I can’t believe I’m about to tell you how to do this, but here it goes.
Typically, I’m not one to condone taking selfies. I tend to be a pretty private person (except for the part where I routinely write about my feelings for Life Daily). I don’t like the idea of future employers, current co-workers, or my high school lab partner knowing when I’m on a diet.
However, I cannot deny that the people love taking selfies. Selfies are the artwork of our generation. If the surrealists had Picasso, we have Kim Kardashian (that’s a joke…kinda).
It’s impossible to argue that selfies could be considered an unintentional form of art. Generations from now, my children and my grandchildren will be able to look at a slew of pictures cataloging how I lived my daily life. Kids of the future will be able to see how we all live on the reg. They will additionally be able to compare our Instagram feeds with our tweets, showing the connection of our thoughts and feelings to the images we experienced in our daily lives. Throw in a splash of Facebook and a smidge of Reddit, and my future kids will know more about me than I probably want them to.
But I digress. I’m not here to tell you the complex history of things to come. I’m here to direct you how to take better selfies for those future generations to analyze.
1. Download a good selfie app:
A filter can make all the difference between a goof photo, and a grainy girls night out. Try downloading the Moonlight App (free and requires you to update to iOS 8.0 or later). This one is good for low-lighting scenes.
Uses for nights out at the bar, romantic walks under the stars, and capturing images of that guy you met at the bar who took you on a romantic walk brutally murders you. It’ll make it easier for the police to identify the assailant later.
2. Do the prep work before you take the shot:
In journalism school, I took a few classes in photography and editing. They always told us that good editing can only go so far. The real trick is capturing a good picture that needs little editing.
Now apply the same philosophy to taking selfies. Rather than touching up the photo with a filter, you can guarantee a better shot by taking a photo in good lighting, covering any blemishes you may have, whitening your teeth weeks ahead of time, and replacing your face with a cardboard cutout of Jessica Alba.
3. Watch your back:
The background of your photos is very important, especially for those who opt for the bathroom selfie. As a rule of thumb, I suggest you avoid bathroom selfies. There’s a lot of mirrors and makeup, not to mention the potential for accidentally ending up with a toilet in the background.
Opt instead for taking selfies outdoors, preferably with some kind of scenery. If you’re feeling particularly artsy, you could coordinate the color of your outfit with complimentary colors. For example, the opposite color of yellow is purple. So if you’re wearing yellow, find a purple wall to take a photo against.
4. Find your angle:
Bring your cellphone a bit above your head and tilt it towards your face, the light falls in just the right places to give you an instant highlighted look. It is also the perfect double-chin eraser!
The selfie stick applies the same philosophy. For some reason, pictures always seem to look better when you take them with a selfie stick. If you’re feeling especially vain, stick it with one of these babies.
5. And finally, don’t forget to smile:
We all look better when we show our pearly whites…except men, apparently.
[Featured Image Credit: PBS]