The next guest blogger is fellow photographer John Bennet. John is a photographer & a part-time author of the Lensespro blog. He has been a professional photographer for over six years, and he has great knowledge & passion for camera lenses.
Selfies have become increasingly popular with the advent of smartphones with high tech front-facing cameras and social networks. I love selfies. I can crop them out to make new avatars for both Instagram and LinkedIn.
I can also get quite creative while doing different activities and take pictures of it, even when I'm not around my friends. Want to learn how to make more creative selfies?
Check the info below, and you'll be on your way to becoming a selfie master!
#1 Take it out in nature
As winter gave place to the summer, it is time to take your phone out! Some of the best selfies you can make are those made outdoors, especially somewhere with beautiful and clear water and/or green leaves.
Parks and lakes would be my choice, especially since we all have at least one of those places in the vicinity. If you have a selfie stick, you can squeeze in more of the scene into the lens. Still, even if you work without one, you can flip your phone horizontally to fit the greenery and waterfalls behind you.
Pro tip: when taking photos while out nature, try to make them in the early morning or late afternoon. You'll be able to maximize the effects of dawn and sunset colors and to avoid exposure to direct sunlight.
#2 Experiment with the background and blur
One of the easiest and most effective ways to make a good selfie even in boring places is experimenting with backgrounds. Position yourself in front of some source of colorful lighting or contrasty walls (bridge poles, lamp posts, and lanterns seem to work fine, so do billboards) and utilize their lighting as your background.
In this way, you'll be able to pull off some mysterious vibes even if your background is, in reality, quite plain. The plus note here is that you can do it during the day if you choose some flowers as a background and in the night if you decide to go with the artificial light.
Use your phone portrait mode if you have one to achieve the depth of field, or try to position the sensor closer to your face so that you can blur the background automatically.
#3 Clothes matter more than you think
Even though you don't have to show your Gucci shirts and belts off, appealing clothes can actually turn an ordinary-looking selfie into a great one.
If you just bought some nice hoodie or a summer hat, put it on and set your camera to you to focus on it. If your shirt has a funny logo or a sign, focus your camera on it and let your friends read it off your Instagram feed.
One of the best ways to get people to love your new outfit is to pose in front of a full-size mirror. That way, you can use your back camera to snap it into the mirror to get higher resolution photos and to showcase your new jeans and coat at the same time.
#4 Think outside the box – a different perspective
Instead of putting your hands in front of your face and smiling (or frowning if that's what you like), spice it up slightly from different angles. Use your phone's camera timer option to get the most out of it.
Place the phone somewhere below you to get exciting upshots or put it somewhere above you for the different pose. With the same timer, spread your arms, smile, and take the photo of your face and arms spread in a wide arc with a smile.
Want to take a boomerang video of you crunching or doing a push-up? The timer is a way to go, and it is way more engaging than the plain gym bag selfie.
#5 Lighting is more important than you might think!
Ask any pro photographer or even a photo enthusiast, and they will tell you right off the bat – lighting is what makes or breaks a good shot. The first and foremost – avoid direct light beaming to your face like a plague!
Although it can cause problems if it is too strong, the light positioned behind you can be your friend if you can tweak angles to get a good photo by using a shadow game. But overall, the best bet is to ensure the conditions of good light that is not just hitting you directly.
Rooms with ambient light or places outdoors in the morning or late evening can be your ace if you want to master the craft of good selfies. Try going out in the early morning or late evening. Or just turn those granma's old lamps with red and orange flares on, sit between the shadows and take your creative imagination out!
#6 Try out many poses
Practice makes perfect in everything, and photography ain't different. Of course, some photography gurus will tell you that you should take up all of your time in thinking and taking that one perfect shot, and there's nothing wrong with that.
With selfies, especially with your phone, you don't have to worry about battery autonomy or the shutter count. You can turn the burst mode on and try out a dozen smiling faces and then a dozen of frowned ones.
Then you can sit down and take five shots while drinking coffee, and then you can lie down and take a photo of only half of your face, while the other is deep in the pillow. People who love taking selfies like to play around with their phones, and that's cool because you can see for yourself what kind of poses suit you. The best thing of all – you can combine this advice with all others from the list for the best result.
#7 Follow the rules of thirds
Rules of thirds is an important rule to get your composition right. The guideline proposes that an image should be imagined as divided into nine equal parts by two equally spaced horizontal lines and two equally-spaced vertical lines.
Those essential compositional elements should be placed along these lines or their intersections. With that in mind, try to position yourself in the middle of the photo for the best results. Yes, this advice sounds intuitive, but there's more.
Utilize it with colorful backgrounds and props you'll throw in two other thirds of the screen to achieve the symmetry and details that will be a plus next to you in the photo. This will add richness if you, for example, take a picture in the library with bookshelves equally positioned on your sides.
#8 Water is your best friend in many ways
Whether it's summer or winter, water can be your best friend. Have you ever tried taking a photo with the raindrops on the glass behind you? Try it! It will be a great reflection photo, especially on the cloudy day!
Taking about nature, go outside, sit on a bench next to the lake and snap some photos. Another cool way to get a good selfie is to immerse yourself in the water and take a picture while swimming. For this, you will need either a GoPro or phone that meets the IP68 standard, so take notice not to damage your gear.
You can experiment with underwater selfies this way. If higher altitudes are more of your thing, climb a summit that overlooks the river or lake and snap some selfies with your hand or selfie stick above your head. Clouds and reflections will be amazing!
#9 Engage in fun activities while taking selfies
Ever been doing something interesting and felt the urge to share it right away? With the advent of smartphones, that became possible. And if you want to stand out with your selfies, make sure they're engaging and fun to look at.
If you're taking your dog for a walk, post a selfie of you and him taking a stroll down the alley. You can also share the short Snapchat or Instagram story where you're reading a new exciting novel.
When you're drawing a sketch, utilize multiple options for sharing the process from beginning to end. This way, your followers will be able to see you in all stages of the creative process.
#10 Crop in to put the focus on your face
Sometimes you don't want to have a messy background, but to put an accent on yourself (perhaps if you've just bought a new set of makeup). The problem with this is that the background will take attention away from you. One way to reduce is to crop your face in the shot.
Pro Tip of the day is – keep your phone close to your face so you can emphasize your look. If you think this will actually make your nose bigger and eyes smaller, don't worry, I got you covered! Zoom in on your phone just a notch and move the camera further away from your face.
So, there you have it. I hope these ten tips will elevate your selfie game to a whole new level and that your friends feed will be filled with great and creative selfies you've managed to pull off!