1. Play with Angles
Most people don’t photograph well head on; instead, try tilting your body to the side, get multiple shots in if you have too. Images taken from the top down give you bigger and more ‘adorable’ eyes, highlights your cheekbones and avoids the double chin. The bottom-up approach does the complete opposite, so unless you’re snap chatting a friend, stay away from that.
2. Find Your Perfect Pose
Be expressive, a picture is a window into you, your personality, your passions. So strike a pose (or 3) that best expresses it. Could be a playful chuckle, a head tilt, or maybe a lip bite. Just stay away from the gang signs and of course the clichés. No duck faces, please!
3. Be Natural
As former runway queen, Tyra Banks once said, ‘’Perfect is boring, human is beautiful’. While she probably wasn’t talking about selfies, we’re going to apply it here anyway. And the best way to find that natural smile is to try and remember how you feel when you’re genuinely happy, and practice replicating it in front of the mirror. Just make sure no ones around while you’re doing it. You’ll look weird.
4. Find ‘The Light’
The right lighting can give you a glow you never knew you had, and maybe even that six-pack. Whenever possible seek out natural light, and of course, the elusive ‘magic hour’, which is ideally one hour after sunrise and before sunset. If you’re inside, use a window and try and get a natural stream of light across your face. Apart from great lighting, it should give the picture a nice artistic touch.
5. Â Use The Right Filter
Filters can make those really tiny, subtle differences (not to mention quick enhancements), to take your snaps to the next level. Here are some of our Instagram favorites:
- Reyes, a great filter for portrait shots, it desaturates the image and brightens it up, giving it that classic vintage feel.
- Speaking of vintage, if that is the look you’re going for, but maybe a little more subtle, try Valencia, which also does wonders for your hair.
- Mayfair enhances and directs light to the center of the image, leaving a warm glow. An alternative to that would be Amaro, directing a not too overpowering light at the center of the image.
- Also recommended is the use of just a slightly warm red tint. To add it, simply move over to edit, color, choose red and tap again to adjust. Around 30 – 40, should add a nice, subtle intensity to your picture.
6. Accessorising and Showing Off Something New
Up the ante, and make your page more lively and diverse, by trying new looks, throw on a pair of shades; try a funky (but flattering) new haircut. Or if the haircut’s dreadful, maybe even a wig. Joking.
Just because a picture worked the first time, doesn’t mean it’s a formula for success. Same, over and over again, is boring.
7. Be a Bit More Exciting
Use your pictures as a chance to show more than your great looks, take selfies doing exciting things you’re passionate about. Could be anything, from rock climbing, snorkelling, hiking, or even trying out new restaurants.
Note: Netflix in your pajamas, as fun as it may be, doesn’t count.
8. Crop It Out
If your collar isn’t sitting right, your hair’s going a little too crazy in one direction, or especially when you have a really loud background, just crop it. Kim Kardashian does it, read into that what you will.
9. If At First You Don’t Succeed…
Take as many as your camera memory will allow. For every selfie, there’s probably enough content behind the scenes for a blooper reel. It takes time and effort, so when you finally get through all the prep, take as many shots as possible, striking different poses from different angles, pick the best ones and work from there.
10. Learn the Tools of the Trade
With all the tips above and of course, you; the star of the show, we’re sure you don’t need it, but just in case you want the raise the bar even higher, you could use one of the many other photo editing tools available. Here are some of our favourites: Photowonder, Visage Lab, CreamCam.
(And they’re all completely free).