The key to looking good in photos? It's all about your jaw, as photographer Peter Hurley explains in this video. Essentially, stretch your forehead forward and down a bit to accentuate your jawline.

It's a long video (15 minutes), but full of examples that clearly illustrate how to position yourself and your head. Scrub to around the 7 minute mark for the photo examples, including this very convincing one (posted by Redditor 0xFFFFF):

The tip to stick out your forehead is an update to Hurley's previous advice to stick your chin out (and squint slightly) for better portrait shots (because it's really chin out and down, but even then he says you can get weird things going on with the chin). Remember to do this when you're laughing in photos too, to avoid the natural tendency to bring your head back and create a double chin.

Check out more tips for looking better in photos, including how to become more comfortable in front of the camera, or share your own in the comments.

It's all about the Jaw! | YouTube via Reddit

Most everyone has heard that it's a good idea to find your "good side" to help you take better pictures and a new study published in Experimental Brain Research suggests that your good side is probably your left side.

The reasoning has nothing to do with a part in your hair or any minor imperfections, it's actually more about how the brain perceives emotion. The authors of the study explain:

Our results suggest that posers' left cheeks tend to exhibit a greater intensity of emotion, which observers find more aesthetically pleasing. Our findings provide support for a number of concepts – the notions of lateralized emotion and right hemispheric dominance with the right side of the brain controlling the left side of the face during emotional expression.

Basically the left side of your profile is more likely to show intense and active emotional expression. This makes you more attractive and in turn makes for better pictures. Now that you can stop worrying about which side your best, you can start practicing squinting with your chin sticking out and playing around with other tricks.

Photo by Ann Larie Valentine.

A great portrait involves attention to many details, including camera, framing, color, and lighting. But you can help a shooter out by doing a few photogenic things: stick your chin out a bit, squint ever so slightly, and part your hair to reveal your good side.

Peter Hurley shoots head-shots of executive, celebrities, and other people who really want to look good everywhere that photo shows up. He gives the New York Times six tips on getting better photos out of his subjects, beyond all the equipment and expertise he's obviously carrying around.

Sticking one's chin out a bit to prevent neck waddles is something I've heard recommended for web video shoots. And the tip about guessing someone's "good side" by noting which side their hair is parted on is quite handy. But the tip about having subjects squint slightly is maybe the best pick-up for beginners:

The crucial word is slightly – not a pained expression as if reading fine print. The real trick is to squint with the lower lids only – think of the expression Clint Eastwood makes when assessing Lee Van Cleef before a showdown. "In my opinion, fear and uncertainly comes from the eyes," Mr. Hurley said. "If someone wants to look confident, have them squint."

What's worked out best for you when trying to get people to look in your lens and come out looking good? Photo via ☺ Lee J Haywood.

6 Tips for Better Portraits | NYTimes.com

A lot of us hate having our picture taken, but family members and friends insist on doing it anyway. If you freeze and then end up looking like a deer in the headlights in every photo, there's a few things you can do to prevent it from happening.

Photo by Jim Kelly.

The Stupid Things You're Doing You Need to Stop

We all have ways of coping with a photo being taken. Sometimes that means making a surprised face, other times it means we pretend to look like we're having more fun than we really are. In reality, you probably just need to relax and stop thinking so much about it. I talked with Luceo Images photographer Matt Slaby to see what behavior irks him in photos.

• You're pretending to be something you're not: Unless you're an actor, Matt recommends you quit pretending in photos and just act naturally, "Getting people's traits to come out is what a good photographer does. You can't fake your way through it." If you're a goofy person, posing in a weird way is going to work great, but if you're quiet and reserved, you look unnatural acting goofy. To put it simply: act normal.
• You hate having your picture taken and it shows: Here's the deal: a lot people aren't photogenic and most people don't like having a camera shoved in their face. You're not alone in this. When you hate having your picture taken, you slouch, make a stupid face, and when someone puts a shoulder around you it looks like its weighing you down. I know this because I look slouched over and annoyed in every photo taken over the last 20 years. The solution? Stand up straight and think about the last good meal you ate. You're not going to get a trophy for best smile, but at least you won't look like you're pain.
• You're squaring up to the camera: When someone points something at you it's a natural human reaction to look directly at it, but stop doing it. Look above the camera or below, but don't look directly at the camera. The same goes for the tilt of your head. A recent study found that men who tilt their head back slightly and woman who tilt their head forward are more attractive. The same goes for your feet and body, if they're angled directly at the camera, shift them (and your body) slightly. Don't worry about modeling techniques involving foot position and shoulder tilt. Just make sure you're not squared up to the camera.
• You're nervous and you try to leave after a single picture: The biggest hurdle for those of us who hate having our picture taken is the nerves. We tense up thinking about all those awkward high school portraits and we end up making the stupidest face imaginable. Matt suggests you relax and let the photographer wait you out, "Photographers will respond to your actions. A good photographer will wait you out and there's bound to be a point where you're not nervous anymore." There's nothing you can really do to combat nerves, but a simple trick is to stop making a run for the exit right after the picture is taken. Instead of scattering after the shutter is released, idle a bit and let the photographer capture a more candid photo after the "real" one was taken.
• You're mugging people (or being mugged): Matt also suggests the worst images are the ones where someone doesn't want to be in it. "When someone is photo mugging someone else, it never looks good. I almost always throw those away," says Slaby. So, stop forcing yourself on other people in pictures.

Photo by James.

Prepare Yourself Before Pictures by Learning Your Face

One of the reasons we get nervous having our pictures taken is probably due to the fact we're imagining this image being stored in a family photo album and we want to present our best side. Instead of fretting about your hair or how much you're smiling, prepare yourself ahead of time by getting to know your face a little better.

• Learn to smile naturally: We've talked about learning how to smile in the past, but it's worth noting again. Practice makes perfect here and getting to know your natural smile is the best way to keep yourself from looking awkward in a photo. Yes, it's self-indulgent, but if you practice in front of the mirror you'll eventually be able to conjure up a natural smile at any moment.
• Figure out which side you want to present: Most of us aren't perfectly symmetrical and even if we are, our haircuts probably aren't. When you're staring at yourself in the mirror working on your smile, figure out which side and angle you like the best and present that whenever you can.

Photo by Ananth BS.

Are you camera shy? Share your tips for not looking like an idiot in photos in the comments.