9 effective tips on how to look taller in photos

Despite badly wishing you could be taller, if a short stature is what your genes gave you, you simply can’t become LeBron. But in photos, you can make yourself look taller with a little foresight and knowledge. These tips do not depend on photo editing, so anyone can do this just as long as you have the right cameras and accessories.

Here are 9 simple tricks to make you look taller in pictures:

#1. Wear the right clothing

Be mindful of your clothing when you take photos. Wearing clothes can change the proportion of your body, so choose the combination that will make you taller. Follow some of these tips that will work well with your wardrobe:

• Don’t wear clothes with horizontal stripes, go for vertical stripes instead. Horizontal stripes tend to make you shorter, while vertical lines elongate.
• Stay away from loose-fitting pants. This will overwhelm your body frame and make your legs shorter.
• Go for V-neck tops. Showing some skin will make your neck longer and will shift attention to your face.
• Wear shorter tops. Well-fitted clothes will flatter your small body frame. Make sure you don’t wear anything oversized.
• Wear high waisted bottoms to elongate the lower half of your body. Since our height is perceived more from our legs, making your legs look longer makes you taller.
• Wear a single color. Maintaining the same color for the top and bottom gives your figure long, clean lines that lengthen your body. Monochrome dressing can also be improved when you wear darker colors that can make you look more sophisticated.

#2. Wear heels

This is a no-brainer. Wearing shoes that add up 2 to 4 inches to your height is noticeable in your photos. You don’t need to have very tall heels to make this work.

For women, to make your legs look more elongated, wear low-cut vamp shoes with skirts, shorts, and dresses. However, if heels are not comfortable for you, shoes with pointed toes will be just fine.

#3. Take pics from alower angle

Try taking your photos from a low shooting position. Ask your friend to snap photos while they are squatting down, and an upward angle will make most people look taller and thinner. Since the camera is angled up, it elongates your figure and gives the illusion of more height. The trick with this shot is to adjust your face and gaze to the camera so it doesn’t seem being shot upward. You might need a little practice to achieve this. However, once you perfect this technique, it will work wonders.

#4. Put one leg in front

Crossing your legs can somehow work to make you look taller. This trick works whether you are standing or sitting. Just crossing your legs can work magically to make you look taller and will give an illusion of length.

#5. Take pictures while walking

Aside from crossing your legs, taking long strides can make your legs longer and leaner, thus making you taller. Taking one large step forward will always add an extra dimension to any photo. You don’t have to stand still to pose, you can take one foot forward and take the stride. Just make sure that your pose looks as natural as possible.

#6. Have good posture

Having a good posture is the most important thing you should do to keep you look taller. Standing straight with your head up and shoulders back ensure that you’re at your maximum height so you can take feature every inch you have. Also, keeping your posture also applies when you’re taking sitting photos. Always pull your shoulders back and keep them straight, raise your chin slightly up and keep your stomach flat.

#7. In group photos, sit down

When you have taller friends, you can still look tall by hiding the height difference between you and your friends. When you all sit down, your photo won’t show whos taller and who’s shorter. Additionally, sitting down will help your photographer shoot better at eye level.

Other than that, try to take a photo without anyone. Being taller in photos work best when you are alone. This works for objects too. Any objects beside you, chairs or tables, for example, add a relative comparison to your height.

#8. Fill the frame

Another great tip to make you look taller is filling the photo to fit your body. This works by playing with proportions and assumptions by making you the tallest object in the photo. It works whether you're sitting or standing, and the background can be anything, but the basic idea is, you are the center of attention. Just make sure you don't sabotage the effect by standing right next to something that allow you to be easily scaled.

#9. Don’t crop mid-body

A lot of the perceived height in photos come from our legs. In other words, taking a photo with just the upper body and hiding your legs will make you shorter. With this tip it's important to take full body pictures instead to show length.

Conclusion

With these simple tips you can make yourself look naturally taller in photos, but aiming to look tall is not the most essential part of your photo. It does make your photos better, but a confident smile and great pose will make it a complete package. Perfect -- just the way you are.