Taking a flattering selfie is probably one of the hardest things to do. That’s especially true since most of us have little more than our phones with which to work. Whether you’re an Instagram influencer or just starting to snap yourself, taking a perfect selfie is no walk in the park.
How to Take Good Selfies
That said, you can use a few essential tips and tricks to make your snap look more professional. Here are five of our top tips!
Background and Scene
The first rule of taking a selfie – always check your environment. Even if you do everything else right, being photobombed is a genuine possibility. It might be your dog getting a little needy, a stealthy spider, or the guy in the shower stall behind the football team. Always double-check.
You can also use backgrounds, solid colors, and creative angles to make your selfies a little more interesting.
Angles
Chin down, camera up! That’s one of the top tips from Kim Kardashian, and it’s hard to disagree.
You can also get creative, using angles and creative lighting to take silhouette photos. Alternatively, take a shot from the side to enhance your shape. Finally, be careful about where you look. Keeping your eyes directly on the mirror isn’t always the best option – instead, try to look elsewhere or at the camera instead.
Getting creative with your angles can also enhance your mirror selfies. For example, your face and camera angle is specifically important for a mirror selfie, since you can either enhance or hide your face.
Lighting
Lighting can make a massive difference to any picture. Artificial lighting is one thing, but natural light is the best. If you’re taking your selfie inside, try to find a window with natural light, and turn to face it.
If you’re outside, try to move around until you find the best possible angle, with the natural light highlighting your best features.
Be wary of shadows – but don’t be afraid to use them to your advantage. The wrong kind of darkness can make you look tired, for example, creating bags under your eyes. However, using a colander to create a stunning dotted shadow effect to enhance your selfie is something else entirely.
This tip is especially crucial for taking a good group selfie. Avoid using the phone flash as often as possible, aiming for as much natural light instead. Ideally, this should come from the front of the group, not overhead or behind.
Remember, you and your friends won’t all have the same skin tones. You might have to experiment with natural or artificial lighting to get the best possible shot.
Natural Expressions and Smiles
A natural smile can make almost any photo look good. Don’t grin too big, and absolutely don’t force it. If you don’t feel like smiling in your selfie, you can use several other natural expressions.
The smize, or smiling with your eyes, is one option. If you’re not sure how it works, feel free to study Tyra Banks for some tips. If you’re feeling sassy, try a loud ‘YASS!’ just before you snap your shot.
If you’d like a natural look, breathe out slightly through your mouth as you take your photo.
Avoid Clichés
Are you overwhelmed by the urge to throw up a gang sign or purse your lips into an extreme duckface? Perhaps you should put down your phone and try again later. In fact, try to avoid anything that looks like it belongs on a 2004 MySpace page.
Take Away
You don’t need state of the art equipment to take selfies like a pro. Instead, it would help if you used your surroundings to your advantage. Background and lighting can set a picture’s tone, while the right camera angles can naturally enhance your features.
Keep your expressions and smiles natural, and try to avoid cliché gang signs or duckface. Get creative and try out different angles, poses, and smiles. With time and practice, you can also start taking selfies that look professional and Instagrammable.
