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15 Poses and Tips for Selfies

Learning how to pose for a selfie will make a much bigger difference in how you look in the photo than any camera app will.  A search for #selfie on Instagram yields over 122 million photos. However, sometimes it can be difficult to take a flattering photo of yourself while also holding the camera. Here are some “selfie” posing tips, along with suggestions for how to hold your camera or phone.

Photo Credit (Left) Kristi Randal. Photo Credit (Right) Jennie Harless
Photo Credit (Left) Kristi Randel. Photo Credit (Right) Jennie Harless

Pose #1: Ditch the Face, and Let the Feet Do the Talking

When I think of a selfie, what immediately comes to mind is a photo of a person’s face. But the truth is, a selfie is any picture of you, taken by you. Why not take a photo of your feet—especially if you want to draw attention to your new pair of shoes? Or shoot a photo of the new bracelet or Fitbit on your wrist or your newly-polished fingernails. In your next selfie, challenge yourself to creatively capture you by striking a flattering pose and experimenting with different ways to hold your camera. Then, just snap away!

Photo Credit: Jennie Harless
Photo Credit: Jennie Harless

Pose #2: Crop In Tight

One difficulty with selfies is that the background is usually busy and distracting.  Also, you can often tell that the person in the photo is reaching out to hold the phone.  You can solve both of these problems by cropping in tight on your face in the shot.

One advanced tip is that if you hold your phone closer to yourself, it will accentuate features on your face that are closer to the lens and minimize those that are further away.  So that means your nose will look longer and your eyes will looks smaller.  Not what you're looking for?  I didn't think so.  An easy way to fix this is to zoom in on your phone just slightly (zooming in too much will reduce detail in the shot) and hold the camera far away from your face.  Now your features look proportionate and you decluttered the background!

Photo Credit: Kristi Randall
Photo Credit: Kristi Randel

Pose #3: The “Rule of Thirds” Selfie

Photographers know all about the rule of thirds, but seem to forget it quickly as soon as it comes time for a selfie.  Selfies don't exempt you from properly composing your shot!

The photo on the right is a perfect example of how placing your face in the top-right or top-left corner of the frame can be far more compelling than if you placed your face right in the center.

Generally, you want your eye line to be one-third down from the top of the frame, and off to one side of the frame a little bit.  Just don't put yourself in the very middle of the frame or it'll look like a DMV driver's license photo.

aliEdwardsWater
Photo Credit: Ali Edwards

Pose #4: Show Yourself in Water

Float on your back in a pool and shoot down at your face. Or prepare a bubble bath, lie down in the water, and take a shot of your face framed by bubbles. Be careful, though, not to drop your phone!

Showing yourself in water can be really fun, and it also makes the photo more unique than the typical point-the-camera-at-me-while-eating-a-cheeseburger selfie.

Photo Credit: Jennie Harless
Photo Credit: Jennie Harless

Pose #5: The Two-Handed Selfie

When taking a selfie, you generally have two options: Hold the camera with one hand or two hands. While using two hands is easier because you can hold the camera with one hand and push the shutter release button with the other, you have to be more careful not to cover up the lens.

If you use both hands and pull the camera away from your body, your arms can act as a frame.

IMG_3316 copySmallPose #6: Selfie of the Selfie

One really fun idea that I haven't seen very often is to have someone take a picture of you taking a selfie.  It's a really flattering look and is really interesting.

If you're buying a selfie stick, I happen to really like this selfie stick from Improve Photography because it's well built, fits any iPhone or Android phone, doesn't require any wires plugged into the phone, and is only $9.99  🙂  But maybe I'm biased.

10 Quick Selfie Tips

All ready for your Pinterest Boards!
All ready for your Pinterest Boards!

Tip #1: Experiment with Angles
Tilt your head to the left and then the right as you view yourself on your phone’s screen. For most of us, one side is more attractive than the other. Also, showing off your “best side” is generally more interesting than a straight-on shot, too.

Tip #2: Adjust Your Shoulder Placement
If your shoulders are parallel to the camera, turn them slightly to the left and then slightly to the right, and see what looks best.

Tip #3: Stand in the Light
Pose in an area with beautiful lighting –either inside near a window or outside. Gorgeous lighting = a more flattering selfie. How will you know if the lighting looks good on your face? Hold the phone in front of your face and turn the camera, so you can see yourself. Look at the lighting at that moment. Now, turn 90 degrees. Make note of the lighting. Glance at the background. Turn 90 degrees again. Note the lighting and background. Keep turning until you’re back where you started. Chances are, you will have found a spot with excellent lighting and a decent background. If not, either move to another space or try again at a different time of day. What’s the best time of day to shoot? Ideally, during the magic hour! (The magic hour is actually two hours—one hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset).

Tip #4: Pose with Something New
Perhaps, you just got a new pair of glasses. Frame the photo to accentuate your new spectacles. If you recently had your hair cut and colored, show it off in your selfie. Or if you just brought home an adorable puppy, pose with your new furry friend.

Tip #5: Do Something Interesting
Take a picture of you engaging in a fun activity—snorkeling in the ocean, sitting on a jet ski, or hiking in Machu Picchu.

Tip #6: Accessorize
Throw on a hat, don a wig, or wear sunglasses.

Tip #7: Express Yourself
Smile! Frown. Pout. Or make a silly face (But no, not the duck face!)

Tip #8: Take a Full-Body Shot
A full-length mirror works well for this type of selfie shot. Again, angle your body to the left or right, which is generally more flattering than shooting straight on.

Tip #9: Release Your Camera's Shutter the Easy Way
Holding your camera with one hand is more common, but a little trickier to keep it steady and take a photo. With the iPhone, you can quickly and easily take a picture by hitting either the shutter release button or one of the volume buttons.

Tip #10: Extend your Neck Forward

To completely remove any double chin in your photo, and to accentuate your jaw line, extend your neck forward.  This may feel funny, but it will dramatically improve how you look in the photo.  Also, shoot from above. Raise the camera slightly above you and then look up to even further accentuate the jaw.

Click on the photo to see the Amazon listing for this $10 wireless selfie stick.
Click on the photo to see the Amazon listing for this $10 wireless selfie stick.

Tip #11: Use a QUALITY Selfie Stick!!!!!!

One way to really make your selfies stick out is to get rid of the cheesy ‘extended arm in the photo” look.  I know it seems weird to use a selfie stick at first, but there's a reason you see them all over the place–they make the photos look really good!

There are two basic types of selfie sticks–wired and Bluetooth.  I much prefer the Bluetooth variety.  It's really simple to connect and then you don't have to constantly stick the cord in and out of the phone every time you want to take a picture.  Bluetooth is much faster.

For more selfie ideas, logon to Instagram, click “Explore” and then search #selfie or #stopdropandselfie.

124 thoughts on “15 Poses and Tips for Selfies”

  1. something to tip #9
    with the iphone you can also use the volume buttons on your headphone to take a photo. so you can place your phone farther away from you.

      1. and you can also click to the volume up button on your iphone if you cannot reach to the button for taking pictures

        1. Also, you can click to the volume up button on your iphone if you cannot reach to the button for taking pictures.

        2. Dirty onion rings and waffle grease. Turtle eggs and boogers! Toe hair, face lifts, oranges, and whedas

      1. sorry but if he’s telling you that you need to take better selfies I don’t see why you like him.. he sounds like a bit of a dick.

        1. Also, the guy should be paying more attention to her then her selfies. In my opinion, if he looks more a your selfies than seeing you personally, I wouldn’t know what why I bothered liking him. This is because he would be more interested in a picture of me that can not talk, when he could come see me personally and that way we could get to know each other better. This is just my honest opinion, so I hope I don’t offend anyone by saying this.

        2. Lily Jacobs you are so right. He should be telling her that she is great at everything. Apparently his parents forgot to tell him that if he doesn’t have anything nice to say then he shouldn’t say anything at all.

  2. one of the best solution to make nose smaller without surgery and makeup just try to use nose right tool for 2, 3 week you will get awesome result

  3. ImprovePhotograhyOfficial

    Thanks for sharing everybody!
    follow us on Twitter: photoimprover
    Follow me on Instagram: _sabrina.bxtch

  4. tips for i phone users…. tap on a place where it is too dark (when taking a pic) and a square and a little sun will appear. then you can slide the sun up and down to get the perfect lighting in dark places!!!!

    1. Ive got a gf and she is always telling me to instagram but i dont know what to take pics of!!!!!!!! and she says that i am really cute but the problem is that how to take selfies and i kind of a shy boy BTW i am in year 7

  5. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIPS!!!!. IM GOING TO POST MY FIRST PIC OF MYSELF ON FACEBOOK TOMORROW!!. THOUGHT I SHOULD JOIN THE WORLD. EVERYONE TAKES GREAT PICS N LOOK SO BEAUTIFUL.. ALWAYS HATED PICS OF MYSELF EXTREMELY SELF CONSCIENCE N SHY. SICK OF BEING A EGGHEAD. MJ1sunflower 7 yaers

  6. meenakshi chaudhary

    Your Comment *really very nice tips….thanks 4 all tips that u given………..byeee…have a nice day….

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