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smaller? Then have the camera located so it is looking down on you. Taller? Then looking up. Naturally extremes of either angle will result in a distorted picture. As a general rule, for the best perspective, the camera should be about eye level of the subject.

Don't be afraid to hold a prop. A book is excellent, a bouquet, anything that gives the viewer the idea that you have interests. Also think about action. Be doing something, wash the dishes- your wife would like that, powder your nose, play the piano. Anything that con- veys the impression that you are alive and alert. However, unless you have a specific purpose, do not exaggerate a pose. Not only does it detract from the picture, but in many cases you may wind up looking rather ridiculous. For hints on this, take a look through the fashion pages of any large mail order catalog. Of course their prime purpose is to sell merchandise, but note that the models try to project a feeling of vitality and vivaciousness. I don't mean that you should try to copy their poses or expressions, but it may give you some ideas of your own.

Some additional ideas about lighting. There are many things you can do with just flash attachment mounted on the camera and a few lamps or lights. First, a flash is going to give frontal illumination, which for most photographs is excellent. But maybe you would like to try a little drama. Take the shade off an ordinary lamp and let it light you from the side or three quarter angle, lay a piece of old hose or nylon over the flash (watch out for the heat of the bulb) and try some shadow effects. Don't be afraid to experiment.

Here again, don't be afraid to take lots of pictures. If it is possible to take pictures frequently, you may wish to take a series of them with different poses and/or lighting effects. When you see the completed pictures, study them. You may note that in addition to getting ideas regarding better pictures, you may find areas in your clothes or make up that could be improved. It's surprising what a photograph detects. After doing all the corrective work, then take another series of pic- tures, concentrating on the poses and lights you feel shows you off to your best advantage.

One more thing, an over-exposed picture will result in a washed out picture, causing loss of detail. An underexposed one will result in a