Bb
Learning how to pose for a selfie will make a much bigger difference in how you look in the photo than any camera app will. A search for #selfie on Instagram yields over 122 million photos. However, sometimes it can be difficult to take a flattering photo of yourself while also holding the camera. Here are some “selfie” posing tips, along with suggestions for how to hold your camera or phone.
Pose #1: Ditch the Face, and Let the Feet Do the Talking
When I think of a selfie, what immediately comes to mind is a photo of a person’s face. But the truth is, a selfie is any picture of you, taken by you. Why not take a photo of your feet—especially if you want to draw attention to your new pair of shoes? Or shoot a photo of the new bracelet or Fitbit on your wrist or your newly-polished fingernails. In your next selfie, challenge yourself to creatively capture you by striking a flattering pose and experimenting with different ways to hold your camera. Then, just snap away!
Pose #2: Crop In Tight
One difficulty with selfies is that the background is usually busy and distracting. Also, you can often tell that the person in the photo is reaching out to hold the phone. You can solve both of these problems by cropping in tight on your face in the shot.
One advanced tip is that if you hold your phone closer to yourself, it will accentuate features on your face that are closer to the lens and minimize those that are further away. So that means your nose will look longer and your eyes will looks smaller. Not what you're looking for? I didn't think so. An easy way to fix this is to zoom in on your phone just slightly (zooming in too much will reduce detail in the shot) and hold the camera far away from your face. Now your features look proportionate and you decluttered the background!
Pose #3: The “Rule of Thirds” Selfie
Photographers know all about the rule of thirds, but seem to forget it quickly as soon as it comes time for a selfie. Selfies don't exempt you from properly composing your shot!
The photo on the right is a perfect example of how placing your face in the top-right or top-left corner of the frame can be far more compelling than if you placed your face right in the center.
Generally, you want your eye line to be one-third down from the top of the frame, and off to one side of the frame a little bit. Just don't put yourself in the very middle of the frame or it'll look like a DMV driver's license photo.
Pose #4: Show Yourself in Water
Float on your back in a pool and shoot down at your face. Or prepare a bubble bath, lie down in the water, and take a shot of your face framed by bubbles. Be careful, though, not to drop your phone!
Showing yourself in water can be really fun, and it also makes the photo more unique than the typical point-the-camera-at-me-while-eating-a-cheeseburger selfie.
Pose #3: The “Rule of Thirds” Selfie
Photographers know all about the rule of thirds, but seem to forget it quickly as soon as it comes time for a selfie. Selfies don't exempt you from properly composing your shot!
The photo on the right is a perfect example of how placing your face in the top-right or top-left corner of the frame can be far more compelling than if you placed your face right in the center.
Generally, you want your eye line to be one-third down from the top of the frame, and off to one side of the frame a little bit. Just don't put yourself in the very middle of the frame or it'll look like a DMV driver's license photo.
Pose #4: Show Yourself in Water
Float on your back in a pool and shoot down at your face. Or prepare a bubble bath, lie down in the water, and take a shot of your face framed by bubbles. Be careful, though, not to drop your phone!
Showing yourself in water can be really fun, and it also makes the photo more unique than the typical point-the-camera-at-me-while-eating-a-cheeseburger selfie.
Pose #5: The Two-Handed Selfie
Pose #1: Ditch the Face, and Let the Feet Do the Talking
When I think of a selfie, what immediately comes to mind is a photo of a person’s face. But the truth is, a selfie is any picture of you, taken by you. Why not take a photo of your feet—especially if you want to draw attention to your new pair of shoes? Or shoot a photo of the new bracelet or Fitbit on your wrist or your newly-polished fingernails. In your next selfie, challenge yourself to creatively capture you by striking a flattering pose and experimenting with different ways to hold your camera. Then, just snap away!
PHOTO CREDIT: JENNIE HARLESS
Pose #2: Crop In Tight
One difficulty with selfies is that the background is usually busy and distracting. Also, you can often tell that the person in the photo is reaching out to hold the phone. You can solve both of these problems by cropping in tight on your face in the shot.
One advanced tip is that if you hold your phone closer to yourself, it will accentuate features on your face that are closer to the lens and minimize those that are further away. So that means your nose will look longer and your eyes will looks smaller. Not what you're looking for? I didn't think so. An easy way to fix this is to zoom in on your phone just slightly (zooming in too much will reduce detail in the shot) and hold the camera far away from your face. Now your features look proportionate and you decluttered the background!
PHOTO CREDIT: KRISTI RANDEL
Pose #3: The “Rule of Thirds” Selfie
Photographers know all about the rule of thirds, but seem to forget it quickly as soon as it comes time for a selfie. Selfies don't exempt you from properly composing your shot!
The photo on the right is a perfect example of how placing your face in the top-right or top-left corner of the frame can be far more compelling than if you placed your face right in the center.
Generally, you want your eye line to be one-third down from the top of the frame, and off to one side of the frame a little bit. Just don't put yourself in the very middle of the frame or it'll look like a DMV driver's license photo.
PHOTO CREDIT: ALI EDWARDS
Pose #4: Show Yourself in Water
Float on your back in a pool and shoot down at your face. Or prepare a bubble bath, lie down in the water, and take a shot of your face framed by bubbles. Be careful, though, not to drop your phone!
Showing yourself in water can be really fun, and it also makes the photo more unique than the typical point-the-camera-at-me-while-eating-a-cheeseburger selfie.
PHOTO CREDIT: JENNIE HARLESS