‘’A life lived through a lens is not a life worth living.’’ And which famous ‘philosopher’ said that? Why, IDEAL magazine, of course.
But let’s face it; there’s not many stronger feelings of smug satisfaction than when you capture a superb selfie, one which accentuates all the parts you’re particularly proud of, and even tones down those of which you’re not.
So often, it’s a game of chance, but in the right hands, getting the ideal selfie isn’t purely down to luck. There’s an art to this thing, and if you’re looking for the perfect profile picture or stunning self-portrait, then you’re in luck; here’s 5 easy and effective tips to make your Instagram selfies stand out.
AVOID THE DREADED GLARE
Sweaty, shiny, slippery…the dreaded glare can be blamed for many a selfie-based transgression.
There are a few simple steps you can take to avoid this. Firstly, if you’re shooting with the flash, bounce that light off another surface instead of shooting straight into your face. Should you wear glasses, you could opt for anti-reflective lenses, too.
Secondly, play around with position to mitigate the glare and if all else fails, take the selfie at a different time of night.
Beware a glare you don’t at first notice, too. Often this glare, whether that’s a shiny forehead or devil-esque eyes, isn’t always noticed until the profile picture or selfie shot has been posted. For this reason, never post pics to Instagram when you’re out and about; wait until you’re inside and your eyes have readjusted to the ordinary light.
PETS & PROPS
An existential question, perhaps, but is a selfie still a selfie if you’ve got a pet in your pic?
Hey, we don’t mean those much-memed Tinder profile pics with a heavily sedated tiger. But rather, including a beloved pet in a selfie can add intrigue and humour to a shot which is so often otherwise, well, a little self indulgent.
The same goes for other ‘props’, like a pair of comedy sunglasses (mind that dreaded glare!), an amusing top hat, or a fake moustache…have fun with this thing!
THE RULE OF THIRDS
This rule allows you to take out-of-this-world selfies by employing one of the most efficient, effective rules of composition.
How does the rule of thirds work, we hear you ask? Well, you simply divide the picture (or, in this case, the phone screen’s display) into nine equal squares by mentally drawing two vertical and two horizontal lines. There are apps to do this for you, by the way.
Then, place your face (the subject) along these lines, ideally at the intersections rather than slap bang in the middle of a square, which, often inadvertently, looks too obvious and simplistic. This technique will help you focus the attention of anyone looking at the photo on the intended subject, which is you, clarifying the viewer’s gaze and creating a harmonious picture.
Alternatively, and a little more complicated in getting to grips with, you could consider the Golden Ratio (roughly 1.618 to 1) to position your shots in a historically eye-pleasing way.
MAKE THE MOST OF THE MAGIC HOUR
‘’When the sun goes down, that’s the magic hour…’’
Another term well known to those with even a passing interest in photography should be the magic hour (sometimes also referred to as the ‘golden’ one). Indeed, to those in the know, these are the two windows of opportunity when most of the greatest shots are taken.
These rose tinged 60 minutes just after sunrise and just before sunset, at dusk and dawn basically, are without fail the ones most bathed in that warm kind of glow which both evokes nostalgia and the sense that anything’s possible. Harness its power to capture the best selfies possible.
ALL THE FILTERS, NO IDEAS
We have the whole world at our fingertips these days. You can take an image of the ocean at your door and turn it into a desert on just about any phone, all with the wonder of filters, and this also applies to your face.
The great thing about Instagram is that you can take a selfie that you like, play around with it as much as you please, all while retaining the original for reference and, if needed, retreat. Then, you simply put it through every available filter and see what comes out. For the most part, these will go straight into the cutting bin, but occasionally you’ll strike gold.
We would recommend exercising a little caution here, however. Natural selfies are still so often the most visually arresting.
THE BOTTOM LINE
We really ought to be having more fun with selfies than we currently do, but all too often, they’re a po-faced endeavour. Instead of getting trapped into formulaic and dull patterns, why not push your pictures forward, using the magic hour, the rule of thirds, props, pets and more. Good luck and we can’t wait to see what you produce!
