Whatever you want to name it—turkey neck, meatbeard, neck spam, gwaddle, meat scarf, cowsaddle, chin dumpling, or chinsulation—a double chin is unflattering and gives the impression that the subject is much heavier than they actually are.
I can help you remove the focus from your subject in photos by showing you how to effectively conceal a double chin. These tips will make your subjects more comfortable and they will thank you for making them look great!.
All of those nicknames, BTW, I didn’t make them up, so please don’t send me hate mail. Together with a ton of other terms that I am unable to put in print, they are all included in the Urban Thesaurus!
Hey there fellow shutterbugs! Let’s talk about a topic that plagues many of us: the dreaded double chin. It’s not exactly the most flattering feature, and it can make even the most confident person feel self-conscious in photos. But fear not, my friends, because I’m here to share my secret weapon for slaying the double chin and capturing stunning portraits.
The Not-So-Secret Weapon:
It’s not magic, but it’s pretty darn close. I’m talking about the “Turtle Stretch”. This simple technique involves having your subject push their chin forward, essentially stretching the skin on their neck and minimizing the appearance of the double chin.
But there’s a catch:
Just telling someone to “push their chin forward” rarely works. They often end up pushing it up and forward resulting in an unflattering angle. To avoid this I’ve developed a foolproof method:
- Show, don’t tell: Instead of just giving instructions, demonstrate the movement yourself. Show your subject exactly how you want them to position their chin.
- Make it collaborative: Explain why you’re asking them to do something that might feel awkward. This builds trust and encourages them to participate actively.
- Break it down: If necessary, ask your subject to push their shoulders back and then move their chin forward. This can help further minimize the double chin.
- Take breaks: Don’t hold the pose for too long, as it can cause stiffness. Shoot a few frames, let your subject relax, and then repeat.
Bonus Tip: Combine the “Turtle Stretch” with shooting from a slightly higher angle. This creates an optical illusion that further slims the face and neck.
More Tricks Up My Sleeve:
- Makeup magic: A skilled makeup artist can work wonders by contouring the jawline and using darker shades to make the double chin appear smaller.
- Hair matters: For women with long hair, hairstyles that keep the hair up or away from the shoulders can help elongate the neck.
- Chin Tuckers: Some people naturally tuck their chin in, creating a double chin. To combat this, encourage them to push their chin forward and lean their body slightly forward. This will make it physically harder for them to tuck their chin.
Lighting Considerations:
While I generally avoid altering lighting to hide a double chin, I do recommend avoiding clamshell lighting (light coming from below). Instead, opt for lighting from above, positioned slightly higher than usual.
Remember:
Patience and empathy are key when dealing with the double chin. Take your time, keep your subject relaxed, and make them feel comfortable. By following these tips, you’ll capture stunning portraits that showcase their natural beauty, double chin be gone!
Bonus:
Check out my video “How to get rid of a Double Chin: Portrait Photography Posing Tips” for a visual demonstration of these techniques.
Let’s Connect:
Join my TOGKnowledge Photographic Community to connect with photographers worldwide and share your photography journey. Together, let’s keep slaying those double chins and capturing amazing photos!
How To Hide a Double Chin in Photos – The Tips
Simply have your subject push their chin forward. This will tighten the skin on the neck and help to thin the double chin. Now, here is the catch… you can’t just tell your subject to stretch their neck or to push it forward. That rarely works. For some reason, with most people, if you ask them to push their chin forward, they will push it forward and up at the same time. Not only does this look like they are looking down at you, but you’ll be shooting up their nostrils. Watch the video below or click here to see how I give my subject directions.
Many people will still lift their chin even after showing them how to push the chin. My solution is to shoot off a bunch of frames, tell them they are doing great, and then I will ask them to relax for a moment.
See the video above to see how I do it. I tell them that it will look great even though I am asking them to do something that feels awkward.
I can gain their trust and willingness to do what I ask by pausing to explain WHY I want them to do something uncomfortable. In other words, I have made them a collaborator.
Never leave your subject in suspense; the more uncomfortable they feel, the more tense they get, and this will show in their facial expressions and body language. With a confident and at ease subject, the few minutes it takes you to explain why you’re asking them to do something will pay off handsomely.
Some subjects benefit from being asked to push their shoulders back before moving their chin forward in addition to the chin. Go ahead and try this yourself. It is even more awkward and takes more work, so this should be a last resort.
To avoid having your subject become stiff, try not to hold them down for longer than 15 seconds at a time when using this technique. It’s better to shoot a few frames, let them relax for a few seconds, and then start over. You’ll keep the body language much more relaxed this way.
Often, I will ask them to push forward and slightly lower their chin, or I will raise the camera angle to just above their eyes. That brings me to the second tip.
Shoot From Above
Anytime you take a picture of someone who is overweight, you can help them look thinner by taking the shot from a higher viewpoint. This is due to the fact that by positioning their head closer to the camera and their body farther away, you are effectively creating an optical illusion. Similar to how I do in this piece, we determine a person’s best facial feature.
Additionally, your subject’s neck muscles tighten and thin when they lift their chin toward the camera.
Understand that I am not suggesting extreme angles; otherwise, you just make your subject look like a caricature. I am talking about moving just a little above your subject.
There is no rule that says it has to be six feet, one foot, or two feet, as some of you want me to say. You have to learn to pay attention to how it makes your subject look. In other words, go practice!.
Another small tip to help conceal the double chin in pictures is to have your subject tilt their head slightly while pushing their chin forward if you are taking the picture from above. This will also help to conceal the extra chin.
If you’re working with a makeup artist, they can darken the extra chin and contour the jawline to give the appearance of a thinner jawline. A darker shade of powder, foundation, or bronzer will make the chin appear to recede. Then a little highlighter on the tip of the chin will make it seem to pop forward.
Makeup won’t make the extra chin disappear completely — but every little bit helps.
A small hair tip: Wearing long hair up, pushed back, or behind the shoulders can also help elongate the neck for women.
You can also have your subject wear a high collar.
At the beginning of this article, I mentioned that even skinny people get double chins. This is the story of what I call the “Chin Tuckers. ”.
To determine if you are dealing with a chin tucker, simply ask your subject to droop their chin. When they do it, they will do it one of two ways.
Some people smoothly lower their chin, and it moves slightly forward in the process. Other people pull the chin in to lower it — in other words, they tuck it. This will almost always create a double chin.
When the chin is tucked, the person’s face will appear to be pulling away from the camera. Ideally, you want their face and body to feel like it is moving toward and welcoming the camera.
The solution is easy…kind of. As I suggested in the first tip, explain to them that you need the chin to travel forward. Click here to see how I explain it to my subjects.
However, be aware that because they are a natural chin tucker, they will start to involuntarily tuck their chin after 15 to 30 seconds of shooting because it feels more comfortable for them. When that occurs, take a break, let them know you still need it to move forward, and then begin again.
Some Chin Tuckers have difficulty keeping their chin out for any period. In this situation, you can tweak your pose and use anatomy to your advantage.
Instead of just having the subject sit on a stool like I show in the video below, set up a second stool or chair for them to lean on.
The idea is for them to have to lean their body slightly forward. Try leaning forward and resting on your hand or elbow while reading this article even while seated at your desk. Your chin will naturally push forward, making it more difficult to tuck it in.
An added benefit of this position is that it creates a beautiful diagonal line from the shoulders, which improves the pose and overall composition of the picture.
HIDE DOUBLE CHINS IN PHOTOS | Tips to hide Turkey neck | Camera Confidence
FAQ
How can I make my neck look better in pictures?
How do I make sure I don’t have a double chin in pictures?
How do you prevent double chin in DMV photos?
What can I do if I have a turkey neck?
Turkey neck exercises: Daily neck exercises can strengthen neck muscles, which may help improve your neck’s appearance. For ideas on moves you can try, ask a dermatologist. Botox® for turkey neck: As the platysma muscles weaken, vertical bands or cords can appear on your neck. “The muscles become tight and enlarged,” Dr. Newman explains.
Can Ultherapy help hide a turkey neck?
Plus, your good taste and attention to fashion trends will make your age even more undetectable. When you’re sick of rooting around in your closet for accessories that can hide your turkey neck, there’s an FDA-cleared non-surgical solution to the rescue: Ultherapy’s ultrasound skin tightening treatment.
Can a saggy turkey neck look younger?
Nothing ruins a great outfit like a peek of wrinkling, saggy turkey neck. But with just a few tricks of the trade, your neck can look younger than ever using accessories and a simple ultrasound treatment. Here are our smart tips for turning back the clock on your skin:
Why should you wear a turtleneck?
They can also be used to draw attention away from the neck and even cover it fully if need be. Now that’s a useful accessory. When you really need an extra boost of confidence, throw on a turtleneck and you won’t need to worry about your neck for the rest of the day.