The Selfie

It was the best of pics, it was the worst of pics.

Ah the Selfie. The classic teen cell phone picture. A symbol of self-centeredness and arrogance. The—Oh, good grief, I can’t even joke about that for long. True, the Selfie can be those things, but it doesn’t have to be.

First off though, let me clarify in case you haven’t heard the term. A Selfie is a picture taken by one-self, usually by holding the arm out and pointing the camera at the face. In some instances using a mirror or webcam.

Now, I’m just going to be perfectly frank. Most of my favorite pictures are Selfies. Some of my least favorite pictures are Selfies. It’s all about technique. Here are 6 tricks that I use;

1. Clean the mirror.

If you’re using a mirror to get a well aligned picture of yourself, please, for the sake of all that is well composed and decent, CLEAN THE MIRROR FIRST! As soon as you walk in the bathroom. And while your at it, clear the vanity too. Unless you are in a commercial, no one cares what kind of mousse you use. Make sure the back ground isn’t junky either.  No towels or anything else that would make you think it’s a bathroom. That all said, the bathroom can be a great place for your beautiful Selfie. Most bathrooms have excellent lighting, which can only prove to make your gorgeous self better.

2. Set a timer.

If at all possible use a tripod and your cameras timer setting. Look for a button with a clock type symbol on it, that’s probably your timer. Most cameras have one for 2 seconds and 10 seconds, plenty of time to run out and strike a pose. I’ve actually found that the 2 second timer is usually long enough.

3. Location, location, location

Just like any other picture, a good Selfie can be absolutely ruined by a bad background or even a poorly placed background. I remember seeing some professionally done portraits taken outdoors where, for a whole set of pictures, had an orb floating above their heads. Once you noticed it, you couldn’t ‘unsee’ it. The funny thing was, it really followed the “rule of threes” and balance the picture out perfectly. I remember a picture of me at the Washington Monument where it looked like I had a spike coming up out of the top of my head. Be careful of your angle. You might end up with an antenna or halo.

4. Keep your arm down.

If you have chosen to forgo the aforementioned techniques and just go for the straight ‘point, click, go’ method, make sure your arm is low. Keep your forearm as straight down as possible and keep your hand at shoulder level. This may feel slightly awkward, but it’s the best way to hide that fact that it’s a Selfie.

5. Stand tall

Honey, no one needs to see all that. Nuf said.

6. Chin down, eyes open aaaand SMILE.

Let’s be honest. Looking back, no one is going to want to see you scowl. Yes, I agree you need to change the expressions up, but don’t scowl. Brooding and complex never looked good on anyone 20 years later. Keeping your chin slightly tilted down has a slimming for the face. It hides any hint of a double chin, as well as giving you a more relaxed and confident look. Use your beautiful face to hide your neck. Even a slim neck, in excess, can just looks strange in a picture.

Ca-Click. Perfect.

Annie Hall, Teen Blogger