The Art of Taking Selfies and How to Master It

Celebrities and beauty gurus aren’t the only ones who can take killer selfies, and we’re here to help you become the champion of selfies. In the era of social media and platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat it’s inevitable to follow the trend of taking selfies. It has evolved to the point that it has almost become an art. But once you learn all the secrets of your favourite selfie role models, you’re going to become the master of selfies. Are you ready? 

It’s All in the Angle

Recently one of the selfie taking divas, Kim Kardashian West stated she doesn’t know what her good angle is. But take one look at all her pictures and they look absolutely perfect. Nobody’s perfect, nor are the celebrities, but they are hiding their selfie secrets selfishly, so that their photos stand out in the sea of photographs online.

The angle for taking selfies is crucial and it’s going to affect whether you get the double chin on photos or not. The key is to find the perfect balance.

Don’t take your phone too high above your head, and don’t hold it too low or it might seem like you don’t have a good angle at all. But you do. The trick is to hold your phone in front of you but angle it slightly down. It might take some practice, but once you find that perfect centre you’re never going to have bad angles ever again.

Follow the Light

Once your arm and hand master the right position and the angle, you’re going to have to pay attention to the light. Taking selfies in natural light is always the best choice. There’s no better lighting than that, as it minimises the shadows that your facial features may cast and it instantly brightens your face, no filter necessary.

Given the fact that you’re not always going to have the chance to slay your makeup look or hair and be in natural light at the same time, you have to know which lighting is best to avoid, if you must take a selfie at that particular moment. If you’re taking night selfies or are located in a bar or night club, find a source of soft lighting such as a candle and you’re good to go, but avoid fluorescent light at all costs.

Find Your Face Pose

Do you tilt your head back or front? How much do you tilt it to the side? This all actually depends on your personal preference. It takes some practice and a lot of selfie taking to see which position you love the best. Ideally, you want to slightly tilt your head down and to the side, but not to the point where you look like you’re going to fall asleep on your shoulder. Once again, taking the ideal selfie requires you to find that perfect centre.

Once you do find it, your selfies will only get better once you start playing around with poses that flatter you. You can take two-hand selfies, one hand selfies that are closer of farther away, and ultimately experiment and be creative.

Filter Only If Necessary

If you followed all the steps above, you’re going to be satisfied with your selfie, and you won’t need filters. But, if you have to use one, make sure you don’t overdo it, because it will take away from your natural beauty. And although filters have evolved nowadays to make you look like you have the perfect skin, and even make you seem like you have makeup on, it doesn’t look natural. You want to master the art of selfie taking, not cheat your way to the perfect photo.

Apps for Assistance

And finally, there are plenty of apps that are going to help you touch up the perfect selfie before you hit the publish button and wait for the likes of admiration to come through. Here is a list of some of the best out there, both for iPhone and Android phones.

• YouCam Perfect
• Picr
• Candy Camera
• Bright Camera
• Retrica
• FaceTune
• Photo Editor by Aviary

Are you ready to take the selfie world by a storm? Once you master the basics, don’t forget to get creative with it. We can’t wait to see your selfies!