Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 4: Getting the right facial expression
• Part 2 of 4: Choosing the right pose
• Part 3 of 4: Finding the right background
• Part 4 of 4: Editing your photo
• Tips

A well-maintained Facebook account requires a striking and flattering profile picture of yourself. Use a few simple tips to look natural and beautiful in the photo. Take the photo yourself or ask someone else to help you. Finally, edit your photo until you have the perfect image to upload to your Facebook account.

To step

Part 1 of 4: Getting the right facial expression

1. Squeeze your eyes a little bit. With wide-open eyes, you often don't look attractive, but just a little intimidating. The quickest way to look more attractive is to squint your eyes just a little bit.
   • Be careful not to squeeze your eyes too much, as this will make it look like you are severely short-sighted.
2. Tilt your head. One of the reasons that everyone hates their passport photo is that you are required to keep your head straight. This is not flattering. For a nice photo, tilt your head slightly and take the photo from your best side.
3. Show a radiant smile. A beautiful smile always looks good. Research shows that people rate someone who smiles more attractive than someone with a neutral facial expression. Relax your mouth, show a few teeth and smile naturally.
   • A forced smile is less effective than a natural smile.
4. Do not pursue your lips excessively. In English they call this a "duck face". Make sure you don't look like that in the picture, because it looks pretty ridiculous.
5. Keep it natural. Your profile picture is meant to show the best side of yourself, not to make you look so different that people won't recognize you when they run into you.
   • Use clear lipstick when using makeup and keep your brows looking flawless. They enhance your natural expression.
   • Take off your sunglasses as it distracts from your facial features.

Part 2 of 4: Choosing the right pose

1. If possible, have someone else take your photo. If someone else takes your photo, you can pose however you want. The other person can also help you stage the photo as well as possible.
2. Take a head and shoulders or a head and upper body shot. A profile picture focuses on your face, but you can show more of your body. For a confident look, stand with one hand on your hips, bending your elbow slightly back.
   • Make sure your face is still visible if you show more of your body.
3. Bend your body at an attractive angle. A good posture is of course very important, but standing straight in a picture makes a stiff and unnatural impression. Lean your body slightly to the side and your body slightly forward. Your body seems more relaxed and in better proportion.
4. Keep yourself out of the center of the frame. Professional photographers know the rule of the thirds. In your mind, divide the image into three equal pieces with two vertical lines. Make sure you are on one of these lines instead of the very center of the frame.

Part 3 of 4: Finding the right background

1. Do not take a picture in front of the mirror. It is now hopelessly old-fashioned to take a selfie of yourself in front of the mirror. It is better to turn the camera and take the picture. With most smartphones you can get a good picture of yourself in this way.
   • You can also lean your camera against something and use the timer function to take a picture of yourself.
   • A selfie stick can also give good results.
   • If you do need to take a picture in front of the mirror, make sure the phone stays out of the picture by holding it at shoulder height and pointing it slightly upwards. Then zoom in as much as possible for a photo that only features your face.
2. Provide a nice decor. Your face in front of a white background makes for a boring photo. Rather take a photo outside, at work, or just in front of a colored background.
   • The background should not be too busy, as that will distract attention. Also do not take a photo with other people, because then it is not clear which person in the photo you are.
3. Provide good light. Your profile picture should not be too dark, but also not too light. Find a balance between these. For this reason, at night and in the middle of the day are difficult times to take a picture. Rather try it in the morning or around sunset.
   • Natural light is best for a photo. However, you can also take a good photo indoors, as long as you make sure that the light source does not shine directly on you. Make sure you have indirect light.
   • If there is no other option than with flash light, make sure that the flash does not reflect too strongly on your body. Ask someone else to take the photo and pay attention to it.

Part 4 of 4: Editing your photo

1. Crop your photo. Facebook shows a square profile picture. On the computer this will be a picture of 170x170 pixels. On a phone, this will be 128x128 pixels. With a photo editing program you can already crop your photo into a square.
2. Keep the saturation (saturation) of the colors low. Too intense colors make your portrait look very unnatural. With your photo editing program you can lower the saturation of your photo before uploading it.
3. Provide a clear photo. If your photo is too dark, you can make it brighter with your photo editing program. Don't overdo this because when your photo gets too bright, you will look unnatural and unattractive.
   • If your photo is really too dark, you better take a new photo with better light.

Tips

• Rather use a camera than a phone. It is practical to use a phone, but a simple camera usually has more and better options for taking a good picture than a phone - especially if you have someone to take the picture for you.
• If you're taking a photo for your business Facebook page, make sure you're wearing professional attire. A photo in casual wear is absolutely not possible; that does not radiate professionalism. Pay a little extra attention to your clothes.Choose clothes that look good on you and that make you feel good and confident.
• Keep in mind that clothes that look good on you in everyday life do not always have to be clothes that are suitable for your profile picture. After all, this photo only shows your face and shoulders, so how your legs look is not important.