Most of the photography tips I share with you guys are for DSLR cameras, but today I thought it might be helpful to talk about good old fashioned iPhone photos! Specifically, the selfie! If you’re like, nah, I don’t take a ton of selfies, the reality is, being able to quickly and confidently take this kind of photo is part of becoming a successful content creator these days.  People love to see your pretty face! It makes you more relatable so don’t shy away! Here are a few tips I have for mastering the art of the selfie. 

Check your lighting

If you can, try to plan your selfie around natural light, especially if it’s going to be taken indoors. This means doing it right away in the morning – shadowy morning light for iPhone photos in general is trending right now, so this would be a great to time to get some indoor photos in. You can snag some indoor ones in the late afternoon too, but just make sure you find that perfect lighting and it’s not too dark. Personally, I think indirect natural lighting is best, which you can find during “golden hour” (the hour before sunset) for outdoor photos and early in the day for indoor. For indoor you can also just use a white curtain to diffuse the light or stand near any indirect window light to get that natural diffused glow.

And if you want some artificial lighting options, I shared a few in this post of under under $100 Amazon photography finds!

Know when to use flash

Flash photography is having a major moment if you ask me. I’m a sucker for natural light and sunset vibes, but flash photography definitely has its place, even in the world of selfies! I encourage you to experiment with your iPhone flash at night both indoors and outdoors. If you want a really subtle flash, I’ve found the selfie flash in Snapchat to be the best, but play around with your camera app’s flash as well to find a style you like! You could also always opt for a tiny clip on phone ring light. They are so great on the go but definitely not subtle in public. 

Consider using a tripod and your timer

Another kind of selfie is the self-timer. This could probably be considered the OG selfie before people were holding cameras and phones up in their faces. I do think the “traditional” selfie is a photo that looks like you took it yourself, but don’t forget your iPhone also has a 10 second self-timer function if you want something from further away. I’ve used this quite a bit (I wrote a post on it here for DSLRs but a lot of it is applicable to iPhone photos too!) and no one would ever know it was actually a selfie. It all depends what you’re trying to capture and the style of photo you want! I just wanted to remind you guys it’s an option!

Know your angles

Just like any photo, you want to know how to work your angles. If the selfie is just of your face, hold your phone slightly higher than your face and angle your phone downward just a bit. This is typically much more flattering than lowering your phone and shooting from an upward angle. You can also elongate your neck and jaw by slightly tilting your head to the side. Like I did here and here. I like to hold my phone at an angle at me. It helps a lot if you aren’t looking directly into the camera either but sometimes a piercing star is the best way to connect with the person that will be looking at the pic.  Always think of angles.

When it comes to selfies, don’t be embarrassed to shoot more photos than you think. Try all the angles and all the expressions and see which one works best! Even Kylie Jenner shoots A LOT of selfies. Trust me. It takes soooo many selfies to get the shot.

Be aware of your background

This might be common sense, but then again, maye not! Always be aware of your background when taking a selfie. You never want to accidentally show something you don’t mean to, so give your space a good look before snapping your picture or look at it carefully after you take it to be sure you didn’t unintentionally capture anything. Trust me, you’d be surprised at how many people pay close attention to your background. 

Don’t forget about the mirror selfie

Ah, the mirror selfie. My personal favorite. On any given day my IG is full of mirror selfies, although they may trick your eye because I usually edit them into a little magical dream world. Here are some examples:

Mirror selfies are great if you want to show your outfit but don’t have anyone to snap a photo for you or to show off a hair style. I love taking both full body and closer up shots in the mirror, but again, just be sure your background is picked up and nothing unintentional is being reflected in your mirror (unless you plan on editing them like I do!). I love to show a bit of the mirror to create dimension and depth. Vintage gold framed mirrors are trending in the selfie world so maybe head to the nearest antique store or flea market and pick up an interesting mirror to elevate those mirror selfies. If you need posing help with mirror selfies check out these videos I made on IG here and here. 

 Clean your lens

Leaving the best for last. Ever take a bunch of selfies and can’t figure out why the heck your photo isn’t clear? Does it look a bit hazy or blurry? Your lens is probably dirty! This may be obvious to some, but to others they don’t even think of it. Every single time you shoot a pic with your phone remember to clean your lenses!! Your photos will be 100% sharper. You’re Welcome.

Did I leave anything out?! If you’re a big selfie girl, let me know your best tips in the comments! And for more photography posts check out How to Shoot Your Own Photos and What Camera Equipment I Use.