A Quick Fix to Fat Arms

Apr 24, 2015

posted in POSING with 0 Comments

As a boudoir photographer, I hear a lot of a body image concerns. In fact during consultations, I ask what concerns my clients have with their body. What do they want to show off and what do they want to hide etc. I hear the typical tummy, thighs, booty response; but just recently, I had a client say her least favorite body part was her arms.

I get that.

It might not be the first thing you think of hiding in boudoir since there’s a whole lot more to hide! LOL. But how many of you hate the look of your arms in pictures? How many of you avoid sleeveless shirts for that reason alone?

No worries. This is quick fix.

But first, let’s talk about why posing works. How many of you have accidentally taken a photograph that is either orange or green looking? Are you convinced you’re an orange person? Or do you just know that something went wrong with the picture?

Of course you’re not orange! So why do you look at a picture of yourself and immediately start with the self hate.

“I must really look like that?!”
“I’m so fat!”
“GROSS!”

Did you ever stop to consider that just like color temperature (orange or green photos), there are other factors that go into making an accurate picture of yourself?

Like….lighting, composition, color and of course…posing! Posing is a big part of what goes into creating a great photograph and I’ve learned a lot about posing by working with professional models.

It’s not fair to start judging a photograph of yourself when you don’t yet understand how it all works.

Which brings me back to your fat arms…

Did you know as a general rule, whatever is closest to the camera appears the biggest? This is especially true when you’re using your cell phones or point and shoot cameras! A simple fix for your arms, is to pose with your arms farther away from the camera than the other parts of your body.

[It’s easier than it sounds.]

So, if you are standing with your arms by your side, think about having a very slight bend in your elbows and push your arms back, keeping them just behind your hips. If you have pockets, even better! Put your hands in your pocket (thumb out), bend your elbows and keep them by your side.

**Don’t think hands on the hips; think arms behind the hips.**

By keeping your arms just slightly behind your hips, your body is now creating dimension that wasn’t originally there. It gives the appearance of depth and you’re no longer on a single plane. Take a look at the models below. Sure they’re skinny, but every single one of them still has their arms behind their hips!