QUEZON CITY, Philippines — It is already 6:00 in the morning, the gentle wind swept the room curtains causing the sunlight to brush your face. You reached for your phone– a row of clicks, trying to achieve that perfect angle for that perfect #JustWokeUp selfie.
“Put a filter on it,”
“Hide my blemishes,”
“Oh no I’m fat! Delete it.”
Whatever your favorite line is, are you one of the millennials who is always on the quest for that perfect selfie pose?
Taking selfies is a fun way to show the world your personality, confidence, and style. Almost everyone is fascinated in taking personal photos, but did you know selfie is not just a simple shot of yourself? It is not only a click away on your phone and you’re on the go. There’s an art to taking attention-grabbing selfies that your friends will love seeing in their feeds.
STRIKE A POSE, get a good angle!
Try different angles to accentuate your features and assets. If you turn your head a few degrees to the right or left, your features will appear less flat. Holding the camera slightly higher than your head so that it’s pointing down on you will make your eyes look bigger and help you avoid “pig nose.”
Know your “good side” and take the photo from that side of your face. It’s the side of your face that looks the most balanced and symmetrical.
Show something new
If you’re taking a selfie to show your new accessories or hair cut, focus the camera in a way that it highlights the new thing you wanted to share with your audience.
One is enough
If you want to take a close-up selfie, consider glamming up one feature and downplay the others. For example, if you have beautiful eyes and long lashes, play it with cool eye shadows and mascara while keeping your lipstick very minimal. The key here is to focus more on the eyes. Likewise, if your smile is your most charming feature, keep your cheeks and eyes looking natural while donning a stunningly beautiful lipstick.
Capture that summer body!
Summer is coming. Before you plunge into the water, let’s take a selfie first. Stand in front of a full-length mirror to capture your body from head to toe. In this instance, your face is no longer the focus of the photo. The photo should focus completely on your figure, not on random objects in the background.
You can appear more slender by slightly cocking your hip to the same side you are holding your camera in. Your opposite shoulder should come forward a bit, and your free arm should either dangle to your side or your free hand can rest on your hip. The chest should lean forward naturally, and the legs should be crossed at the ankle.
Girl, get that natural vibe!
Don’t use any filter for a change. Taking a snapshot of yourself with bedhead or minimal makeup can give the illusion that you’re giving your social media followers a glimpse at the “real you.” This can be both interesting and fabulous. Instead of choosing the perfect filter, why not take a shot under the natural light? That way, it will look more natural.
Front VS. Rear Camera, which is which?
Instead of using the front camera of your phone to take selfies, use the rear camera instead. The back camera takes higher-resolution pictures than the front camera, which will end up taking a blurrier selfie. Though it is more difficult to check if you’re doing the right smile of capturing the right angle, but it’s worth the trouble to use the back camera.
The ‘rule of thirds’ selfie
Maybe you’re thinking that the rule of thirds is for the professional photograph only, well selfies don’t exempt you from properly capturing your best shot. Placing your face on the top-right or top-left corner of the frame can be far more captivating than if you placed your face right in the center.
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 (Source: Improve Photography).
It’s not about just your face, consider the background too!
Whether you take your selfie inside or outdoors, check around you first to see what’s going on in the background. Position yourself so that you’re in front of the background you want people to see.
Selfie of the selfie
One really fun idea that I haven’t seen very often is to have someone take a picture of you taking a selfie. It’s a really flattering look and is really interesting (Source: Improve Photography).
Now that you know the secrets of how to bring your selfies to the next level!
According to a new study published in Psychology of Well-Being, taking selfies might boost your mood and confidence. In every encouragement, flattering comments and likes we get on the photo we shared on social media, our confidence level becomes much higher.
A Common Sense Media survey shows that over 1000 teens between age 13 to 17 years old, a percentage of 1 in 5 teens felt more popular, confident, and more self-esteem about themselves when using a social media website while only a 4% felt worse about their appearance and selves.
Oftentimes, we are encouraged to post more selfies when we feel we are being accepted and liked by the public. Sometimes it is the people’s feedback that shapes a person’s behavior. Insecure people probably are not going to take selfies and post them but if they do and receive positive feedback it would encourage them to do it more. It might not necessarily make them more self-confident, but it will make them less shy exhibiting themselves.
Smartphone camera helps us feel better while connecting us to the world. It is not just a “personal isolation device,” as smartphones are often called. So, for a little bit of positive energy, say goodbye to the duck lips and hello to a smile.
Sources: WikiHow (www.wikihow.com/Take-Good-Selfies); Improve Photography (http://improvephotography.com); Talk English Schools (www.talk.edu); and Shape (http://www.shape.com).
(written and researched by Jodi Bustos, edited by Jay Paul Carlos)
