6 Simple Tricks For The Perfect Selfie

From being the word of the year in 2013 to becoming a common occurrence in our everyday lives, the notion of the selfie has come a long way. Anybody who's given in to the urge to click a self-portrait (and by that I mean practically everybody on the planet), is well aware of the thousand bad or unflattering photos that it takes to get a semi-decent one. All of our camera rolls are packed with multiple series of selfies that just did not make the cut to be selected as our new Instagram post. How is it then, that some people just seem to be a lot luckier in the department? You know those flawless selfies you come across on social media, where the light just hits right, and every other nuance is near perfect? Yeah, how do they DO that?! 

 

Well, as it turns out, there are a number of tricks to becoming a total pro at clicking selfies. You don't need a full face of makeup, or even a pristine white background, there are a lot of other variables at play here as well. And we, will tell you about those! To help you realise your selfie-taking potential, and impress your followers with your artistic photos, we have rounded-up a list of 6 simple tricks to take the perfect selfie. 

Image Courtesy - Pexels

 

1. Position Your Camera Up 

To get a flawless angle in your selfie, make your features pop, and eradicate the likelihood of a double chin appearance, always face your phone upwards, with the bottom at your eye level. Taking a selfie from under your chin does not a flattering photo make. 

 

2. Figure Out Your Best Angle 

Now, unfortunately, there's no universal rule to this. For some people, facing the camera on the left side and extending their face away from the neck, works like total magic. For some others, it's slightly to the right and up. The only way you can figure this out, is to hold up your phone at different angles to pinpoint the one that just...clicks. 

 

3. Natural Light Is Everything 

Harsh, fluorescent lights can end up casting a grey tone on your selfie, and spoil your selfie-taking efforts. Instead, natural light works wonders. Especially sunlight during mornings, and that post-afternoon golden hour time, can flatter your face immensely in a photo, giving you that natural glow you want. When you have a good source of natural light, hold your camera up and spin to see which light angle works for you. If there is no sunlight outside, warmer yellow artificial lighting is always better than bright white lights. 

Image Courtesy - Pexels

 

4. Go For Relaxed Expressions

The duck-like pout only works for the Kardashians. Or at least used to a couple of years back. The best way to look yourself in your selfie, is to opt for expressions that come naturally to you. That doesn't mean all you can do is smile. You can also keep your mouth slightly open, and relax your lips for a more subtle pout. And when all else fails, silly, fun expressions are always an option! 

 

5. Avoid Over-Editing 

Don't max out on the brightness or increase the contrast to a point of looking like your photo came out of a furnace. The right filter can definitely make or break your selfie, but while picking those choose one that's the closest to how your photo looked without editing, but of course,  better. Apps like VSCO have certain subtle filters that can spice up your selfie without you looking over the top. 

 

6. Background Matters

You don't need to have a pastel wallpaper as your background, but your selfie shouldn't feature a trash can either. A busy background with lots of things happening, can take the focus away from your face. Instead, try to go with a minimal background such as by facing a wall, or a background with colours that highlight your clothes and makeup. 

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Believe in your self(ie)!