The Art of Selfie-Taking: 5 Tips To Take The Perfect Selfie

Many people ask themselves the question, “Why is my selfie always bad?” After all, there are many articles on the internet dedicated to this issue. You might have even wondered about the question yourself at some point. Taking a good selfie is actually a lot easier than folks it out to be — all you need to do is get just a few things right. Trying out a slightly new approach could be your ticket to selfie glory, so keep reading for a fresh idea or two. 

Location, Location, Location

People often forget that selfies aren’t solely about the person — they’re still photographs, after all. So while you’re clearly going to be the focal point of the image, there’s quite a lot of room for other stuff too. 

Setting up a good location has two effects. Firstly, it creates an overall feel for the entire image. Secondly, it can add or subtract from your own centrality in the image, depending on how you use it. 

Why Not Try Different Exposures?

With the advent of the modern digital setup, there’s nothing you can’t do with the touch of a button or two. You have every conceivable filter right on your phone and other photo editing apps. A tinker here and a tinker there can do all kinds of stuff. 

You can even simulate the old-fashioned look by putting different exposures into your effects. Then, you can view these side by side and even fuse them into a single multi-exposure image. 

Not every image will be a classic, but you’re sure to get some interesting results just by messing around for a little while. 

Embrace a Project

This option will require a bit more dedication than most other ideas for selfies, but it’s a really novel idea. Setting up a project for which you produce selfies in a series can be seriously interesting and compelling. 

It could take many forms, but the basic idea is to set yourself up as the centerpiece of a larger idea. If you’re a traveler, it could be about sights and sounds. If you’re an artist, you could work yourself into art pieces. 

The choices are limitless. For example, you can do something annually, like for your own birthday. Keep a theme going over time, and it will keep reminding folks about your selfie project for years to come. 

Rule of Thirds is a Real Thing

The rule of thirds is an old photography hack. It’s basically a way to offset the image in a way that appeals to the human eye. This rule can be applied to any of the other tips here because it’s compositional. 

Positioning yourself to the left, right third, or the top/bottom of an image works perfectly. It created a kind of off-kilter effect that makes any image seem instantly more interesting. 

Black and White

Nothing delineates quite like black and white imagery. It has a crispness to it that works wonders yet remains forgiving. If you do it right, the black and white look lends an air of seriousness to most pics. 

Also, if you’re into messing around with perspectives, black and white photos have a distinct edge. You can create all kinds of noir feels for your image just by foregrounding yourself against a vanishing point somewhere behind you. 

Selfies are about enjoying yourself. A lot of people take things way too seriously and end up just spoiling the experience for themselves. Trying new things is what any creative endeavor should be about. 

With all the gizmos and effects at our disposal nowadays, it seems like a shame not to experiment. Just imagine what Da Vinci would have made with half of what we have right here on our phones! 

Featured image via Anna Shvets on Pexels

2 COMMENTS

  1. Basically, it’s a rule that says to divide your image into thirds vertically and horizontally. The point of the rule is to create an image that is visually pleasing to the viewer.

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