Picture This How to Capture Just the Right Image on Social Networking Sites

By KATHY FLANIGAN

It took a lot of trial and error for Jessica Kaminski to come up with the Facebook photo she thought best represented her.

The 29-year-old Milwaukee resident took several shots of herself and sent them to family and friends for their opinions. They agreed that her choice made her look “approachable.”

Kaminski is a professional photographer. If anyone’s picture matters, it’s hers.

Oh, that it were so for everyone else. Among the millions of profile photographs on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, more than a few of them could have used an objective critique. Trying to look sexy doesn’t make it so. And here’s another hint: It’s not as easy, or as flattering, to take your own photo. Leave that to the pros.

Take a trip through Facebook or MySpace, and you’ll find young women wearing skimpy clothing and a come-hither look; photos that look like the shooter was peering into a doorknob; and group shots for parties you’ll be happy you didn’t attend.

And don’t kid yourself that only friends will see you. In May, Facebook counted nearly 124 million unique visitors, while MySpace boasted nearly 115 million, according to CnetNews.com.

We asked three professional photographers — each has a Facebook page — for their suggestions on how an amateur might take his or her own photo.

– Jessica Kaminski, owner, J. Kaminski Photography:

“This might be the first image anyone sees of you,” she said. If you’re taking your own photo, she recommends: “Hold the hand with the camera higher than normal so you don’t get a double chin in the photo.”

Profile photos don’t have to be just your mug. “It could be an action shot — something farther away; an activity you really enjoy. If you love animals, get photographed with your dog. Find something from a summer barbecue or an action shot from a marathon you ran. You want to tell people a little bit about yourself.”

– Kristyna Wentz-Graff, staff photographer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

If you’re taking your own photo, she said, angle the camera slightly away so you don’t shoot down your arm. Use a 45-degree angle from above or put the camera on a tripod.

Think about what your grandmother, your mother or your boss might think of your photo choice.

“You want to have a photo that says a lot about you; for instance, if you’re a person who loves the beach. That’s great. If it’s you on the beach in a G-string . . . ” Unless you’re a professional model, that’s not so great.

Consider the environment while you’re taking the shot. “If you’re going to do it outdoors, use the early morning hours before 10 a.m. or early evening hours such as 4, 5 or 6 when the light is most flattering and there’s a beautiful glow in the sky.” The noon sun will cast shadows that give you raccoon eyes and an elongated nose.

Skip the group shot. “I’ve seen pictures with four or five girls all arm in arm and wondered . . . who the actual Facebook person is.”

– Janet McMillan, owner, Janet McMillan Photography:

“My Facebook photo really reflects me more as a person,” McMillan said. She used a Holga camera, a toy camera with a plastic lens that takes larger-format film. The result is casual and informal.

McMillan recommends letting someone else make your photo choice. The photo that you think makes you look best might not say the same thing to someone else.

“For me, the best photos are when you can capture something that’s not necessarily so posed, like a true moment,” McMillan said. A picture that sticks out in her mind is a snapshot she saw of a woman in a cowboy hat at the Wisconsin State Fair eating a caramel apple.

“She wasn’t looking at the camera,” McMillan said. “She was just really enjoying this caramel apple.”

Business side

Choosing a photograph to use for a business networking site such as LinkedIn is more straightforward, according to our panel of photography professionals.

McMillan recommends playing it safe. “That’s just much more of a professional site and should have more of a professional photo.” Kaminski agreed: “With the business end of it, I think you have to be a little bit more guarded.”

And don’t try to hide behind your corporate logo. LinkedIn doesn’t allow any copyrighted material.

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