How to Take Pictures With a Long Face: Angles That Work

6 min read · Glowmaxx

If you're figuring out how to take pictures with a long face, the rule is simple: keep the camera at eye level (not above), face it more straight on, and use light and framing that add width instead of height. The common "hold it high" advice was made for round faces, and on a long face it stretches the forehead and chin. Flip that one habit and your photos look more balanced right away.

If your selfies keep making your face look longer than it feels, Glowmaxx scores your posture-and-angle lever daily and gives you three moves aimed at your lowest lever. Start my glow-up

What makes a face look longer on camera

A long or narrow face isn't a problem. In person, people see you from lots of heights and angles, so they barely notice proportions. A still photo locks in one viewpoint, and certain viewpoints add length.

The usual culprits:

• A high camera. Looking up at the lens stretches the forehead and narrows the chin.
• A low camera. Looking down at the lens stretches the jaw and neck.
• Tall crops. A vertical frame with lots of space above your head emphasizes height.
• Top light. Ceiling light puts shadows under your cheekbones, which narrows the face.
• Flat, center-parted hair. Two vertical curtains frame the face and pull the eye up and down.

Every one of these is fixable without editing. Here's how.

Camera at eye level, not above

This is the first and most important change.

1. Hold the phone at arm's length or prop it about 2-3 feet away.
2. Line up the lens with your eyes, not higher.
3. Keep the phone perfectly upright, not tilted down toward you.
4. Look straight into the lens.

Eye level shows your proportions as they really are. It doesn't stretch the top of your face or the bottom. If you've been using the high-angle tip from social media, you'll probably notice the difference in one shot.

What about slightly below eye level?

A camera an inch or two below your eyes can shorten the forehead a little. Just don't go down to chin height, because then you start stretching the jaw instead. Test both and keep whichever looks more like you.

Straight-on vs three-quarter angles

For round faces, the three-quarter turn narrows things. For long faces, you usually want the opposite.

Straight on or a very slight turn is the best selfie angle for a long face in most cases. It's also one of the best selfie angles for oval faces, which are often long-ish anyway.

The forehead trick from Reddit, adjusted

There's a well-known Reddit tip: "LPT: How to look photogenic by drawing your forehead to the camera." It works, because leaning your forehead slightly toward the lens defines the jaw. On a long face, though, overdo it and your forehead grows. Keep it to a tiny lean, and keep the camera level.

Framing and crop tricks

Framing is an easy way to make your face look less long in pictures, and it takes seconds.

• Crop horizontally. A square or landscape crop reads wider than a tall portrait frame.
• Cut the space above your head. A little headroom is fine; a lot adds height.
• Include your shoulders. Shoulders add width to the overall shape.
• Turn your shoulders slightly, face straight on. This adds a horizontal line to the photo while keeping your face at its full width.
• Step back and zoom to 2x. A close front camera stretches features toward the lens, including a long chin.

If you're shooting a profile picture, head-and-shoulders in a square crop is almost perfect for a long face. Our guide to taking a good selfie for a profile picture covers that in more detail.

The hard part isn't knowing these tips. It's remembering which combination you tried yesterday and whether it actually looked better. Glowmaxx scores one selfie a day, including a 1-10 posture-and-angle score with a one-line note, and saves it to your glow timeline on your device. Change one thing at a time and you can see what worked. Start my glow-up

Hair and parting choices

Your hair frames your face in every photo, so small changes show up big.

For girls and anyone with longer hair

• Side part instead of a center part. It adds a diagonal and breaks up vertical lines.
• Volume at the sides, around cheek level, rather than on top.
• Soft waves or curls that add width around the jaw.
• Bangs or a curtain fringe that shortens the visible forehead.

For guys and anyone with shorter hair

• Keep height on top modest. A tall quiff or high pompadour adds length.
• A bit of fullness at the sides, rather than a very tight fade, adds width.
• A forward-textured fringe can shorten the forehead.
• Facial hair: a fuller beard on the sides adds width; a long beard at the chin adds length.

None of these are rules. They're options to try if you're wondering how to make a long face look better in photos.

Light that adds width

Light shapes your face as much as the camera does.

• Face a window, straight on. Soft front light fills in the hollows under your cheekbones, which makes a face look fuller and wider.
• Avoid overhead light. Ceiling bulbs carve shadows under the cheeks and eyes and make the face look longer and more tired.
• Skip strong side light as your main source. It can narrow the face by putting half of it in shadow.
• Use a light wall or white sheet on the other side to bounce light back if one side looks dark.

For a full room-by-room walkthrough, see how to take a selfie with good lighting.

Your long face photo setup, checked in a minute

So, how to take pictures with a long face in one line: camera at eye level, face straight on, square crop with shoulders, and soft light from the front. Take one selfie that way and Glowmaxx scores your five levers, adds them into a glow score out of 100 and gives you three moves for today. It never rates face shape or features, only what you can change.

Start my glow-up

FAQ

What is the best selfie angle for a long face?

Eye level, with your face straight on or turned only slightly. Keep the phone at arm's length and avoid holding it high, which stretches the forehead and narrows the chin.

How do I make my face look less long in pictures?

Lower the camera to eye level, use a square or landscape crop with your shoulders in frame, and light your face from the front. A side part or some volume at the sides of your hair helps too.

Why does my face look long in pictures but not in the mirror?

In the mirror you see yourself at eye level and in motion. Photos are often taken from above or below and frozen, which can stretch proportions. Match the mirror by shooting at eye level.

How do I position my face and body to be more photogenic with a long face?

Turn your shoulders slightly, keep your face toward the lens, lean your forehead forward just a touch and keep your chin level. Relax your shoulders down so your neck doesn't look extra long.

Are selfie angles for long and oval faces the same?

They overlap a lot. Oval faces can handle a slightly higher camera and more turn, while long faces do best at eye level and straight on. Test both and compare.