Take Stunningly Gorgeous Selfies

4 Parts:

Things to Avoid When Taking Selfies

How to Take Flattering Selfies

Resources

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When cell-phones first became widespread, people quickly discovered their true purpose. It's not to call people, but to take pictures of everything! There are websites and blogs dedicated to everything from snaps of your coffee and breakfast, to professional looking prints, all done with a tiny camera somewhere in your phone.

The Selfie Craze

The front-facing camera that now comes with practically every phone has prompted the surge in popularity of a new type of photography: The Selfie. There's a certain art to being able to take a decent picture of yourself by holding your phone at arm's length. Some people take amazing Selfies, which make yours pale in comparison. How do they do it?

Great Selfies can be created by using a couple of basic photography rules and tricks. By learning these tricks, you too can take stunningly gorgeous Selfies.

Let's begin by learning what NOT to do.

1. 1
   DO NOT take pictures from a high angle

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   This will give you an abnormally large forehead.

   

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2. 2
   DO NOT take pictures from a very low angle

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   This gives everyone a first-class view up your nostrils. Not flattering.

   

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3. 3
   DO NOT take pictures too close

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   Lenses are curved, and things get distorted when they are too close. Pictures taken too close to your face will give you a huge nose.

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4. 4
   DO NOT take pictures in low lighting

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   At best, it will be too dark to see clearly. At worse, poor shadow play will make you look distorted or tired.

   

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5. 5
   DO NOT use direct light

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   Strong light shining directly on your face will wash it out and remove flattering shadows and curves. For the same reason, using a flash is not advisable.

   

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6. 6
   DO NOT make silly faces

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   Unless you're aiming for a silly picture. In which case go wild!

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Now that you know what to avoid, lets' talk about what you SHOULD do.

1. 1
   Use the rule of thirds

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   Composition can make or break a picture. Take a moment to correctly compose your picture before snapping a shot. Use the rule of thirds:

   

   The rule of thirds helps align key components in a picture in a way that is pleasing to the eye. In the case of a portrait, you can align your eyes and mouth, or a right hand resting near your face. Locate the focus of the picture on the intersections of the rule of thirds lines - the eye is automatically drawn to those spots when scanning a picture.

   

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2. 2
   Use natural lighting

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   The light should not be too harsh. Ideally, it should come from the left or the right of the subject, and not straight on from the front.

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3. 3
   Take pictures from slightly above

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   Only slightly! (Remember the large forehead a high angle creates).

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4. 4
   Look at the camera

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   Once you compose your picture, shift your eyes to look directly at the camera, not the screen. Looking at the screen makes your eyes look slightly down. Gazing directly into the camera can have powerful results.

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5. 5
   Smile a little

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   But just a little - real smiles extend to the eyes, and large smiles for the camera can look very fake and plastic. Instead, lift the sides of your mouth just a little. Just imagine someone telling a bad joke - but don't crinkle your forehead.

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6. 6
   Optional

   :

   Use slight filters. You don't have to, but a slight filter applied to a photo can give it an interesting finishing touch. Warming filters work best for portraits, since they bring out the warmth of a person's skin. Unless you're going for a vintage look, don't overdo it.

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Now go stun people with your beautiful selfies!

• Chaky - Third-Rule
• agirlnamednee - 259/365

If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

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