How to get the perfect bikini body in seconds

Forget holiday diets - photographer Rosie Parsons shares the simple posing tricks that will make anyone look and feel great in their seaside snaps this summer

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Do you hate posing for photos? Do you feel awkward and self-conscious, insisting you're the one behind the camera, rather than starring in your pictures?

You are far from alone. Photographer Rosie Parsons, from Exeter, has snapped everyone from top businesswomen to BAFTA winners and she says: "I'll tell you a secret - we all look awkward if we don't know how to pose, even the celebrities.

"The difference is that they've learned a few simple tricks to present themselves at their best. Every person I photograph tells me about their 'problem areas' - their wobbly tummy, their 'bingo wings' or their double chin. But nobody else notices these supposed flaws because we're all too busy worrying about our own.

"We are absolutely our own worst critics." As beach holidays beckon, many women find themselves too self-conscious to pose for family photos and either cover up or jump behind the camera so that dad - and not mum - is in every family shot.