taking the picture that's in your head -

how to take a good picture (of yourself):

1)  have a sister who modeled.  lauren was the girl who, in every single picture, was dazzling.  even though it was the eighties, her hair was high, and her dresses made lacroix look tame, she stood out.  she almost radiated.  i hated her.  she told me that all you had to do was throw your shoulders back, pivot your hips to camera, and smile, using your teeth.  i thought she was drinking.  it couldn't be THAT simple.  but, i tried it, cause i was gay, vain, and desperate to look good in a picture.  it didn't work.

so, when confronted, she told me about the secret.

2)  you have to practice.  every face is different, but mirrors are our friends.  eventually you'll see the angle, the smile, and the eyes that work.  so i did, and it got better.  but not perfect.  i kept practicing, and nothing improved much.  so i tackled her in the hall, held her down, and threatened to spit in her mouth, until she relented and told me:

3)  you have to fake it.  she said "look. you have to fake that you are happy.  that you are laughing.  and that's key, cause everyone looks better when they're laughing, or coming right into or out of a smile."

and she was right.

why this ramble?  cause men need to learn not just how to dress themselves,
but how to present themselves,
and how to make sure the world sees them.

cause a good portrait goes a long way to securing what you want these days . . .
it is a social-networked, blogged, im'd environment.

now go get a mirror.  and practice.

you want to be perfect, right?