10 Tips on How to Take a Good Selfie If You Are Not Photogenic

Being photogenic and being beautiful are two concepts that don’t necessarily mean the same thing. This means that you can be beautiful but not photogenic, which can prevent you from looking your best in photos. Luckily, everybody can learn how to be photogenic because it’s simply a skill that needs to be mastered. There are a few tips and tricks you need to be aware of and with a lot of practice, a perfect selfie will come. And it will remain for life. In order to take a good selfie, you need flattering lighting, ideal background as well as camera makeup and a good angle, among other things. One of the most essential things for a good selfie is a true, genuine smile – there are some great ways to get genuine smiles in photography. 

1. Find perfect lighting

When speaking about photography in general, lighting is everything. It can either make your photo perfect or completely destroy it. Usually, a selfie in natural light looks good, except when the rays are too harsh. You should avoid taking a selfie directly in sunlight. Finding a good light inside is also an option – you just need to make sure that the light is not behind you, but rather in front of you.

2. Prep your face

Prepping your face before taking a selfie is key to a good selfie. What does this mean? You should care about your face in the way that you usually do, so cleansing and moisturizing it as well as using light foundation and concealer. Also, curling your lashes and mascara is a must. Your eyebrows shape your face so make sure that you keep them neat. If this is too much trouble for you, you can consider some semi-permanent options such as microblading eyebrows. It will make your brows shot-ready at all times. 

3. Know your good angle

One of the secrets of perfect selfies is your good angle. The sides of our faces are asymmetrical, so our left and right side don’t look the same. Find the angle that flatters you and stick to it. 

4. Place the camera in the right way

It’s also something we shouldn’t overlook – placing the camera in the right way. This will dictate how you turn out in photos. By placing your camera slightly up and/or to the side, you’ll end up looking slimmer and your eyes bigger.

5. Go for a genuine smile

If you want to appear friendly in your selfie, you’ll need to capture yourself smiling genuinely. Avoid a fake smile and instead, think of some situation that makes you smile. Try to evoke a wonderful memory, relive it and truly believe in your ability to smile. 

6. Make your neck look longer in photos

Having a double chin in photos isn’t attractive at all. And somehow, you can end up with one even though you don’t have it in real life. You can avoid it with this simple trick: push your face forward a bit – it sounds and feels strange but the selfies are promising!

7. Have the background in mind

There are different places we can take selfies at. And these different places will showcase and accent distinct things. So, if you want to accent your face, you need a neutral, light background that will make your face brighter. 

8. Practice a lot

A good selfie needs a lot of practice. And I mean, A LOT. Practice taking tons of selfies, in different situations and places. Try out distinct angles and you’ll surely find your signature face.

9. Don’t be afraid to use editing apps

Editing apps can be your friends if you know how to use them moderately. Don’t be afraid to experiment with these and adjust brightness, contrast, remove shadows and illuminate your face. Remember to not go overboard, though.

10. Know when to use flash

There are some situations and times when you simply can’t take a selfie without the help of a flash. One such example is in a club – a selfie in a club can turn out to be awesome if you have the right angle and side. By using a flash, your face will be lit and the background will remain dark. Perhaps you’ll need to deal with red eyes.

Learning these few simple and useful things as well as practicing a lot will lead you to finding your signature face and making good selfies at all times. Once you master it, you’ll always have it. 

Guest article written by: Maggie Holmes is a passionate blog writer who is extremely keen on writing about fashion, lifestyle, and photography. Her exclusive hobby is to surf the net to find amazing articles that can inspire her with some fresh ideas for article writing. She loathes being a common person who wastes her time. Follow her on Twitter.