look as good as me when it comes to photo's so I thought I would share some of my secrets.

Do you dislike having your picture taken because you always seem to come out looking hideous? Have you ever been on a date with someone whose online photo knocked you out but whose appearance in real life turned out to be a bit uninspiring? What’s the deal with pictures? While being photogenic just comes naturally to me, there are a few things that anyone can do to look better in photos. Try out these tricks and stop running for cover whenever the camera comes out.

Steps

1. Wear clothes with colors that suit you. Certain colors complement certain skin tones, while others tend to bring out the worst. Also take into consideration your hair color. You may have a feel for which colors you look best in, but if not, do some research (check out the external links below) and some trial-and-error.

2. Pick the right clothes. As in, don't overdo it. Wearing a vintage blue shirt and blue jeans might make you appear to blend, which is not good. Try not to wear too much pattern either, or it will take away from your gorgeous face.

3. Determine your best angle. Beyond the obvious hiding of blemishes, finding the right angle for your face can be a bit more difficult. The best thing you can do is experiment using a digital camera so that you can immediately see the results of each pose. It will very quickly become obvious which angles are most flattering for you, and you can then use that angle as much as possible in the future. The classic model's pose is to arrange your body 3/4 toward the camera with one foot in front of the other and one shoulder closer to the camera than the other.

4. Get rid of a double chin. Tilt your head down slightly and try to position yourself so that the camera is a little above your eye level. This will hide a double chin fairly effectively. You can also put one hand under your chin as though you’re resting your head on your hand. Don't actually rest any weight on the hand, however, or you will push the skin into an unflattering position.

5. Stick your neck out. One trick models often use is to present a 3/4 pose to the camera (turn your head so that 3/4 of your face is exposed to the camera, as opposed to a full frontal shot) and then lift your neck and slightly tilt your head down, as though you are a turkey sticking its head out (without actually thrusting your chin out). This improves facial definition and helps ameliorate wrinkles and flabby skin.

6. Relax. Many people end up looking odd in photos because they freeze into odd facial expressions with a “say cheese" type of smile on their face. If you're used to having bad pictures taken of yourself, you probably get nervous in front of the camera, and this can make things even worse.

7. Think happy thoughts. An unnatural, forced smile can make you look stiff and, frankly, weird.

8. Smile with your eyes. Nothing projects happiness and beauty like smiling eyes: a happy, somewhat mischievous expression of the eyes. To achieve this effect, imagine that the camera is a person you have a crush on walking into the room. This will create wider open eyes and a relaxed smile.

9. Maintain your posture. Listen to your mother — remember how she always told you not to slouch? Good posture can dramatically improve your appearance in pictures.

10. Edit or enhance photos. If you've tried everything, but you still can’t seem to get a good picture of yourself in any environment, try slightly altering your digital photos. Changing the lighting effects or filter effects, for example, can dramatically improve the appearance of your complexion.

15. Relax your lip (mouth) region and don't have any delirious thoughts filled with gloom. It's a natural way to appear fresh and appealing in photo graphs.

16. Be graceful in your movements.

Tips

* If you can get ahold of the photo before it hits the internet, try to Photoshop (not too much, it looks like you're a poser) or get a friend (a trusted friend) to do it for you.

* Study pictures of models and other photogenic people, like myself (Krazy Keith) When comfortable for your personality, experiment with mimicking their postures, but remember most model photos are not what family members or friends are looking for in a picture. Stand at a slight angle to the camera.

* Have your close friends look at the pictures you've taken to help you ascertain when you look your best. Sometimes, a critical second set of eyes is a great help.

* Consider that people with highly animated faces stand a better chance of getting captured during a transient grotesque expression. Frame-by-frame video is a great way to see significant differences between the photogenic and the not-so-photogenic.

* Practice smiling in front of the mirror. In no time you'll know which smile looks fake and which is the most flattering. Learning how your face moves will help when someone grabs for the camera. Smile using your top row of teeth, it may feel unnatural but a smile with both rows of teeth can easily look fake.

* Keep your tongue behind your teeth.

* Use makeup. Those runway models and movie stars don’t necessarily all have perfect complexions, but they do all wear makeup so that they look unblemished.

* Always look slightly above the camera when the picture is taken. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis always used this technique for photographs and portraits. Additionally, it helps reduce the "red eye" effect.

* If it is a full-length shot, position your body 45 degrees from the camera, then turn your head towards the lens. Stand with one foot crossed in front of the other and put all your weight on your back leg. This pose is very slimming and universally flattering.

Warnings

* Make sure your photos look like you. These steps can help you better capture your natural beauty in pictures, but if you end up doctoring your photos too much you’re liable to look like someone you’re not. While you want to put your best face forward for online dating sites or acting headshots, you also want to make sure you accurately represent yourself. If you don’t, dates and potential employers may feel deceived.

* Sucking in your stomach will make you appear unattractive because your ribs may poke through your shirt. Worse, it will make you look slightly uncomfortable, which is never appealing.

* Tilting your head down slightly can sometimes create the effect of a double-chin, rather than hiding one.

BTW: We are heading back to the ocean for some more fishing, I am hoping to catch the phone I lost. What I a realy telling you is I am not going to be around for a few days to help you solve your everyday problems, so good luck getting by without me for a few days... KK

Bad Hair Day

Seeing that people seem to like my advice I guess I will answer some more of your questions.. This one is for Cameron.

Mike, Trish, Megan, Ryan and Cameron Gardner said...

Ok Keith, now i need some advice. How do i get my hair to do that? Do you use a curling iron or rollers?

Love,

Crazy Cameron

In responce to your question, here is the best way...

To Achieve a Messy Hair Effect

The title says messy hair, but does not mean that you should look like a porcupine on a bad day. Messy refers to messy, in a structured way. One that looks good, as opposed to being a halo of hair. Read on.

Steps

1. Wash your hair. Use shampoo and a little bit of conditioner. If you use too much conditioner, your hair goes limp and flat, too little, and your hair becomes too dry.
2. Towel dry your hair until there is no water dripping off the ends. Alternatively, you could just shake your hair out.
3. Run your fingers though your hair, separating the different parts, so your hair falls in the direction it does naturally. Do not attempt to do anything fancy at this stage, and, more importantly: Do not use a comb.
4. Blow dry your hair. Again, do not use a comb or your hair will have no texture. Dry your hair in the opposite direction from which it grows. This basically means that you hold the hair dryer beneath you and blow upwards. This means that each strand of hair gains more volume and enhances your layers.
5. Wait about 5 minutes, until your hair is mostly dry but still a bit damp here and there, stop blow drying it. By this time, your hair is probably very, very messy, so use your fingers to prod and push the hair so that it falls in the right place.
6. Take some clay or wax, and apply small (very small) globs of the stuff to different partitions of hair. The different parts are therefore separated from each other and are more easy to style.

* If you want to go for a really structured messy look, carefully manipulate section by section until you achieve the desired effect.
* If you just want a messy look, run your hands roughly through different sections of hair, and shake your fingers until there's hair all over the show.

* If you want, try backcombing.
7. Blow dry your hair again for one more minute. This helps with the styling, and you can use it to further define different parts of your hair.
8. To hold in place, use hairspray.


Tips

* To give your hair more volume when messy, place your fingers on either side of your head and push upwards. Do the same for the back of your hair. Provided you've got clay or some other styling product in your hair, it should stay like that for some time, though you may have to keep on doing it every so often.
* If you can't think of how to separate the layers, lift the top layers of hair away from each side of your scalp, then let it fall back into place. This gives you some layers to work with.
* For the front (assuming you have bangs), pinch the hair lightly and lift it away from the scalp, then let it fall back into place. Once again, this will give you some layers to work with
* If you find you're hair is getting too out of control, you can use a comb to put it back into place. Don't rake the comb through your hair, just lightly run it over the top. Otherwise, you'll lose the layers.
* Choose a good styling product. Clay and wax give you a lot of control over your hair and a good base to work with.


Warnings

* If you blow dry your hair often, get a good moisturizing conditioner and shampoo. Otherwise, your hair will end up resembling a brillo-pad.
* Don't use too much hair product, just enough to give you the style you want. If you use too much, it will weigh your hair down and it will loose its definition.
* Never comb your hair except if your hair goes completely out of control and you can't get it back into place

I hope this answers your question Cameron!!

Btw: I only scratched myself twice while writing this blog.

Energy Drinks

Here I sit scratching, no not my butt; I was scratching my left ear lobe.

While scratching I noticed that someone had posted a comment. That’s right someone wanted advice from me, Krazy Keith G. Do you believe that? My family wont.

ihenpecked said...

Tomorrow, please teach me how to down energy drinks and not go into a coma.

You ask for it you got it... If any one knows about energy drinks it's me, I'm on my third one right now. KK

How to Avoid Crashing After Having an Energy Drink

Every student knows the sugar and caffeine crash you experience after you have an energy drink. Can you lessen or avoid this effect? Surprisingly, it is not all that difficult.

1. Before you go to school, work, etc., drink an energy beverage (check the dosage to be sure you can handle it. Most people should stick with a 15oz can). The most popular and readily available are ones produced by Monster and Rockstar. Both come in many flavors to suit the time at which you drink them.

2. Be sure to eat something before or along with the drink. This will give your system something to work with, and not just run on pure caffeine and sugar. Energy beverages make a great supplement (not replacement) to a breakfast.

3. If you must drink a whole one at once, wait a few hours (2-4) before consuming another. Concentrated caffeine levels are deadly.

4. Try to spread out one drink. "Nurse" it for a few hours. This way, small doses of caffeine are in different parts of the body, some already on the way out.

Tips

1. At lunch, order foods with carbohydrates, such as a sandwich. Always keep some type of food in your system. Caffeine alone will not run your system.

2. If teachers don't allow drinks in class, keep it stored in your pocket for when you get a drink from the "water fountain" in the hall.

3. Don't become dependent on caffeine. Trace amounts remain in the system, so increasing amounts of caffeine will be needed to keep your system going.

4. Consider not drinking energy drinks at all - choose a healthy diet instead. D&C 89

a.Experiment with healthy foods, and find what works for you.

b. Avoid excess carbohydrates (especially unrefined carbs like sugar, white bread and white rice). For some people, even good healthy carbohydrates can cause a crash after eating too much (e.g. 6 potatoes instead of 2 or 3).

c. Try adding low glycemic index carbs to your diet, such as beans or sweet potatoes.

d. Stop eating before you're completely full. Or if you really want to fill up, eat more vegetables.

Warnings

a. NEVER exceed the 3 can limit posted on many energy drink cans. (Do as I say not as I do.) This applies to the double-size, 16oz.s. Three of these will yield 600mg of caffeine. Over a gram is never safe (Note: Depending on your weight and individual tolerance, this amount can be fatal).

b. Consuming too many energy drinks in any given period of time will adversely affect your health. As with any food substance, moderation is encouraged.

c. Be aware that energy drinks may be addictive. Many contain caffeine and other addictive chemicals and/or herbs.

d. Be careful; if you do this too often, you can suffer from "caffeine headaches."(I speak from experience.)

A day in the life of Krazy K.

Today I was reading my e-mail and since all the other Gardners have a blog , I didn't want to be left out, plus I'm sure you all wonder every day "what's Keith up to." Well wonder no more. Here's my fantastic amazing captivating blog.

Today was just another uneventful day, I awoke and scratched my butt, saw Teresa off to work then sat at my computer to fill the world in on my amazing life in Oregon.

While I was typing this blog I scratched my butt three times...

I guess I should have a purpose to my blog so I will teach you something amazing each and every day,

Today will be How to skip a rock.

If you ever aspire to be a serious outdoorsperson (or at least have the appearance of one), then you need to know how to skip rocks. Even if you don't beat the Guinness World Record of 51 skips in one throw, you'll likely impress children when you skip stones like a pro.

1. Find a mostly flat water surface with a good supply of rocks. Lake shores or calm areas of rivers are best. Ocean beaches aren't good because of the waves (however small) unless it's a very calm bay. If you do choose to skip stones on rough water, you'll need to adapt your technique to using a slightly heavier stone, which is more likely to plough through a wave and maintain a steady course.

2. Select your rock. Look for a skinny, flat and round rock about the size of your palm, which is just heavy enough to be immune to breezes and turbulence, but still light enough to be thrown with accuracy. Try to find the thinnest rock possible. The smoother and flatter the stone, the better it'll skip across the surface of the water without breaking the surface tension. However, the world record holder for rock skipping admits that a perfectly round and smooth stone is too slippery to hold; he prefers a stone with a chip or a bump that he can grip so that he can get the most spin. It's also possible that a rock with lots of small pits on the surface reduces water drag in the same way that the many dimples on a reduce air drag. Try out different kinds of stones and see what works best for you.

3. Put your index finger against the edge of the rock. Hold the flat sides of the rock with your thumb on one side and your middle finger on the other. This is just one way to hold the stone; what matters, ultimately, is that you can send the stone spinning in a straight line with the flat end almost parallel to the water.

4. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart facing sideways to the water, with your non-dominant side closest to the water's edge. Squat down close to the water so that when you throw, your rock will be close to parallel with the surface of the water. Scientists have found that the ideal angle between the stone and the water is 20 degrees; any less than that, and the friction slows it down; any more than that, and it cuts the water and sinks. If you're tall, you might find yourself making the angle too wide, in which case you can compensate by throwing the stone faster.

5. Flick your rock across the surface with a sharp movement of the wrist. It's similar to throwing a Frisbee. Throw it as fast as you can without losing form. Angle and spin are more important than speed. The world record holder has been observed to employ a baseball pitcher’s windup with a sidearm release and a strong follow through.

6. Keep trying. If the stones bounce off the water and go high in the air, you're probably throwing it down too close to yourself (making a wide angle between the stone and the water); try throwing it so the first skip is further away from you. That's because the force of the water pushes the rock up, and with too much force, it goes too far up then comes down at a sharp angle and sinks. If you throw it too far, though, the stone will "surf" across the surface of the water (rather than skip) and the friction will slow the rock's momentum and cause it to sink.



I feel much better now, Thanx for letting me into your life...