Self-taken photography is no easy task. Here’s how to do it right so you’re always looking your best
More than 35 million photos have been posted on Instagram with the title ‘selfie.’ This brand of photography has become such an overwhelmingly popular global phenomenon that the Oxford English Dictionary named ‘selfie’ as the word of the year in 2013.
From entertainers to presidents, everyone is doing it, but is everyone doing it the best way possible? Well, to make sure you highlight the hard yards you’ve done on the treadmill here’s your guide for taking the perfect selfie.
1. Use the main lens
The camera at the front of your phone might be the most convenient but the lens at the back of your phone often has the best quality. Your take? Go old school and flip the entire phone so you’re taking your shot through the rear lens. It might take a few clicking noises to get the perfect pic but it’ll be well worth it.
2. Lighting is important
If you want to look body-beautiful lighting is essential because it can accentuate your physique better than any other trick. A shadow might hide a flaw but a well-lit photo offers a far better result. Almost all fitness models are lit from above as this strategy casts shadows downwards onto your muscles, thus highlighting them.
3. Check your surroundings
Avoid any reflective surfaces such as mirrors and glasses. And try to make it as clear and busy-free as possible – you want the attention on you, not the poster in the background. So de-clutter before all full-body shots.
4. Take a moment to breathe
Inhale then exhale to steady yourself so your final shot is less blurry. If you’ve got wobbly hands it will distort the end product, so take a minute to steady your heart rate before you snap.
5. Get confidence
Play your favorite song in the background, do push-ups or re-read complimentary emails from your exes – in fact, do anything to improve how you feel about yourself. It comes through in the pic.
6. Choose wisely
We don’t mean Photoshop – we mean edit. Ditch the bad, keep the good but lose the sharp ones that are stupid and silly. Duck face, that’s you.
7. Work all the angles
If you’re taking a shirtless picture you risk making your abs look flat if you take a front-on photo in a heavily lit environment because this can kill the shadows which highlight your mid-section muscle. Rather, turn diagonally and that will make your waist appear slimmer and add more definition to your abs.
8. Clean the mirror
Sounds painfully obvious but bathroom mirrors get a beating of dirt when ever you’re freshening up. Wipe it down and you’ll look crisper and clearer.
9. Move your face
Don’t just strike one facial pose and stick with it. Make small adjustments to your face and body position after each click. At least one of them will hit the mark. Reams of clenched jaws and pouting lips aren’t the only look.
10. Own it
It’s a selfie. You know it. Everyone else knows it. You can’t hide it. So embrace it and be decisive but never fish for compliments – they’re often caught in shallow waters. Let others know the reason for your selfie and leave it at that.
Find fitness tips, trends and more in every issue of TRAIN magazine.
