It’s no secret that I love a good self portrait. It’s a fun skill to master as they are a great way to keep track of your style evolution and share new looks with loved ones. But when you’re taking selfies, there are key steps you can take to make sure you always look fabulous:
Being a photographer and having modeled for over 15 years, I still use a lot of what I’ve experienced and learned from other photographers for my own selfie game technique.
First thing’s first – Clean Your Front Camera
You’d be surprised at how greasy and streaky phone cameras get which could severely degrade the sharpness of a front camera picture. Always use a screen cleaner or an alcohol wipe before setting off to take the perfect selfie.
Good, No, Great Lighting
On a bright day, find an open window or an even shadow outside. In low lighting situations, a ring light is one of the most popular tools for a beautiful selfie. It pulls the shadows out of your face, creating a soft skin effect which evens out your skin tone. When I started on my photography journey, even working commercial projects for various companies, a ring light was all that I had in my toolkit at times and it has definitely paid for itself many times over. Here is the one I have and recommend:
Chin to the Light
When you pull your chin down, two things tend to happen in camera. This skin on your jaw and neck (jowls) can became bunched and also your forehead will appear larger than it is. Pointing your chin towards the camera or source of the light will chisel those features and minimize your forehead. I use this tip a lot because I already have a bigger forehead and a dainty chin. On the other hand, if your chin is what you want to minimize, be sure to tilt your chin down and forward to stretch the skin under your neck if this is a look your prefer.
Sideways Vs Regular Orientation
As an avid Snapchat user, I realized that the orientation of your phone definitely matters when taking a selfie on that platform. When the phone is held as normal (vertically) Snapchat auto-enhances the face, so it appears slightly larger and for someone who wants their features minimized, this can lead to a selfie they don’t necessarily like. I learned a few years ago that holding my phone sideways (horizontally) allowed my head to not look like a lollipop and my selfie game instantly improved. Granted it is harder for your followers to view you, they’ll have to turn their phones to the side while on your story, but baby, you are worth the effort it takes to see those masterpieces you have graced them with!
Skin & Makeup: To Glow or Not to Glow?
First and foremost, make sure your bare skin or your makeup is on point! Sure there are filters you can use to help with a makeup look, but selfies taken without them are usually higher quality and can be processed afterwards with natural results. Also, before you start snapping your selfies, definitely check how your makeup will behave in the light you have chosen. I do this by taking a small mirror and moving my face around to see where the light catches my highlighter or any oil sheen on my face. A totally shine free face is not realistic, but if that’s what you prefer, ensure you have contoured to give your features definition. Shine on the bridge of your nose is fine for this, but definitely blot away any oil under the nose and forehead. Use a colorful highlighter if you really want your skin to pop! Fenty makes my favorite highlighter/blush of all time:
KILLAWATT FREESTYLE HIGHLIGHTER ON FENTY.COM
Ginger Binge/Moscow Mulesoft
copper sheen / supercharged copper shimmer
We hope these tips will come in handy the next time you’re in need of a cute selfie! Phone cameras are more advanced these days and can give quality results, but a professional photographer can still best any of your selfies. Check out our galleries for examples of this or send us a message for Before and After photos of our beautiful clients.
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