HAPARI’s Tips for Taking a Great Selfie

(image via Huffington Post)

There’s an art to taking a great selfie. Seriously. Ask anyone who’s taken one, it’s actually harder than it may seem to get the best angle of your face while holding your smartphone. For those of us who love social media, the selfie is a necessity. For those still resisting the selfie-age, it looks like it’s here to stay. Instead of hating on the selfie; give it a try - it’s actually kind of fun!

While you’re practicing, use these tips to take a pro #selfie!

Light is Everything

Find the right lighting. It takes time to curate an awesome Instagram or social media feed. Make sure you have the most flattering light (Tip: find a shaded under pass where the sun still hits your face. Like a porch!) Bright light = over exposed photos.

(image via Clarissa Rae)

Clarity

Make sure your photos are clear, crisp and in focus. Flipping your camera to face you may result in lower resolution photos - if that’s the case, don’t do it! Make sure you’re posting the most clear photos. Avoid blurry photos that are out of focus or weirdly cropped.

(Image via Free People)

Work Your Face

Every face is different. To get a flattering selfie, you need to find out what angles work best for your face shape. The general rule is to highlight angles and lines. You want your face to look dimensional (i.e. angles) rather than flat.

(Image via Gadgets Magazine)

Camera Height

Try playing with different camera heights when you take photos. Holding the camera slightly above the eyes is a great height to try. Also, try to look into the lense instead of at the camera screen. This can also help to add angles and lines as mentioned in Tip 3!

(Image via Star Hub)

Smile

It may sound simple, but the most liked selfies aren’t the duck faces. If you’re not sure what to do with your mouth or what expression to portray, just smile. Think of something that makes you light up from the inside - this creates the most genuine and real smiles.

(Image via Telegraph)

We hope this list of Selfie to-do’s helps you take your best selfie yet! A word for the wise: as with most things, all things in moderation — including selfies!

For more posts like this, check out the HAPARI blog. We’re like your favorite lifestyle blog but better!