The term "selfie" was coined in 2010 by photographer David Slater. He wanted to describe a photo taken with a smartphone camera held at arm's length.
Since then, the word has become synonymous with self-portraits. However, this term only became popular in 2011. It wasn't until 2012 that a website called "The Selfie Book" was launched with the first English definition of the word.
Now, in the age of social media, taking a good selfie has become a bit of an art form. With phone cameras getting better every year, it's essential to know how to use them to take great photos properly. Luminar Neo is one such tool that can help you perfect your selfies—you might want to give it a try.
Why Do You Turn Out Bad in Selfies?
While a lot of people look stunning in their selfies, there are still others that don't look their best when taking a selfie. There are main reasons why:
- Distortion of the lens: This may occur on older smartphones with lesser-quality cameras. Selfies show your face in 2D, but you are actually a 3D person. Your selfie will portray you flatter than you are in real life. Make sure your smartphone isn't too old because the nicer models do not have such a problem.
- A camera flash: Your skin will look overexposed and even sick if you use a flash when taking a selfie. To avoid flash problems, wait for the proper lighting before taking a selfie.
- Facial expression: Do you appear odd or constrained? You definitely should practice your poses. If you want to look as sincere and natural as possible, you should master your poses when your real smile is perfect.
- Facial asymmetry: Nobody is completely symmetrical. Your symmetry will appear wrong when you view your image in a selfie taken with your phone's camera.
How to take a good selfie: 5 Selfie Tips & Tricks
Now in 2023, almost everyone should have the essential skill of making a good selfie. This guide will come in handy whether you want to improve your social media profile picture or simply find your "best side" for pictures. Luckily, to capture the ideal selfie, you don't have to be a supermodel or naturally attractive. With these five selfie easy tricks, you may improve your appearance and seem stunning in your photos! So let's look more closely at the main tips for taking selfies in 2023.
Step 1. Know Your Best Side
If you want to know how to take better selfies, understand, that everybody has a side of their face they prefer more, known as their "good side." How to know which side is your best? Maybe there is an unusual birthmark that makes your look super cute on the left side of your face. Or you really dislike your right side because of the scar you got in childhood when you were learning how to ride a bicycle.
Select your good side and try to take a selfie from that position. You'll save time and effort because, if you often look better on a particular side of your face in real life, you'll look better on that side of your face in pictures. Just follow your feelings. Now you know how to take the perfect selfie.
Step 2. Background Matters
Although a fashion runway is not necessary, your background should be eye-catching. Selfies change significantly when an intriguing place is in the background. If you visit a famous city, are in the great outdoors, or have a famous structure in the background, strike a pose. This selfie trick will help you take a cool photo.
Try to take your selfies against an attractive background, whether you're at your house, car, or even the supermarket. With the perfect perspective, even a fruit display in a supermarket may look amazing. Even if you are not in a creative mood there is still a good solution to the problem. You can replace your dull background just on your smartphone with patterned or solid-colored variants. That's great! You can be in your bed, but it looks like you have spent the weekend in a luxurious hotel.
Step 3. Choose the Right Angle
How to take cute selfies? You can turn your head slightly while holding your phone completely still or slightly angling it up or down, or even to the side. You may also try angling your phone and your head at the same time, but it will make you appear very funny until you find an angle when you look your best. Despite what you do, snapping a selfie straight on won't provide the ideal picture, and it has nothing in common with your photogenic face.
Consider the following. Before phones with front cameras existed, we used "genuine" cameras to take portraits from a big distance. Not the best way to get a great selfie. Nowadays, you just need to be arm's length from the camera to shoot a selfie. Any objects seem quite different when you are very close to them compared to when you are farther away. In our case, an object is your face.
Advanced yet easy-to-use photo editor
Get Luminar Neo NowStep 4. Focus Your Eyes on the Camera
Any picture we see draws our attention to the eyes. We are not machines, despite the fact that a lot of communications actually take place through messengers today. That human contact in someone's eyes is still something we're looking for. It's important to understand how to take the best selfie.
So, concentrate your look on the camera to shoot a stunning selfie. Not the entire phone area, but solely the camera. If you followed our tips above and moved your head and phone about to achieve the best selfie angle, you must now pause, focus, and look directly into your phone's camera. In case you are unsure of where the camera is located in the smartphone you are holding in your hand, perform these experiments to determine where your eyes truly meet the camera.
When shooting a selfie, you may act as though you are ready to seduce the camera with your eyes, or you can try to pretend as if you are going to laugh. But anyway you should try to make your eyes look softer, and add some natural expressions. A great selfie creates a connection with the person watching you, and this is really important.
Step 5. The Right Light for the Selfie
No matter whether you are taking selfies indoors or outside, you should avoid intense lighting such as white kitchen lighting or direct sunshine. At the same time, you should be sure that there is adequate natural light because otherwise, your photos will be blurred, and no photo editing or filters will not be able to fix this problem.
Actually, the best part of the day for taking selfies outdoors is golden hour. In other words, either in the morning before sunrise, in the evening, or just after sunset.
Best way to take a selfie: 6 model poses
Knowing how to pose will make your selfies much better than any photo app. Although, holding the camera and taking a good picture of oneself at the same time might be challenging at times. There are a few poses you can follow to make your selfies perfect.
1. Mirror Selfie
When no one is around to snap your photo for you, mirror selfies are a perfect method to show your fantastic look or good hair day. For a great mirror selfie, start with a clean workspace, the appropriate-sized mirror, and sufficient lighting. Use portrait mode. Last but not least, you should decide which selfie pose will benefit you. Here are some posing secrets when taking a mirror selfie:
- If you are standing, try to place one foot in front of the other, pull your hips back and hold your arms away from the body.
- If you're a little camera shy, choose a pose with the camera in front of a mirror.
- In your selfie in the bathroom mirror, you may also sit. The main thing you should avoid is slouching.
- Add some creativity and take a selfie in the mirror of your car.
2. Pose With Your Eyes
Selfies frequently feature the subject's eyes, so you must make sure they are visible. Look for poses that highlight them as the main subject of your selfie. This is important to consider in order to understand how to take a great selfie.
You can face the camera directly. You seem straight and honest in this position. However, bear in mind that if you gaze at anything near your face, many people appear to have crossed eyes. By looking a little under the camera lens, you might lessen this impression.
Try lifting your selfie stick if you use one. It makes you open your eyes a little wider. (This position for your selfie also ensures that you won't have a double chin!)
Additionally, if you shoot a selfie from upwards and use appropriate lighting, bright eyes will shine out even more.
Also, you may "squinch" in selfies. Models frequently use this look on their faces. Although it may appear as though you're squinting, you shouldn't close your eyes completely. Your face appears sassy and fun in the position.
You may even pretend not to see the camera by turning your head away from it. If you're camera shy, this is a great natural position.
3. Night photos
Photos taken at night can be really stunning! If you choose this option, don't try to trick viewers into thinking you're shooting during the day. If you are taking photos indoors, turn off all the lights. Make sure you turn off the flash!
If you're shooting outside, try to choose an interesting object (a landmark, like the Eiffel Tower that glows beautifully in the dark). If you want a full-body selfie, use a tripod.
4. Silly Selfie Poses
Posing for a selfie may first feel weird. Let go of the strain! Try using crazy gestures and poses that make you laugh. Selfie taken in this position expresses playfulness and ease.
But there is an issue that sometimes, such selfies may seem fake or artificial. By being sincere and filming everything you want to do, you can avoid this problem. Keep in mind that nobody needs to view these photos of you. So enjoy yourself and practice as many different poses as possible.
One piece of advice is to start experimenting with burst mode on the camera. You can also turn your phone into a video and record yourself making several unusual postures. Then, capture a screenshot of the moment you prefer.
5. Thoughtful Poses
Put your head in your palm for the traditional thoughtful selfie. Simply avoid resting your entire weight on your head; otherwise, you get soft chipmunk cheeks.
Keep your eyes off the camera. As you take your picture, instead, stare off into the distance. It appears as though you are contemplating profound ideas.
In general, insightful selfies call for an equally thoughtful caption. Make your selfie in a place that is relevant to the message you're trying to make if it's about a subject that is significant to you.
For example, if there is a company that you feel is dishonest, snap your selfie right in front of that company to make your point. It's a good tip for taking a good selfie.
6. Group Selfie Posing
It may be a big pain in the posterior to pose for a group selfie. One person is constantly out of the picture, a bit too near to the camera, or just not gazing in the appropriate place.
Use a few of these ideas to take the ideal group selfie:
- Ensure that everybody in your photo is lit. You don't need somebody hiding in the shadows behind you.
- The side buttons on the majority of phones may be used to take pictures. This makes it easier to maintain your hand stable. You may also move the phone with the use of a pop socket.
- Participants should be lined up in a staggered fashion, or taller people could take the back rows. Even taking a picture while everyone is standing behind you from above might be successful. Try to find good angles for selfies, shift people about, and use long-armed people to take the picture.
- When in doubt, utilize a selfie stick to capture the greatest possible group photo.
Simply said, face the light source, make use of natural light when you can, and start taking pictures away.
Final Words: Take selfies like a pro
There are several factors to consider while taking good selfies. Even the slightest detail may have a big impact, starting from the way you hold the camera to how you pose.
Here are some basic poses and tips that you should always use when taking a selfie. You can quickly improve your selfies by putting these tips into action. You'll be able to take the great selfie with more practice.
The next selfie shot you take will be successful, whether you're taking it for pleasure, to post on your beauty blog, or to use as your profile image.
Inform us of your favorite selfie tips and poses as well as any further tips on taking selfies you may have. Your feedback is much appreciated.
A Special Perk for Our Blog Readers
Get a 10% discount on Luminar Neo and dive into professional photo editing today!
Thank you for subscribing.
Your gift is waiting in your inbox!
Advanced yet easy-to-use photo editor
view plans