How to take a trendy selfie? MyTrendyPhone gave some of the best hints on how to become a master of photography in no time!
Not quite sure what a selfie is? The Oxford Dictionary announced the selfie the word of the year for 2013, defining it as “a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website.” It all started in 1839 when an amateur chemist and photography enthusiast from Philadelphia, Robert Cornelius took, what many consider it to be, the first photographic portrait ever taken. It was a forerunner of a trendy selfie, triggered by the arrival of the front-facing camera in 2010 and fueled by the growth of online social networks.
Millions of selfies are taken every day. Almost one half of all is uploaded on Facebook (48% to be precise). One third or 27% of them is sent directly to someone through different messaging apps, while the remaining fifth goes public on Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat or other. There are plenty of trendy selfies out there, but if you want to make your’s stand out in the crowd continue on reading.
Let‘s Start From the Basics
The rule of thirds is probably the most known rule of photography. It allows you to easily structure the picture. Basically, all you need to do is to use a feature on your phone camera that divides the screen into 9 equal pieces by using 2 horizontal and 2 vertical lines. You should position the important elements in your scene (a.k.a. you) along these lines or at their meeting points. Try placing your eyes at the intersection of the horizontal and vertical lines. Voilà your structured composition!
Changing the angle you’re taking the picture can completely change the way you look. Keep in mind that our faces are not symmetrical, so accentuate one profile of your face. The more prominent one, of course. If you want to enhance your cheekbones and eyes, take a photo from the bird perspective. This way your nose will look smaller and you will avoid getting a double chin. Experiment and find your best pose.
It is important to know that how selfies are cropped also makes a big difference to how many likes they will attract. According to an artificial intelligence system built by Stanford University research team, men should take a step back because the best men selfies should be more widely cropped, so the whole head and shoulders are in the frame. The opposite complies for women. They should make it all about their head but might want to crop the forehead, according to the scores of this university’s survey.
What Else It Takes for a Trendy Selfie?
If you want to highlight your face use a neutral calm environment. The most important feature besides your looks should be the story that you are telling to the world. Are you on an interesting sight? Show it! Are you doing something exciting? Capture it all and let your friends and followers engage in your activity. Be creative and conscious of your scene! Make full advantage of natural light whenever you can and don’t hide your face in shadows or dark.
Gear Up!
While you are making a photo keep your hand still to avoid blurriness. If you cannot manage to do this get a miniature tripod or a selfie stick. They will give you plenty of new ways to experiment with. Did you know that you can also use the headset as a remote trigger to take a picture more easily? The “+” button on them takes a picture. These gadgets are really cool and cheap, so why not give them a try?
Just Before Sharing, Make a Small Final Touch
Alongside with all the advice mentioned above the secret to dramatic trendy selfies might just be a good editing. The easiest way to adjust lighting, colors, exposure and more are apps. Our easy-to-use free favorites are Snapseed and VSCO. Play with the filters they offer you and have fun with the amazing options! When you are completely satisfied, it is time to share your new and trendy selfie with the world. And remember, practice makes it perfect!
