It seems everyone has a camera on their phone so you never know when you’ll be shot! Have you ever wanted to put your hand in front of your face as if your friend was a Paparazzi? Have you ever thought that YOU were not photogenic?  In a flash you are forever captured and posted somewhere, so how do you manage your ‘public image’?  Try this:

First, try not to crank your neck, lean or otherwise distort your posture; relax your shoulders, pull in your abs and straighten your back. Next, be sure your chin is level and pulled slightly forward, never back into your neck, to avoid a double chin effect. Smile and open your mouth slightly to show teeth; Open your eyes to their natural fullness and look straight into the lens.

You can actually pool these postures in one sweeping motion just before someone frames you in their shot, you may need to practice a few times, but you may like what you see!

Do you have a “worst photo” story? We would love to hear it!

Seven, 7, seven – Oscars for makeup artist, Rick Baker. This one for The Wolfman.  

I took Special Effects Makeup (SFX) training and have done a few FX.  But, SFX is a lot like cooking, neither of which I enjoy.  Each requires - just the right ingredients, at just the right time, cooked just long enough, and then if all goes as planned, the big reveal!  It takes a love for chemistry to make a cake or a wolfman. To create a masterpiece, you can’t just throw in all of the ingredients and hope it comes out all right.  I find both cooking and SFX to be tedious, time consuming, a lot of waiting and requires that I am on my feet just that much longer.  No, I find that making people beautiful rather than monstrous is not only quicker, but more enjoyable.  To accomplish beauty makeup you must employ an eye for symmetry, color, structure and style.  For me, to hear, “Wow, I love my makeup.” or, “Thanks for getting rid of my double chin.” is my reward.  

To be sure, on the part of the artist or the chef, there is always a breathy ‘sigh’ when it is all over.  And I salute Mr. Baker and his pioneering efforts in the world of SFX for the makeup industry. He has brought us all a special recognition and our craft is respected for all the right reasons. Cheeers to Oscar number seven Mr. Baker, and hopes for number eight.