How To Take A Good Selfie
If anyone ever admits they posted a selfie after just one take, they’re lying.
The truth is there’s somewhat of an art to taking a good picture. Here, Eleanor Pendleton reveals 5 top tips to show you how to take a good selfie (even if takes a few goes).
LIGHTEN UP
When you’re taking a selfie, or any photo for that matter, good lighting is a must. If it’s natural light, even better! Think about it: you can’t show off your hair, makeup or new outfit in poor light because it’s too harsh, too dark or unflattering.
BACK IT UP
When taking a selfie, it’s important to pick a good, clear background. We’ve all seen those photo fails where someone has taken a selfie in a dirty bedroom or bathroom with piles of clothes in the background. Rookie error! Before you get snap happy, check your surroundings. Look for solid coloured walls, curtains or any place without clutter.
KNOW YOUR ANGLES
Let’s be real – no one’s face is perfectly symmetrical. But, the advantage to being your own photographer is that you can de-accentuate certain features with a few tricks. To make your face look slimmer, shoot your selfie by positioning your arm from slightly above. If you’re including your torso in the shot, turn one shoulder slightly towards the camera. When discovering your most flattering angles, have fun and play with it and most of all, don’t take it too seriously!
FREEZE
An obvious but challenging tip is to be still when you take your photos. Shaky hands mean a burry selfie. We know it can be tricky: trying to pose, making sure your lighting is good, touching the focus button on your iPhone and trying to steady a wobbly arm all at the same time. It’s a lot to juggle and it takes practice, but it is possible to take clear, non-wobbly pics! Just take a deep breath, try to relax and hold your pose. Hashtag ‘You’ve got this’.
LAYER IT ON
Ever wondered how those high-profile bloggers get their colours so vivid? Download Snapseed(free) – it’s their go-to.
When uploading a selfie in Instagram, add a frame, crop out some of the photo, layer on a filter for a cool vintage feel or create a fun collage using an app like Diptic.
Remember, using a filter doesn’t always mean you’re trying to hide something or you’re not being you – it can add a special something to an otherwise plain photo. But, if you really want to, you can use Facetune to give yourself a glow or blur out blemishes.
