How to take flawless selfies with your phone

If you’re not satisfied with the selfies you take, this article will introduce you to the rules and tips of taking selfies to get a flawless photo.

Taking selfies seems very simple; This makes you frustrated when you can’t take a perfect selfie. First of all, let me remind you that you should not compare yourself to influencers in this regard. Taking a selfie of yourself is different from taking a selfie of someone who looks like you! In this photography tutorial, we’re going to talk about real selfies and how to improve them.

Since the rules of portrait photography also apply to taking selfies, it might be a good idea to visit the ‘What is Portrait Photography’ article to learn everything you need to know to get started. In the article ‘Best Camera Phones for Photography in the Iranian Market’, you can also get to know the best smartphones suitable for photography.

1. The importance of suitable lighting in selfies

Tip 1: Use natural light as much as possible

The most attractive and versatile lighting you can find is completely free and available to almost everyone. Natural light should always be your first choice for taking a selfie. Simply being outside in the sunshine isn’t enough. There are specific times of day when the light is better. You’ll have to experiment a bit to match it with your conditions.

The natural sunlight that professional photographers refer to as the “golden hour” is an hour right after sunrise and an hour right before sunset. So if you have the advantage of planning your selfie times, try to take them during these hours.

Second Note: Face the Light Source

Whether you are outside in sunlight or using the lamp in your living room, to take a perfect selfie, you need to face the light source. Try to position your face so that the light is towards your nose.

This not only keeps your picture in the brightest and most visible position, but also adds attractive shadows and highlights to your face.

Tip 3: Keep the light at eye level

If you want to get the most attractive light for your selfie out of the golden hour, you need to keep the light source at eye level. When the light hits above your eyes, it can create dark circles and light from below can create strange and unattractive shadows on your face.

Tip 4: Use ring light and suitable light sources for help

You can use a simple lighting tool to improve your photos. There are different types of ring lights available for purchase. You have the right to choose from the simplest types, which are clip-on ring lights, to professional models that essentially do tripod work.

Portable clip-on ring lights come in battery-powered and rechargeable types, and can be the simplest tool to enhance your selfie level.

2. The importance of a suitable background in selfies

Do not forget that while you are the main subject of the selfies, the background is still very important. This is something that many beginners overlook at times.

First tip: Find a suitable location

Interesting locations can make interesting selfies. These locations do not necessarily have to be strange and exotic places; great locations can be found around your home, office, and almost anywhere else. Finding that perfect location just requires a little more attention to your surroundings.

Note 2: Eliminate any distractions

Assume you have taken a complete shot; proper lighting, golden pose, attractive location; Suddenly, when you check the shutter, a stranger walks into the frame and ruins everything. Avoiding this in public environments is inevitable.

The best selfie backgrounds are clear, simple and free of any distractions. The background can be a beautiful blue sky, a simple office wall or anything equally simple. Your background should either be incredibly interesting or incredibly simple.

Note 3: Choose a Pleasant Color

You can’t always control your selfie background, but we recommend going for bright, shiny and neutral backgrounds as much as possible. This helps highlight your features and ensures your face truly shines; exactly what you want from a selfie.

3. Using Camera Features

One of the advantages of using the selfie camera on smartphones is the features it provides for selfies. If your phone has these features, don’t miss out on using them. Of course, you can always replace the default camera app with the best camera apps to enjoy more benefits.

First tip: Try the Portrait mode

Most front cameras have a portrait mode that blurs the background and focuses on the main subject to create a professional selfie. If your phone does not have portrait mode or you have forgotten to use it, you can use Google Photos or other apps to blur the background of your selfies.

iPhone offers various lighting effects in portrait mode for the front-facing camera. You can play with the contour light, studio light, stage light, and monochrome effects to apply high-quality lighting to your portrait mode images. Portrait Lighting feature is available on iPhone 8 Plus and later models.

Note 2: Use a timer

When your hands are trembling, you may take blurry photos. Using volume buttons as shutter buttons or in some phones, voice command may make it easier. Using a timer is also another great option. You can place the camera on a tripod or wherever you wish and take a good selfie with the help of a timer. This allows you to have the appropriate time to check the pose and other elements before taking the photo.

Note 3: Use wide-angle mode

Sometimes keeping everyone in the frame for group selfies can be difficult. For group selfies, use the wide-angle or wide-angle mode to place everyone in the final picture. If your phone supports this function, you should be able to see the group icon in the front camera interface. Thanks to the wide-angle mode, no one will complain about being left out or half fallen in selfies.

4. The importance of proper angle and posture

First Note: Play with different angles

If you don’t want your gallery to be full of similar selfies, hold the camera up, lower your chin, and try different angles until you find a better one.

Some people may lose their natural pose when staring at the camera. Visually symmetric photos are less pleasant, so rotate your body around and take a picture. There is no winning formula for the best selfie angle. Try different poses in different styles and choose the best one.

Note Two: Move the camera away from your face

If you get your camera too close to your face, your nose may appear much larger or your face may look taller than it really is. I am ready to bet that no one wants their nose and chin to appear larger than usual. By keeping your camera farther away, you can easily prevent this problem.

By moving the camera away from your face, you will receive a more natural view of yourself; because your facial features will be properly displayed and it will be easier to take a good selfie. This tip is one of the best and most effective changes you can make.

Note 3: Put the camera above eye level

Have you ever opened the camera while looking down at the phone? In this case, all you can see is the chin and the nostril holes of the giant.

When you look down, your neck shortens, your jawline is less visible, and your eyes appear more closed. Keeping the camera pointed downwards towards your chin is always the least flattering angle for a selfie.

Chin down, camera up. This is probably the first rule of taking a great selfie with your phone.

For this reason, keeping the camera slightly higher than eye level is another easy trick for taking a flawless selfie. With a higher angle, everything changes; your neck becomes elongated and your jawline becomes more dominant. Likewise, your eyes are fully open, which helps to create an attractive and natural appearance in the selfie.

Note 4: Tilt your neck forward

You have probably heard that models like to elongate their necks. Even if you don’t consider yourself a model  you are in front of the camera when taking a selfie! So using tips that a professional model considers will make a big difference.

To elongate your neck, try to relax your shoulders and bring your chin forward. This helps to make your neck appear higher and create more even skin tone in different areas.

Note 5: Smile Naturally

Even if you are in the best angle or ideal lighting conditions, if you take a selfie with a fake smile, your efforts will be in vain. A fake smile is immediately recognizable.

When looking directly at the camera, it may be difficult to have a natural smile. You can practice your natural smile in front of a mirror before taking a selfie. Take a few selfies to find a natural smile that shows yourself.

Note 6: Snap a full-body selfie

If you are tired of old selfies, try taking a full-body selfie. When you take a picture of your whole body, experimenting with poses and being creative is much easier.

There are many instructional videos on tips and poses for full-body selfies on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram that you can try.

Note 7: Take a mirror selfie

Taking a regular selfie can be boring, but a mirror makes everything more fun.

Since we are more familiar with the perspective that a mirror provides, finding ideal poses is easier.

To start, a smaller mirror will be easier as it shows you enough. Thus, you don’t have to think about taking a pose for the whole body, you just think about a part of your body. When you have gained more confidence, move towards a full-length mirror and see what you can take.

In the mirror, you can try those entertaining poses that you may execute with a tripod and timer. The only difference is that you are limited to where the mirror can be located based on the size of your mirror. Of course, one should not forget the advantage of using the main camera and high-quality phone in mirror selfies.

Note 8: Get out of the frame

You need to change your opinion about selfie, selfie is not just about your face. Selfie is an image that you take of yourself and probably shows other parts of your body or other accessories; Therefore, the situation of the photo is of particular importance.

Step outside the frame; try imagining and practicing some interesting and funny poses that may be surprising. You can imitate various selfie poses on Instagram to get more inspiration. There are no rules or limitations for taking a good selfie. It is your imagination that limits the selfie.

5. Take a selfie with your back camera

Although the front camera is designed for selfies, the back camera can also be used to take selfies. In many phones, the rear camera has a higher resolution than the front camera, so using it may lead to better results.

The only point about using the rear camera is that it is difficult to determine whether your face is in the best position or not and whether you are looking in the right direction.

In the iPhone, the SelfieX app can solve all these problems. This free app, which is available in the App Store with in-app purchases, uses voice commands to guide you in taking great selfies with the rear camera.

Selfies in the mirror are also taken with the rear camera and have their own special charm.

6. Take a mirror selfie

Since many of us are used to only looking at ourselves in the mirror where our reflections are reversed, it may seem a bit different when taking a selfie. A quick way to solve this problem and get the reflection you’re used to seeing, is to

After taking a photo, edit and flip it to display it in the direction you are accustomed to seeing it.

7. The Importance of Editing Selfies

After completing the process and using all the important and executable points to take a perfect selfie, it is time for one of the most important parts. We all know that attractive selfies that catch our eye on social networks are not just due to the skill of the photographer and the beauty of the subject. Editing selfies and making necessary changes that we couldn’t find during photography are an important part of the process of achieving a perfect selfie.

Note 1: Get creative with filters

Filters are the easiest way to edit selfies. Pre-made filters can add a likeable personality to your photo. You may want to play with colors or exaggerate the display of some of your facial features. The right filter can transform an ordinary selfie into anything you want. Choosing these filters is very important. To get started, it’s best to focus on trends or popular Instagram or TikTok selfies and see what filters they used to try them out.

One of the popular styles of photography, especially for selfies among young and old, is black and white photography. To make your selfies look professional, don’t miss the guide to converting color photos to black and white in Photoshop.

Note 2: delicate edits with photo editing programs

It’s okay to finish your selfie with a few small tricks. Other than manipulating the main elements of the photo like light and shadows, you may want to remove skin blemishes, whiten your teeth, or clean up something in the background. There are thousands of editing apps that can help you create a perfect selfie; don’t miss the article on the best photo editing apps for Android and iPhone to learn more.

Note 3: Don’t Overdo It

No one wants to look unnatural in their selfies. Try not to make yourself look like a Disney character, and instead do edits that enhance your facial features while preserving your true shape. To take a flawless selfie, first believe that you are valuable and special and let your selfie scream that out. Now, go ahead and try the tips mentioned.