How to Take The Best Selfie? 10 Tips for Photos With your Phone

Have you ever tried to take a selfie with your phone but it did not turn out the best? If you take a second to think about it taking a selfie may not be as easy as you thought. If you are young selfies may come naturally but for the rest of us, tips are helpful.

There are a few types of selfies close up shots, or ones taken from a distance to show a scene or emotion. It can be hard to find all the little tips and tricks to get a great selfie every time. Some of the challenges are how do I hold my phone to take the best selfie? What gear would help me take selfies if I go on a vacation or travel? Is there a certain way to pose that looks better? How do I get the best lighting?

That’s why we’ve compiled this list of “pro tips” to help you learn how to take the best selfie. The best part of this list is that it includes detailed tips on how to improve. Here, we’re going to explore the best ways to take stunning photos with your phone of yourself.

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10 Pro Tips: How to Take The Best Selfie Photos With Your Phone

1. How do you hold your phone to take a selfie?

Taking a selfie is fun and although people taking selfies are easy to poke fun at we have all tried it. Front facing photos are not going anywhere so here are some tips on how to hold your phone. Here are a few of my favorite ways to hold a phone.

Angle Up- 45 Degrees

In the last 10 years, selfies became one of the most popular ways to take photos with your phone. Pictures turned out awkward and only those who practiced took good selfies. The first tip is to raise your arm to a 45-degree angle and take the shot. You will find that this shot will be a winner or a retry shot. One of the advantages of taking this shot is that you can capture your friends in a flattering picture. The 45-degree angle creates an angle so the chin looks slender.

Then take the shot by tilting your head(s) up slightly is one of the best ways to take a selfie with your phone. On the flip side, the angle focuses on your forehead making it larger and distorted. It might be helpful to try different angles other than the traditional upward angle. I have found that this technique works best if you are at a concert. This works best to take selfies in a place where you want to show the surrounding area.

Bring Your Phone Closer to Your Face

A lot of people assume that the best angle is up above your head 45 degrees. This can lead to too much room between your head and the photos making them look distorted. I have found that my selfies turn out better if I move my phone in a little bit closer to my face. To get the best selfie with your phone move the cell phone closer to your face. Bend your arm slightly more than a 90-degree angle. By bending your arm you center your face in the frame. This provides added stabilization to your cell phone. Try this if you get a shot of the “arm” in the selfie.

2. Use Your Phone’s Back Camera

Cell phones have better rear-facing cameras than the front. Most of the time the front camera has lower resolution than the rear camera. Because of this, your the selfie you take with your phone may appear to be lower quality than other photos you take. The challenge is that you will have to guess the best position on your phone.

Pro tip: Hold your phone next to a mirror or a dark computer screen to see the reflection of the selfie. Then take the shot by pressing the volume button or voice commands.

3. How Do You Pose For a Good Selfie?

Look up Facing The Camera

As you try getting the best pose, tilt your head slightly for a more flattering look. Next, slightly raise your eyebrows to make your eyes appear larger and defined. Lastly, look down and think of something that makes you smile. On the count of three, look up and smile as you take the shot. You will be able to take natural shots that show genuine happiness that looks effortless.

Hold the Phone to the Side for a Striking Angle

If your image looks rather dull change the angle. When capturing a picture straight on tilt your head slightly. You can also show action in your shot by turning your head to take a side picture from your shoulder.

Smile Naturally with your Teeth

Have you ever taken a picture and your smile looks too big and fake? This can be hard to fix if you can’t see your smile till after you take the picture. To take a natural smile, rest your tongue right behind your top front teeth.

4. How Do You Pose for Travel Selfies?

Taking travel photos may take some time to prepare. You will most likely need to set up your phone using a tripod in the distance. You may also need a cell phone remote to take the candid shot.

Look at Something in the Distance

Try to take the best travel selfie photo with your phone by looking natural and candid. Try this pose by positioning your phone to capture the nature scene. You want to be looking off in the distance to show the calm nature of the shot. This may seem awkward and embarrassing when you take the shot but remember it’s ok and we all do it.

Tiny Human

The tiny human pictures are all around the internet, especially on Instagram. Begin by setting your phone on a rock to scope out a place to stand. Then set up a tripod with your phone to take the shot. Lastly, set the timer or use a remote to take the shot of you as the lone viewer in the beautiful landscape.

Pro tip: Use burst mode to take many shots instead of re-positioning after each picture.

5. Use a Remote, or Timer,

The simple way to take a selfie is with your hand outstretched. If you are traveling or want a full body selfie you will need to try something else. So, how do you take the best selfie using without your hands? It depends on the phone and the gear you have. The best way to take a selfie from far away is to use a remote. The Joby Impulse Bluetooth Remote works to take one picture or many pictures from a distance. There is no need to run to make it into the shot with the timer.

Using the cell phone timer is a great option if you have done some practice and know how fast you run. Some cell phones will take a few shots one after another when the timer is set. You can choose how much time you would like your phone to wait.

6.  How to Find Fantastic Selfie Lighting

Great light improves the way you look in a selfie. You will want a soft even light that is not too harsh. Shadows and bright light can bring out unwanted features and are less appealing.

For Soft Light Stand by a Window

The best lighting for taking selfies indoor is by a window. Depending on what side the window is facing you may need to stand in front or beside the window. By facing the window light is less harsh. Try this technique out for balanced light for selfies. To do this stand facing the window so the light is in front of you. Hold your phone toward the window and then snap the photo.

Use a Thin Curtain to Diffuse Light

At certain times of day, light from a window can be harsh and unpleasing. The bright sun creates shadows and glares that do not look very beautiful. Look around for a thin curtain or sheet to place over the window for diffused light. Diffused light is a term used to refer to light hitting an object and spreading. This expands the light and makes the light even.

Taking Selfies on Sunny Days

We have all taken a photo on a bright sunny day with squinty eyes and bright shadows. How do you take a good selfie with a phone on those bright days? You might wonder if any picture will turn out ok. First, find some shade if you can. You could talk a selfie under a tree or next to a building for natural light.

Also, taking a picture with the sun in the back facing away from the sun is an easy way to still take a selfie. Once you try this you will see that your face will have even light. The sun will cast light from behind around your silhouette casting a glow on your hair or face. This picture works well for summer but you will lose most of the detail in the background.

Avoid Using The Flash

When taking selfies with your phone it is best to avoid the flash. If it is getting a little dark in the room it seems natural to turn on the flash but you might be sorry. Flashes on cell phones cause light to bounce off your face making it look washed out or have an uneven glare. By taking a selfie with a flash you risk having your forehead glare or red-eye photos. To increase the light in the phone you can adjust the ISO in a pro mode or a manual mode app.

Shoot at Dawn or Dusk

The best time to take a selfie photo with your phone is at dawn or dusk. This is when the light has a soft golden or natural hue. The sun will have a soft warm light that will bring a glow and life to your photo. You can find the time of the sun rising or setting by a quick Google search. Then plan to take pictures 30 minutes before or after the sun rises or sets.

7. Use an Attachable Telephoto Lens for a Better Portrait

It is best to use a telephoto lens when shooting portraits. A lens will reduce distortion that can occur from the traditional wide angle lens on your phone. A telephoto lens has a longer distance and can capture a better portrait and a shallow depth of field. A shallow depth of field blurs the background but keeps the subject in focus.

Olloclip has one of the best telephoto lenses in the industry. This lens can easily clip onto most phones on both the front and back. This makes it easy to take better selfies. These lenses are easy to use and help you take flawless selfies.

8. If You are Traveling How to Ask a Stranger to Take Your Photo?

Not all selfies need to be taken by yourself. You can ask someone to take a picture. This can be scary and it is not a guarantee that you will get a great shot. Here are a few tips. First, set up the shot and then ask someone else to take it. Spend a minute explaining what you are using the picture for. If it is for Instagram just take a second to explain that you need it set up a specific way to match your Instagram feed. The next step is to, ask someone else to take the picture if the first picture did not turn out well.

9. Get a Small Tripod

When taking selfies one of the best things to have is a little tripod. You can balance a tripod on a rock or hang it from the tree. Joby makes the GorillaPod series which comes with movable legs. This tripod holds your phone securely from a tree or balances well on a rock. These tripods are small and can fit into a pocket, backpack or bag.

10. Editing Tips for Selfies

The last tip for taking the best selfie photos with your phone is to edit your shot. There are many editing apps but Snapseed is a free app that is easy to use and has many features. The fastest way to edit is to use filters. By adding a filter you can enhance your photo and share it on social media or print it out. You can go deeper into editing by taping on the portrait mode to add a spotlight or add clarity to the eyes.

Conclusion

Did you learn how to take the best selfie with your phone? We discussed how to hold your phone to take a selfie by lifting the arm at a 45 degree angle. Then to bring the phone closer to your face to lose the possibility of your arm being in the photo.

Then we explored ideas on how to pose for a good selfie. You can do this by looking toward the camera. If you are traveling, you can use a remote or timer to create the tiny human view. This view shows the beautify of nature with a personal touch.

To get the best lighting for a selfie stand by a window. Or take a selfie with your head blocking the sun. Lastly, try telephoto lens, remote, or tripod to take better photos in any situation. Here are some tips to take amazing photos of yourself. What tips and tricks have you found that help you take the best selfies?