The secret behind Hollywood’s social media snaps: All the tricks stars use to look picture perfect online after posing for ‘unforgiving’ red carpet photos

The A-list guests at the Vanity Fair Oscars party were quick to share their own photographs from the party having been left unimpressed by the ‘unforgiving’ lighting in the official red carpet snaps. 

Celebrities were reportedly left in tears by the images, which highlighted ‘excess pounds and wrinkles that used to be hidden.’

Speaking to the Daily Mail, photographer Belinda Burton explained: ‘Professional red carpet cameras are high-definition beasts that capture everything – combined with harsh, fixed lighting and no editing, every imperfection in skin, necklines and shine stands out starkly. 

‘On the carpet, lighting height and angle can’t be adjusted per celebrity, so a 5’2″ star gets hit differently than a 6’ tall one. 

‘Social media posts? Each celeb controls their angle, uses softer phone light or ring lights, and applies filters – with the resulting photos shown on a small screen where less details can be seen.’

Indeed, Hollywood stars are pros at taking the perfect picture, having enlisted photographers and ‘pose coaches’ to teach them how to work their best angles. 

Yet inevitably, there are times that the A-listers don’t like their red carpet photographs and will take to Instagram to share their own more polished versions.  

While of course the use of filters and Photoshop can help edit out any perceived imperfections, there are also simple tricks celebs can use to look their best. 

Photographer Luke Ayers has revealed that when it comes down to the perfect shot, it’s all about the angle, something that stars will of course have more control over when they’re not on the red carpet. 

According to Luke, curves and diagonal lines are more appealing to the naked eye than their straight laced counterparts.

‘If the person looks boring or something is not quite clicking, get the subject to stand at an angle – it really is as simple as that.

And if you ever wondered why a photographer instructed you to ‘turn to the side’ or lift your hold your head in a certain way, Luke said slanted lines are what makes separates a good full length portrait shot from a great one.

‘Look at every magazine shot – every portrait photographer who knows their stuff will ask you to tilt your body or try to position the model at an angle,’ he said.

‘Forget about fancy lighting. It all comes down to lines!’

When it comes to head shots where the body is only visible from the shoulders up, Luke shared another easy trick.

‘You just get them to put one foot forward. By doing this, the shoulders are immediately set diagonally,’ he explained.

‘It’s so simple – just take your straight lines and horizontal lines and make them diagonal!’

Red carpet photographer David Fisher also offered up some tips, telling Daily Mail that taking a small step of the rest of the group so you are positioned slightly in front. ‘That position can give the effect of being taller,’ he explained.

If looking a little on the short-side is a concern then ask the photographer to shoot from a lower angle so the lens is pointing upwards.

Stars like Beyoncé might look effortless on the red carpet but part of that natural look is down to the practice they put in before getting in front of the camera.

David said: ‘To really perfect your pose, it’s important to spend some time practising in front of a mirror and observing the various positions, pouts and poses you have.

‘Take note of what you are most comfortable with and if there are some quirks that you want to avoid such as fidgeting with your outfit or hair.’

No matter what pose you go for, there is one fail-safe option that you can always fall back on.

‘Be sure to keep your chin up, look straight down the camera lens and stand tall for a more flattering pose,’ Fisher said.

Most importantly, feel confident.

David added: ‘Standing with confidence and being comfortable in your stance is most important when being photographed.’

Good lighting is also key, as evident by Sunday’s Vanity Fair Oscars bash.

Photographer Belinda Burton told The Daily Mail: ‘The shadows tell the story – the lights were positioned unusually high this year, which carved deep shadows into every crease and wrinkle. 

‘When guests said the flashes felt “hot and bright,” that suggests very little diffusion was used. 

‘In studio portrait work, we always soften light with diffusers to mimic natural sunlight and fill in those shadows. Without it, every line and texture gets dramatically emphasised.’

According to onlookers, the VIP guests were less than impressed by the ‘unflattering’ lighting because of how their pictures turned out, with one actress reduced to tears upon seeing her photograph. 

‘I genuinely feel bad for some of these women,’ one guest said. 

Another insider said that it was ‘like being shot in extremely high-def. You saw a lot of excess pounds and wrinkles that used to be hidden. Nobody wants to be photographed like that!’ 

The change of lighting came as a result of Vanity Fair’s new editor, Mark Guiducci, moving the event from its longtime home at the Wallis Annenberg Center in Beverly Hills to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) this year.

One actress was left in tears over photos that saw her looking like a ‘Diane Arbus character,’ according to the Hollywood Reporter. 

The Arbus comparison is particularly brutal given the photographer’s legacy of haunting imagery. 

Her work focused on unconventional subjects, from circus performers to giants, captured in a stark style that is the opposite of Hollywood glamour. 

Meanwhile, the morning after, many stars chose to share photos from Guy Oseary and Madonna’s annual bash instead of the official photos from the Vanity Fair carpet. 

This year’s lighting stood in stark contrast to the soft, golden glow of previous bashes, as one longtime guest said that in prior years ‘even the ugliest stars knew they’d come out all right. It was like magic’. 

One attendee said that it was ‘crazy-bright’ at the event and compared it to ‘standing under klieg lights’.

Another said that ‘it was like a hundred degrees’ and wondered if she was ‘having hot flashes’.

The glamour took another hit when the traditional red carpet was replaced by a light gray shag, which was mocked for its drab appearance by a number of social media users. 

Guiducci was reportedly determined to restore the party’s fading luster and ordered a brutal refinement of the guest list.

‘Mark only wanted the most AAA-list stars,’ an insider told the outlet, adding that ‘he must have gone over that list a thousand times.’ 

The Daily Mail has reached out to Vanity Fair and Guiducci for comment.