Social media, and Instagram specifically, has become a major part of our everyday lives. We’re either scrolling our feeds or posting photos ourselves, and selfies have become a big part of the routine. Selfies can be tough to master at first. While it can feel awkward taking a photo of yourself, you’ll start getting comfortable in front of the camera and getting insta-worthy shots of your face the more you practice. Selfies can be a fun way to boost your self-esteem and give yourself some self-love on social media! If you want to learn how to take a good selfie, we’re letting you in on our best tips and tricks!
How to Take a Good Selfie
1. Make Sure You Have Good Lighting
Lighting is everything when it comes to good photos, and selfies are no exception. When you’re taking a selfie, make sure to take it in natural light. Turn toward your window so the natural light hits your face, or better yet you can go outside! Good lighting can make your skin look flawless and hide your under eye bags and other imperfections.
2. Take Selfies in the Morning
The morning is prime selfie time because your makeup and hair are fresh! Your look is flawless because it hasn’t been affected by the heat, wind or other outdoor elements. Once you’ve done your hair and makeup, grab your camera or phone to get the perfect shot.
3. Tilt Your Head Forward and Up
This is a classic selfie pose because it works every time. Tilting your head slightly forward and up towards your camera is a great angle for everyone. Extending your head away from your neck makes your neck look longer and accentuates your jaw line.
4. Don’t Hold the Camera Too Close
Hold your camera about an arm’s length away, with a small bend in your elbow when you’re taking selfies. You don’t want to hold it too close because it won’t be as flattering. Hold your phone a little bit above you as well. The downward angle is super flattering and the photo will look less intense than if you were holding it straight on.
5. Think About Your Background
Consider what’s behind you when you’re taking a selfie. The best selfies have interesting backgrounds (like you standing at the top of a mountain you just climbed), or really simple ones. Make sure to look out for photo bombers in the back, too!
6. Find Your Best Side
Everyone has a “good side” of their face. Play around with different angles, moving your face from one side to the other. Get to know the angles of your face and position your camera to accentuate your best features. You can camouflage features you’re not a fan of, and illuminate ones you like just by playing around with different angles!
7. Look and Feel Good
You’ll always be in the mood to take a selfie when you’re looking and feeling your best! Put on your favourite makeup (even if it’s minimal), do your hair just how you like it, and you’ll feel extremely confident and ready to selfie away!
8. Don’t Force Your Smile
Selfies can be kind of awkward when you don’t know what to do with your face. Pursing your lips and smizing are popular selfie faces, but if you’re not comfortable with those, then go for a natural smile. Don’t force it or else you’ll end up looking super awkward.
9. Take a Bunch of Selfies
You’ll rarely get the perfect selfie shot the first, second or even tenth time. Keep experimenting with different angles, lighting and facial expressions until you find one you truly love! The more options you have, the better luck you’ll have finding the perfect selfie.
10. Don’t Over Edit
Adding a few filters and edits to your selfie can spruce it up, but make sure you don’t over-edit. You want to make sure you still look like yourself – you don’t want your selfie to look unnatural. You can make little edits here and there, but you’re naturally beautiful, so own it!
11. Practice Makes Perfect
Like any type of photography, the more you practice, the better you’ll get. You may not love the way your selfies come out the first few times you try to take one, but as you get more comfortable in front of the camera and learn more about your angles, you’ll become a selfie expert.
12. Hold Your Phone Slightly to the Side
It may seem like you should hold your phone directly in front of you to take a selfie, but it will come out better if you hold it slightly to the side. You’ll get a flawless angle that will always make you look good.
13. Don’t Forget About Mirror Selfies
Selfies are often face-on, but everyone loves a good mirror selfie from time to time. Mirror selfies are super cute and work well if you want to show off more of your outfit! Try some cute poses and don’t forget to clean the room you’re in so it doesn’t look like a total pigsty!
14. Throw on a Pair of Sunnies
If you’re new to selfies, you may feel a bit camera shy at first. In this case, throw on your favourite pair of sunglasses. This way you only have to pose your lips, and cool sunnies are the best way to make anyone look chic! This is ideal if you’re doing an outdoor or car selfie (when you’re in the passenger seat of course!).
15. Switch Things Up
There are some people that take the exact same selfie every time. It’s one thing to know what angles works for you, but be sure to switch up your hair, makeup, faces, poses and background so it’s not the same shot all the time. Your selfies should illuminate who you are and all the fun things you love to do!
Taking a good selfie takes some work, but once you get the hang of it, you’re sure to shine! Use these tips to take gorgeous selfies and flaunt your self love on Instagram!
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