7 steps on how to take a fire Instagram selfie

7 steps on how to take a fire Instagram selfie     

We’ve all seen it- the utterly flawless selfies posted by beauty vloggers and famous celebrities on Instagram. Nailing the perfect selfie isn’t always easy- its all about the perfect combination of light, angle, settings and filters! Change your Instagram selfie game this season- follow the tips below and watch your Instagram likes go up!

Lighting is everything

Taking a selfie in proper lighting will ensure that the highlights and shadows fall just right on your face. Plan to take your selfie in a well-lit room or under natural lighting. Natural light will never fail to illuminate your features in the most flattering way. Keep in mind that fluorescent lights are the enemy of every selfie, and that there is absolutely no bigger ego-booster than the natural glow of golden-hour right before sunset. Note: You might need to adjust your camera’s lighting setting to get it looking just right.

Know your angles

            The most crucial part of the selfie is the angle of both your face and the camera. Kim Kardashian isn’t so useless after all! If there’s one piece of advice you should take from her it’s this- to get that perfect selfie frame, keep your chin down and the camera up. Finding an angle that’s perfect for you can really transform your selfie. Hold the phone so that the bottom of it is in line with your eyes. Next, play with your angles -instead of positioning your face straight on with the camera, tilt your head to the side slightly to give you some ultimate cheekbone slay. Finally, extend your head away from your neck- this helps create the illusion of a longer neck and a stronger jawline.

Be mindful of your background

Please, please, please assess your background setting before flicking the capture button! Nothing is more frustrating than a good selfie ruined by an unpleasant background. Find the right colours, furniture, and landscaping that compliments you… And be sure to look out for any photo bombers!

Smile with your eyes

Once you’ve properly positioned your head, it’s time to smile (but not just with your teeth!). When you engage your eyes in addition with your mouth, your smile has the power to charm all your Instagram followers. The trick is, narrow down the distance between your eyelids by lowering your upper eyelid and keeping your lower eyelid stationary to create a look that screams confident and flirty. Don’t forget to pucker up your lips a little!  

Focus!

When you are finally in position, click on your face on the phone screen to focus the lens before capturing your selfie. Lack of correct focus in a selfie is the number one reason why you won’t get as many likes. Focus the lens to get a clear, sharp selfie. Good focus provides fine detail to show off all your beautiful features. Make sure to take at least 20+ selfies to choose from.

Add a filter

When you finally select the selfie you love, you can make it even better by applying a filter. You can either use Instagram or other photo editing aps such as VSCO or Photo FX. Play around with the settings to brighten up the image and add some contrast- up the saturation and ambiance to give more colour to your complexion, and add some highlights and lower the shadows to accentuate your facial features.

Caption it!

Depending on the selfie and the user posting it, creating a caption can take a few moments (or even a few months!). Remember, your photo caption will either make it or break it. Many amateurs feel pressured to post a selfie as soon as they take it, but don’t rush to post- wait until the mood suits you and the perfect caption comes to your mind. Write a caption that says something about your selfie- it can be a witty caption, a serious one, a song lyric, or even a plain old emoji will do the trick!

Now that you’re a professional selfie-taker you’re ready to post your selfie! Make sure to post your selfie during prime time to maximize your likes (8-11 PM on weekdays). SLAY!