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Home » Blog » Mom Life » Blogging for Beginners » Take your profile picture from “Meh” to “Hey, Girl”

Take your profile picture from "Meh" to "Hey, Girl"

Sep 22, 2014 by Tiffany Dahle

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Capturing a photo that stops your friends in their tracks is easy with one simple trick. . .

I have too many girlfriends who hate being in photos. I confess, I am often one of them. After sitting in a photography session at the Type A blogging conference over the weekend, three of my best bloggy friends and I were inspired to try taking new profile pictures.

The speaker suggested using window light. I personally find that scenario to be more dramatic and moody than fits my style but we gave it a try.

We took a few shots in our hotel room and this is what I captured before we headed out for dinner:

Take your profile pic from "meh" to "Hey, Girl!"

I took one look at our restaurant of choice -- a bar across from the hotel -- and begged our server to seat us at one of the windowless tables:

A pull back from a gorgeous spot for taking a profile picture.

My friends probably thought I was a little pushy, but I insisted they take turns in the chair in front of the brick pillar for a 5 minute photo session.

At 5:00pm the sun was still in full glory with a clear blue sky. This chair was sitting in a spot where the sun was blocked by the building but the light is reflected off the light pavement. There are no harsh shadows, no direct light, and just oodles of reflection in their gorgeous eyes to give us some catchlights.

Take your profile pic from "meh" to "Hey, Girl!"

The beautiful Zina from Lasso the Moon and Jean from The Artful Parent

My girls took turns in the "hot seat" while we waited for our glasses of wine to be served. I got my settings in place and just patiently waited for the right expression.

Take your profile pic from "meh" to "Hey, Girl!"

The lovely Allison from No Time For Flashcards.

Once I captured each of them, it was my turn. I've learned that taking my own selfie with my iPhone helps me to see how open my eyes are, tilt my chin just so, and control my smile better. This is a trick I couldn't even do with a tripod and makes me love my phone even more:

I shared my new profile to my personal account on Facebook and got these comments:

"This is a STUNNING photo of you!"
"Gorgeous!"
"Luv!"
"Hey, beautiful!"

80+ likes and counting on the image and it's enough to make me blush.

Want to get a new profile pic for yourself?
The most important thing you can do is look for open shade:

Lighting tips for taking an awesome profile picture

Update your own profile picture with these tips:

1. Find outdoor open shade.

2. Face your body out towards the light, not in towards the building.

3. Look for a textured background, ours was a brick pillar in a bar! No need to be fancy.

4. Have a glass of wine, chill out with your friends, and smile a nice relaxed smile!
There's joy in numbers and it will shine in your eyes.

 

 

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sarah @ 2paws Designs

    September 23, 2014 at 10:11 am

    You rocked the tips from Lucrecer & David! The title totally had me sucked in and laughing. And I am loving the photos - the brick wall and indirect lighting were perfect.

    Reply
  2. Heidi M

    September 23, 2014 at 10:12 am

    Hey, Girl! Great tips here for anyone looking to take flattering photos. Some of my favorite photos have been taken with my phone. Why not? Nice post!

    Reply
  3. Sisters From Another Mister

    September 23, 2014 at 10:25 am

    All so pretty xxxx

    Reply
  4. Kristin Fuhrmann-Simmons

    September 23, 2014 at 11:26 am

    Tiffany, these are great pictures. I love the laughing and warmth in them. Did you open the aperture all the way? Would love to know the settings you used. Thanks for showing the side by side comparisons.

    Reply
  5. Tiffany Dahle

    September 23, 2014 at 11:46 am

    Kristin, sorry I didn't think to add that! It was as open as my lens allows. The settings were:

    ISO 800, f/2.8, 1/320 shot on a 40mm lens. I was shooting close enough to my subjects that even if I could have opened up more, I'm not sure I would have. You don't want one eye blurry if their head is turned a bit.

    Reply
  6. Kristen @ Busy Kids Happy Mom

    September 23, 2014 at 9:00 pm

    You all look GORGEOUS! These photos capture each of you perfectly!

    Reply
  7. Kim Vij

    September 26, 2014 at 12:46 am

    Thanks for sharing your tips Tiffany! So great to see you connect with Allison, Zina and Jean at Type A, wish I could have been there this year. The brick wall and lighting totally make each of you pop with personality!

    Reply
  8. maggy, red ted art

    September 26, 2014 at 5:33 am

    Great tips!!! Such lovely photos!!

    And I am SOOOO JEALOUS! Wish I could have sat in that coffee bar with you!

    Reply
  9. Mariah

    December 19, 2014 at 5:06 pm

    Great post... Amazing women!

    Reply
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Trackbacks

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    March 11, 2015 at 6:45 am

    […] Year, be sure to check out the back jacket flap. I was so honored to discover that Jean chose the portrait I took of her last fall as her author’s bio photo for her book. I’m even credited. […]

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  2. Make Your Photos POP Without Breaking the Bank | NC Blogger Network says:
    May 9, 2019 at 6:59 pm

    […] The best light is not direct light. If you park your object right in front of the window, chances are the light is too harsh and will create areas of too much brightness and shadows. […]

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Hi, I'm Tiffany! I'm a mom to two sweet peanuts and author of two bestselling cookbooks for kids. I love to celebrate the seasons and make time for monthly book club fun.

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