How to Look Older in Pictures: Tips & Tools

By Tata Rossi 13 days ago, Photography Tips

If you have childish facial features, you may want sometimes to look older in pictures to convey the right impression. Whether you need to get a photo for your CV or want to improve the way you look in group portraits, it’s important to learn how to look more mature.

Below, we have outlined the best approaches for a person who looks too young. You can follow them to look your age or visibly age your facial features.

Makeup and Hair

how to look older in pictures makeup

Ladies should pay attention to their makeup if they want to look older. Mature women prefer to wear natural makeup without attention-grabbing colors. It will allow you to get a good driver license photo or take a nice picture for other documents.

Use Darker Makeup

Using darker and slightly muted tones will make you appear older. It’s better to use a bit darker foundation than usual to make your wrinkles more noticeable and highlight contours. It will make your facial features more mature.

You can emphasize the natural signs of aging by applying contouring products around the eyes, mouth, and forehead. Make sure to blend these products well to achieve a natural result.

Pro tips:

  • Utilize a small, angled brush as it will allow you to achieve a realistic effect.
  • Use a sponge for blending lines.
  • Use darker makeup shades to emphasize your facial features.

Accentuate Under-Eye Bags

Even if your under-eye bags are hardly noticeable, you can emphasize them using a dark concealer or eyeshadow. This way, your eyes will look more tired.

Draw fine lines around the eyes with the help of a suitable brush. Use a dark eyeliner and blend lightly to achieve a natural look.

Pro tips:

  • Use matte concealer or dark eyeshadow to create under-eye shadows.
  • Draw lines with a fine brush and blend them with a soft brush.

Contour and Highlight

You can emphasize your cheekbones, jawline, and temples using contour techniques. It will enable you to get an aged look with natural shadows.

Using a light highlighter on your cheekbones and nose bridge, you can make your photo look realistic.

Pro tips:

  • Apply cool-toned contouring products to achieve a natural effect.
  • Use blending to ensure that there are no noticeable lines.
  • Use a slightly noticeable highlighter to look older.

Grey Hair

Adding some silver streaks to your hair will do wonders for your appearance. You can use hair color sprays or hair chalk. Start with your temples and apply some product to a part line. Style your hair to make yourself look like an older person. Low buns, ponytails, and short cuts will look great.

Pro tips:

  • Use temporary hair color products to add some gray hair.
  • Try out different placements of gray streaks.
  • Opt for basic hairstyles.

Editing Techniques

how to look older in pictures editing

Below, we have collected some tips that will help you make yourself look older using Photoshop apps. If you spend some time learning how to adjust app settings, you can make yourself look older in pictures with ease.

Use Dedicated Software

Add wrinkles and fine lines using photo editing software like Photoshop or apps with aging filters. Adjust lighting to create shadows on the face, emphasizing features for an older appearance.

Pro tip:

  • Discover how to use essential photo editing tools or learn how to apply aging app filters.
  • Adjust shadows and add wrinkle effects to make yourself look natural.

Desaturate Colors

By making colors bleaker, you can artificially age your images. You may also add sepia or black-and-white filters to your pics to recreate a look of vintage photos.

Pro tips:

  • Use photo editing software to tweak saturation and apply filters.
  • Try using different settings to see which of them allow you to achieve the desired result.
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Clothing and Accessories

how to look older in pictures clothing

According to Nylon Magazine, wearing clothing that does not fit you well makes you look immature. If you find it difficult to select items that fit you perfectly, you can always purchase larger items and ask a tailor to alter them.

Choose Older Styles

If you want to look older, conservative fashion is best. You can find plenty of classic blazers, blouses, and other clothing items that will make you look several years older. Neutral colors and natural fabrics always look great.

Pro tips:

  • Wear classic clothing items.
  • Do not wear clothes with bold or trendy patterns.
  • Buy well-tailored clothing items that are comfortable to wear.

Use Accessories

It will be easier for you to achieve the desired result if you use accessories preferred by older people. For instance, you may wear glasses, pearls, or shawls. Opt for classic jewelry. Stud earrings, traditional necklaces, and old-fashioned watches will always look great in the frame.

Pro tips:

  • Select accessories that are not too eye-catching, as they will allow you to create a well-balanced image.
  • Do not wear modern items.
  • When choosing accessories, pick the ones with classic designs. They should be made of traditional materials.

Posture and Expression

how to look older in pictures expression

When browsing the web, you can discover a variety of selfie poses that will help you look nice in the frame. When capturing a selfie photo, it’s crucial to understand how you are going to use it and proceed accordingly. Below, we have outlined some common tips that will help you appear older in your pics.

Do you want to know how to look older in a fake ID picture? We do not recommend using these techniques to create forgeries, however, they are suitable for creating photos for personal use.

Adjust Your Posture

Older people usually have a specific stance, so try relaxing a bit to make yourself look less rigid in front of a camera. It will enable you to recreate the desired effect and look as natural as possible.

Pro tips:

  • If you have a good posture, you may need to spend some time in front of the mirror to learn how to slouch naturally.
  • Ensure that your posture does not look forced, as it will prevent you from getting realistic photos.

Facial Expressions

Avoid smiling as serious expressions work best for visually aging a person. There is no need to look cute or show too many emotions as being reserved will help you achieve a more convincing result. You can slightly squint and look relaxed to look like an aged person.

Pro tips:

  • Stand in front of the mirror and try changing your facial expressions to see which of them suits you best.
  • Make sure to relax in front of the camera, otherwise, your facial expression will look unnatural.

Lighting and Angles

how to look older in pictures angles

According to the researchers working at the University of Brussels, the angle used by a photographer has a pivotal importance for creating the right impression. When a photographer takes pics from above, people look youthful.

In contrast, pictures taken from a lower angle typically create the impression that a photographer has captured a photo of an older person. It is the classic angle for full body portraits and other types of photos, as it allows photographers to emphasize their model’s confidence.

Harsh Lighting

Harsh lighting is suitable for emphasizing shadows and making facial features look older. Put the light source to the side if you want to make shadows deeper, as it will allow you to achieve an aged effect effortlessly. Keep in mind that soft lighting typically makes the skin look smoother, thus a person gets a younger appearance.

Pro tips:

  • Try taking photos from different lighting angles to see which of them allows you to capture deeper shadows.
  • Do not use diffusers or softboxes.

Lower Angles

Capturing pictures from a low angle allows a photographer to emphasize the neck and jawline. Besides, it facilitates capturing shadows on the face and making a person look visibly aged. High angles will make you visually younger.

Pro tips:

  • Try using different camera angles to achieve the result you are satisfied with.
  • Achieve better image stabilization using a tripod or putting a camera on a stable surface to shoot from the best angle.

Props and Backgrounds

how to look older in pictures props

Selecting the right props and backdrops for a photo session is instrumental in making a model appear older. By choosing different options, you can create the right setting and show a person in a suitable context.

Use Props

Utilizing themed props, including a book, a cane, or a pair of glasses allows a photographer to imply that they took photos of an older person. When posing, hold these objects in the way elderly people usually do it, as it will allow you to create the right impression with ease.

Pro tips:

  • Use props that are typically used by older people.
  • Try out different positions and angles and ensure that you hold props like an older person.

Choose Appropriate Backgrounds

Classic backgrounds work best for photos of older people. You may take pics in libraries, gardens, kitchens, or living rooms to demonstrate your best qualities in a traditional setting.

Pro tips:

  • Find locations with traditional backgrounds conveying a sense of maturity.
  • Do not pose against backgrounds with elements and colors suited to younger generations.

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