Some supermodels recently shared their selfie-taking tips, but I still can't quite get into the whole thing.
Confession: I am not much of a selfie taker. Which, of course, is a minor handicap to my job as a beauty blogger. I take selfies when necessary, to show some hair or makeup I've tried for a post, but unless I am totally alone in a room, I'm so self-conscious about my selfie snapping, and my awkwardness totally comes across in the resulting photo.
Yesterday, though, during a photoshoot for an upcoming story, I was sitting around killing time with some fellow Glamour bloggers when the photographer informed us that the low sunlight filtering through the hotel's enormous windows was "perfect selfie light". And we all happened to be done up real pretty for the shoot and were already holding our phones in our hands. Cue the Instagramming! [That link goes to my Instagram account—I recently became the last person alive to sign up, so don't judge. And if you follow me I promise to start posting more.]
So here are a few things I learned during this group selfie session, from the photographer and my more selfie-savvy coworkers.
1. For the best-quality photo (read: most Instagram-worthy), don't hit the flip-around button on your phone; turn the whole phone around and aim the main camera lens at yourself. It's obvious now that I think about it that this lens has a better resolution and takes a better picture—I just had never thought about it before. That said, if you're still just more comfortable seeing the photo as you take it (I am), go ahead and flip your phone around.
2. If you do take the photo while looking at yourself onscreen, take a second to tap your finger on the image of your face (not tap your finger on your actual face, which is a mistake a couple of us made—whatever, there was a lot of champagne drinking involved in the shoot). This lets the camera know that your face is the focal point, not nearby objects or the background, and to balance the light accordingly.
K, now it's your turn to help a sista out: What are your tricks for getting good selfies? Are any of you shy about snapping your own picture in public like I am?