How to Look Good in Photos With Glasses (No Glare)

7 min read · Glowmaxx

To look good in photos with glasses, clean the lenses, tip the frames down very slightly at the temples, and move your light source off to the side so its reflection misses the camera. Then make sure your eyes sit clearly in the middle of the lenses, not peeking over or under the frames. Those four moves remove almost all glare and keep your eyes looking like yours.

If glasses glare or small-looking eyes keep ruining your selfies, Glowmaxx scores your light and angle levers each day and tells you which one to fix first. Start my glow-up

Why glasses change your photos

Glasses add three things to a photo that aren't there without them:

• Reflections. Lenses are little mirrors. A window, lamp or phone screen in front of you shows up as a bright patch right over your eyes.
• Magnification. Prescription lenses change how big your eyes look through them. Lenses for nearsightedness usually make eyes look smaller; lenses for farsightedness usually make them look larger.
• A frame line. Frames draw a strong horizontal line across your face, which is great for definition, but it can hide your eyes if it sits in the wrong place.

The good news: every one of these can be handled with positioning. No need to take your glasses off unless you want to.

Why do my eyes look small in glasses?

If you're nearsighted, your lenses are thinner in the middle and thicker at the edges, and they make what's behind them look a bit smaller, including your eyes. You can't change the prescription for a photo, but you can make your eyes the focus with good light and a slightly closer (zoomed, not physically closer) crop. More on that below.

Clean lenses first

Smudges on glasses show up in photos more than you'd think, especially as hazy glow around bright spots.

1. Rinse the lenses with lukewarm water (skip hot water).
2. Use a drop of lens cleaner or mild dish soap, then rinse.
3. Dry with a clean microfiber cloth, not your shirt or a tissue.
4. Hold them up to a light to check for streaks.
5. Wipe your phone's camera lens too.

Thirty seconds, and your eyes look clearer in every shot after.

Tilt the frames, not your head

This is the trick many photographers who wear glasses swear by.

The frame tilt

• Lift the arms of your glasses very slightly off the tops of your ears, about a few millimeters.
• This tips the lenses down so they point toward the floor instead of straight at the camera.
• Reflections from lights at eye level now bounce downward and miss the lens.

It looks completely normal in photos because the change is tiny. Don't overdo it, or your glasses will visibly sit crooked.

Why not just tilt your head?

Tilting your head down to kill glare also changes your whole face: more forehead, less jaw, a possible double-chin line. Tilting the frames fixes the reflection while your head stays in your best position. If you haven't found that position yet, see how to find your best angle for selfies.

Where the light should come from

Here's the rule: a reflection bounces off the lens at the same angle the light hits it. So if the light is straight in front of you and the camera is straight in front of you, the reflection goes straight into the camera.

How to avoid glare on glasses in photos, step by step

1. Stand near a window, but turn so it's off to one side at about 45 degrees.
2. Hold the phone at eye level, straight in front of you.
3. Look at the screen: if you see the window in your lenses, turn your body a few more degrees away from it.
4. Tip the frames slightly as above.
5. Turn your phone screen brightness down if you see a small bright rectangle in each lens; that's your screen reflecting.

For more on setting up window light in any room, see how to take a selfie with good lighting.

The annoying part is that glare shows up differently every time you move, and after a dozen shots it's hard to judge whether you fixed it or just got used to it. Glowmaxx scores light and fit and posture and angle separately, 1-10 each, with a one-line note on what's pulling the score down. The same photo always gets the same score, so it's a steady second opinion. Start my glow-up

Keep your eyes visible

Glasses should frame your eyes, not hide them.

• Look through the center of the lenses. If you lower your chin too much, your eyes end up peeking over the top of the frames.
• Push the glasses up your nose so the top of the frame doesn't cut across your pupils.
• Keep the camera at eye level or slightly above. Low angles look up through the bottom of the lenses and show thick edges.
• Don't shoot too close. Step back and zoom to 2x. Close-ups exaggerate lens edges and the "shrinking" effect.
• Smile with your eyes. Slightly narrowing your lower lids makes eyes look alive behind the lenses.

Glasses on or off in photos?

Wear them if people usually see you in them. A photo without your glasses can look less like you to friends. For a profile picture especially, go with how you look day to day; tips on that are in how to take a good selfie for a profile picture.

Frames and angles that suit photos

You don't need new frames for photos, but it helps to know how yours behave on camera.

Selfie poses with glasses

• Three-quarter turn: turn your face slightly and look back at the lens. Watch that the far lens doesn't catch the window.
• Hand to frames: lightly touch one arm of your glasses. Looks natural and gives your hand a job.
• Glasses pushed up on your head: a casual option for a second photo if you want both looks.
• Chin forward: a tiny forward lean keeps the jawline sharp without tilting the lenses up.

How to look good in glasses for men

Same principles, plus a couple of small things: keep frames straight and clean, make sure brows are groomed so they don't crowd the top of the frame, and try a slightly lower, level camera for a stronger look. Thicker frames can look sharp on camera; thin metal frames almost disappear, which is great if you want your eyes to be the focus.

Anti-reflective coatings

If you're getting new lenses anyway, many opticians offer anti-reflective coatings, which reduce glare in general. It's worth asking about, but everything in this guide works without one.

Get a glare-free glasses selfie in the next minute

So that's how to look good in photos with glasses: clean lenses, frames tipped a hair, light off to the side and eyes centered in the lenses. Take one selfie with that setup and Glowmaxx scores your five levers into a glow score out of 100, with three moves for today aimed at your lowest lever. The photo is scored once, then thrown away.

Start my glow-up

FAQ

How do I take good pictures with glasses without glare?

Move the light source about 45 degrees to one side instead of straight in front, and tip the frames down slightly by lifting the arms off your ears a few millimeters. Turn off the flash and avoid ring lights.

Why do my eyes look small in glasses in photos?

Prescription lenses for nearsightedness make what's behind them look a bit smaller, including your eyes. Good light on your eyes, looking through the center of the lenses and a zoomed crop from a distance help them stand out.

Should I take my glasses off for photos?

Only if you want to. If people usually see you in glasses, photos with them on will look more like you. Try both and keep whichever feels right.

What are some good selfie with glasses ideas?

Try a three-quarter turn with light from the side, a shot with your hand lightly touching the frames, or a casual photo with glasses pushed up on your head. Keep your eyes centered in the lenses for the main shots.

How do guys look good in glasses in pictures?

Clean frames, groomed brows, a level camera and light from one side. Keep your chin slightly forward and look through the center of the lenses so the frames don't cut across your eyes.