Who among us has never taken a selfie? Chances are, just about everybody reading this, or at least 8 in 10 of you, have taken a selfie and shared it online at one time or another. Unfortunately, I’m sure the same number of you (myself included) can also confess to having taken a fair number of not-so-great selfies as well. It’s worth noting that my critique has more to do with technique rather than your looks. Regardless of the genre of photography, technique matters. That said, knowing how to take a good selfie will give you better results and set your selfies apart from the billions already posted online.
Selfies Vs. Self-Portraits
So, what exactly is a selfie and how does it compare to or differ from a self-portrait? You might get different answers, depending on whom you ask, but we can break down the basics.
Selfies, which the Oxford English Dictionary deemed the “Word of the Year” in 2013, can be described as photos that people take of themselves (either solo or with others) using a digital camera for sharing on social media. Easy enough.
Self-portraits are basically similar, but they often differ in intent and technique. For example, whereas people usually capture selfies at arm’s length with a smartphone (or perhaps using a selfie stick), photographic self-portraits are often captured using a tripod and a remote shutter release or timer on a higher-end camera. Selfies also tend to be more ephemeral in nature as they’re generally meant for use on social media. Self-portraits, on the other hand, typically require more prep, and as a result, they’re usually more carefully preserved. At the end of the day, both forms qualify as self-portraits, but context usually determines which term you’d use to classify them. You can learn more about how to take better self-portraits here.
How to Take a Good Selfie
- Use the “Right” Gear
- (Usually) Go with Flat Lighting
- Compose with Intention
- Pose Yourself for the Perfect Selfie
- Get Creative
- Don’t Skip the Edit
How to Take a Good Selfie Tip 1: Use the “Right” Gear
In terms of the “right” gear when considering how to take a good selfie, we’re not really talking about cameras. More often than not, you’re going to use your smartphone as the camera of choice in this genre. You can find specialized “selfie phones” that come equipped with higher megapixel front cameras and LED lights, but pretty much any smartphone will allow you to capture good selfies. We will cover lenses via a discussion on focal length later in this article.
For now, however, the “right” gear for selfies falls more under the accessories category. Here are some basic gear choices to consider to help take a good selfie.
Selfie Sticks
You’ve no doubt seen selfie sticks in use as they qualify as one of the more popular selfie accessories. Whether you love them or hate them, no list of gear for how to take a good selfie would be complete without them.
While they’re banned in some spots, including Disneyland, selfie sticks offer a number of benefits. First, you can distance yourself from the camera for wider shots and more interesting angles. The added distance will also help minimize lens distortion in regards to making certain features on your face (such as your nose) appear disproportionate. Some selfie sticks support larger cameras, like a DSLR, giving you more lens options to help find a flattering focal length Somewhere near the 50mm range should suffice, or 85mm if you’re using a selfie stick that doubles as a tripod. For the shyer folks, selfie sticks allow you to capture wider shots without having to ask anybody else to snap the pic for you.
Tripods
Although some people call selfies taken with tripods “posies,” they’re still selfies if you’re pushing the wireless shutter. If you already own a tripod, you can pick up a smartphone adapter and repurpose your old tripod. Some tripods, like the Peak Design Travel Tripod, already include them. In fact, even some selfie sticks, like I mentioned above, can transform into nice, compact tripods.
Just make sure that you don’t forget to get a wireless remote to trigger the shutter so that you don’t have to rely on the timer and hope you can hit your mark in time.
Drones
While you probably won’t go and get a drone specifically for taking better selfies, they can assist in this department. You can pick one up for relatively cheap that is easy to control and put to use right away. Drones will allow you to capture unique angles and perspectives that are just impossible without them.
Lighting
As I mentioned above, some smartphone makers (Sony, LG, Vivo, and more) have started offering specialized selfie phones that include more selfie-friendly features, including higher megapixel front cameras and LED flash. You don’t necessarily need these features to capture a good selfie, however. In fact, if you understand light direction and light quality, you can use natural lighting to take fantastic images. See the lighting section below for the type of light you want to use when determining how to take a good selfie.
For dim lighting scenarios, there are some lighting options that will help you. Here are a few:
- Selfie Ring Lights
- Selfie Kit with a Smart Light Stick & Tripod
- LED Strips (for Your Phone)
Tip 2: (Usually) Go with Flat Lighting
Soft, flat light is ideal. When a light source is large in relation to the subject, you have soft light. Soft light wraps around your subject, which in this case is your face, and shadows tend to be more gradual. Flat light deals with light direction. When the light direction matches the camera angle in relation to your subject, you have flat light. Together, soft and flat light qualities flatter the face, minimizing the cracks, blemishes, and imperfections in our skin.
Here’s how to find soft, flat natural light for your selfies in three simple steps:
- Look for a large window or doorway you can use while avoiding harsh, direct sunlight.
- Stand near the above-mentioned light source, moving closer or farther away as needed to soften the light to a desirable level. If you’re using a window and it has sheer curtains, go ahead and use those.
- Use your camera or smartphone and take a picture from the direction of the light source. In other words, hold the camera between you and the window while you’re facing the camera and the window.
How to Take a Good Selfie Tip 3: Compose with Intention
As we unravel the mystery of how to take a good selfie, we find similar tips used for taking great portraits. Just as you’d do when photographing someone else, you should compose with intention. Here are a few tips for doing just that.
Backgrounds
A major part of composing a portrait deals with paying attention to the background. You’ll want to position yourself to conceal distracting elements (including photobombers), or else crop them out in post. It also helps when backgrounds look interesting. Look for patterns like bricks or even a hedge to add texture and balance. Colors in the backdrop can also make your selfies pop. Try to find spots with colors that complement the colors in your outfit.
Basic Compositional Tools for Selfies
Even though your mug may take up the majority of real estate in a selfie frame, you can still work in other compositional elements. Depending on how much of the background is showing, for example, you can use the rule of thirds and symmetry. You might also look for leading lines and frames within the frame (doorways, windows, etc.) to add visual interest to your shots. Don’t hesitate to pull from your regular portrait composition toolbox when considering how to take a good selfie.
Tip 4: Pose for the Perfect Selfie
Posing is important for all genres of portraiture, including the selfie. You’ll want to “strike a pose” that is both comfortable and flattering, unless you’re going for something else. Here are some basic tips on posing and expressions you can use right away.
Posing and Expressions
- Natural Smile: To start, I recommend keeping your pose and expression as natural looking as possible. In other words, opt for your normal smile over duck lips. An overly strained expression can prove distracting and undermine all other efforts that went into capturing your selfie. A soft smile is fine and can look more natural, or no smile at all will work, too, depending on what you’re after.
- Preferred Side: Most of us have what we consider to be our “best” or preferred side. It’s the side of our face we often present to the camera when we pose for pictures. If you don’t have a preferred side, try capturing several selfies from different angles to decide which you like best.
- Angles: Holding your camera at a slightly elevated angle (around 10%) while keeping your chin down should deliver flattering results. As I mentioned previously, turning your head slightly to the side, rather than directly facing the camera, should also help.
- Eye Line: You can look directly at the camera to connect more with the camera, or look off-camera for a more candid, editorial vibe.
I also recommend checking out these articles on traditional male modeling poses and traditional female modeling poses for more posing ideas.
Tip 5: Get Creative
Get creative with your selfies to make them more interesting. What’s great is that many creative techniques from other types of portraiture apply here as well. For instance, if you’re using a tripod and an app with manual exposure control, you can use a shutter drag technique to add motion to your selfie. Profoto also makes an app you can use with their flash equipment while capturing images on your phone. For a typical arm’s-length selfie, you can use many things around you to add a creative flare to your selfies. Check out the video above for some great ideas on using reflections in windows, mirrors, puddles, and more.
Find Inspiration in Other’s Selfies
If you’re in a creative rut or you don’t know where to start, look to those who do it well. A-list actors, models, and other influencers have mastered the art and often set selfie trends. Scroll through the feeds of those you know and see how they apply the tips above. You can also check the #selfie feed on Instagram and see what the top results are doing. Hopefully, you’ll find inspiration and be able to get creative with your own selfies.
How to Take a Good Selfie Tip 6: Don’t Skip the Edit
A good edit will help ensure you end up with a good selfie. You can use any number of apps or filters to elevate your shot, from Facetune to VSCO, Perfect365, or even Instagram’s in-app filters. If you know my work, you know that I prefer using LR Mobile as it allows me to have the same level of control I’m used to having for my non-selfie portraits. Plus, I can use Visual Flow presets to quickly get the look I’m after. You can also find a ton of other presets online.
Whichever option you choose, I recommend limiting the edit to enhance the photo rather than overly transforming it. The idea is to further dial in the exposure, crop when needed, and add your own stylistic touch. You don’t want the final selfie to look unnatural with over-the-top edits. Distracting your viewer with editing choices will diminish the quality of your selfie.
Conclusion
Like most things, perfecting the art of taking selfies takes practice. In addition to following the tips above, practicing will serve as your best guide when figuring out how to take a good selfie. Take enough selfies and you’ll find some keepers. Just be sure to do it in a safe environment so that you don’t hurt yourself or worse. No shot, selfie or other, is worth that.
