30 Tips To Click The Perfect Selfie

There were no surprises when the word "selfie" was named the word of the year last year by the Oxford Dictionary. Almost all of us have taken our selfie at least once in our life and we know one thing for sure that the selfie trend is here to stay. But have you ever wondered what it takes to get that perfect selfie shot? Coz if you’re doing it, you better do it right. So while capturing your selfie next time round, keep the following tips in mind and be assured of the perfect shot –

The right beauty tricks

Practicing the right beauty tricks will help you look amazing in the photo. So when you decide to click that perfect selfie, make sure you look your best! Go ahead and grab your favorite shampoo that makes your hair look glam and voluminous, that kohl pencil that always makes your eyes extremely gorgeous or the bronzer for that sun kissed greek goddess look!

Perfect Lighting

Make sure that the place where you plan to take your selfie has good lighting. Light can make or break a shot and you don’t want to lose out on a capture that would have otherwise turned out perfect just because the bad lighting played a massive spoiler. I have noticed that shots come out best in natural light. But keep in mind that when you take a selfie you face the sun and don’t have your back to it instead as that will make your face look dark.

Go Hands-free

Clicking a selfie can be a challenging task especially as you try to avoid your hands coming into the picture and spoiling it. Opting to use the timer setting on your camera or a tripod is a smarter option. This will also ensure your selfie isn’t spoilt because of camera shake.

Background beauty

Having a beautiful background can automatically take your shot several notches higher in the awesomeness meter. So make sure your background is good and clear (eg. opt for solid coloured walls) and isn’t dirty and cluttered (eg. next to a garbage dumping place) before you set out to click yourself in order to avoid a photo #fail.

Clean Lens

This is a very basic tip. If your lens is clean, your images will come in focus, sharp and won’t end up being blurry. Make sure the lens of your camera is perfectly clean and dust free before the shooting session by cleaning it gently with a soft cloth and some lens cleaning solution!

No Motion

Keep still and make sure your eyes stay open, your smile stays intact and your face stays in one particular position! The majority of our photos get screwed up when we are caught in motion and the shots end up wobbly and unclear. So, take a deep breath, relax and hold that arm in place.

Take multiple photos

The more pictures you click, the more shots you get to choose from when deciding on that one selfie that makes the cut! :)

Experiment with angles

Don’t be afraid of trying various angles while taking shots. Find out the angle from which you look your very best and capture that! Many people look great when they hold the phone up and angle their face upwards as it makes the face and body look slimmer.

Creativity gets extra points

Try and get as creative as possible with your selfie! For example, you can take shots with your cute furry dog or with your favourite baby niece, having another adorable creature (other than you, of course!) alongside definitely ups the cuteness quotient of the capture. You can also capture yourself while you’re indulging in interesting activities like when you’re out gardening amidst those bright and pretty flowers or when you’re going white water rafting with a bunch of your friends. These kind of photos also serve as conversation starters and will end up being talked about, a lot!

Show off your best side

Figure out which is your most flattering side by experimenting while taking shots in order to ensure you capture the best shot! It’s often said that the left side of your face is your most flattering and most pleasant to look at. So when you’re posing for that selfie the next time, tilt your face a little towards the right so your left side is showing and *click*!

Edit, edit till you succeed

Editing images can really bring out uniqueness in your shot. Try experimenting with black and white, vintage or sepia to add variety and check out how your selfie looks after using similar filters to narrow out on which one you find best. Blur out your blemishes and play with the different image settings such as brightness, contrast etc. to enhance the shot and make the colours and your best features stand out! But remember too much is never a good thing. So edit in moderation to make sure you don’t end up with an almost unrecognisable capture of yourself in the end.

Practice makes perfect

Don’t expect to get the perfect selfie the first time you click. Keep practicing till you are fully satisfied with the shots you’ve taken. Be confident and ready to try out new poses amidst interesting backgrounds and I promise, you won’t end up disappointed.

Check for potential image spoilers

Before you set about in your journey to capture the perfect selfie, do check for potential image spoilers that might be present around you. These vary from a fast moving truck that might be passing behind you to a naughty inappropriately dressed young nephew who is planning on photo bombing the shot!

Say no to flash

When it comes to capturing good shots, the camera flash can be really unflattering. So switch it off and never use it unless you are in a pitch dark environment to avoid red eyes, bad captures and over exposure of your face.

Go Mirror-less!

We’ve had enough of mirror shots, really! They have been used and abused too often and too much now and they don’t exactly look that flattering anyway. Plus with mirror shots, your camera gets in the picture and ruins the shot as well. However, if you really must take one, ensure the mirror’s clean and spot free and try to ensure your camera doesn’t make it into the final shot. Also, using a flash especially in this situation is an absolute no-no.

Check yourself out before snapping

If you’re using the front camera of your phone, check yourself out before you take the shot. This way you will only get shots that you like and there are more chances the final captures will come out well.

The Rule of Thirds

Using the Rule of Thirds helps produce nicely balanced pictures that are easy on the eyes. It basically suggests that you divide your screen into a 3x3 grid of 9 equal parts and place important compositional elements (in this case yourself) on any one of the grid intersection points. This makes for more interesting photos than simply centering yourself would.

Less is more

Crop out the unnecessary details from the image and only keep the parts that you want to mainly bring to focus instead. This way your shot will be less cluttered and look cleaner and more pleasing.

Try using the back camera

If you’re using your smart phone to take your selfie, try capturing it with the back camera of your phone. Even though using the front camera is more convenient, the back camera is generally better and will result in clearer, higher resolution shots.

Keep your distance

Holding the camera too close to your face might result in lens distortion and make your face and features look wider than they actually are. This is why, you should hold the camera as far away from your face as possible for the most flattering shot.

Go All natural

Try to look your natural best and like you’re having fun when taking your selfie. Fake smiles or duck faces are an absolute no-no. They are not appealing, definitely not cool and extremely over used. A more flattering way to bring attention to your pout would be by colouring your lips with a lipstick or a lip gloss instead. We don’t want to send out a message that we’re trying too hard now, do we?

Try something new

A new hairdo, recently coloured hair or a nose ring! Anything that is different about you is bound to bring attention. Don’t be afraid to experiment and when you do, make sure you take a snap!

Know your limits

Don’t bombard your friends with your selfies. If you’re going overboard and most of the images you post are your selfies, you need to start diversifying and add variety to your albums. If you practice moderation, the shots of you that come up intermittently will be appreciated way more than if the case is otherwise.

Be sensible

Don’t click photos at inappropriate places or during events such as funerals or memorial services. It’s not cool and totally off limits.

Focus on one feature

If you’re highlighting one of your features while prepping for the shot, downplay the rest. For example, if you want people to focus on your eyes, you can highlight them using kohl, mascara and eye shadow while keeping your cheeks and lips natural.

Keep your chin up

While posing for the selfie, keep your chin slightly up, your head tilted and your shoulders back. This will help avoid the double chin that we dread so much and result in a flattering capture of your face.

Stand at an angle

If you slightly turn to an angle while taking a shot, you will achieve natural highlights and shadows that slim the face. This is always the most flattering and can reduce the size of your hips considerably unlike when you’re standing and capturing yourself straight on.

Pose right

Placing a hand on your hip will make your arm look more toned and if you’re posing sitting down, turn slightly to the side while taking a shot. If you want to cross your legs, keep the leg closest to the camera on top of the other.

Download photo apps

There are a number of cool apps available in the market that can help you capture yourself perfectly. You can use these to add variations to your shot in innumerable ways such as by applying filters, adjusting brightness and contrast, sharpening blurriness and making collages. Some of the many photo apps are Instagram, Snapseed, Picstitch and Picfx.

Say cheese

A smile can brighten up a picture instantly. It is extremely pleasing to the eye and adds an air of cheeriness to the shot. So go ahead and flash those pearly whites and add an instant lift to the capture!

Now that you are armed with these many tips to get that perfect selfie! What are you waiting for? Go ahead, get clicking... And do make sure to click and tell!