You are not the only person who believes that clicking pictures is not for you. There are a lot of people who don’t happen to like cameras. But however strongly we disagree, we can’t totally avoid them. So why not learn how to take a good picture of yourself?
Clicking good pictures of oneself might seem like a biting a bullet kind of task. But with the right techniques and poses, anyone can do so. Also, you’ll need a few things that would come in handy while capturing the best of yourself.
If you’re tired of saying, ‘I’m not that photogenic,’ you must learn some ways to pose better. And not just pose better, but you’ll also need to work around a few things that we’ll discuss in this article.
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How To Take A Good Picture Of Yourself?
Capturing yourself in a perfect angle can be overwhelming, especially for solo travelers. But with the right things and tactics, you can be a good self-photographer. Give a shot to the below-stated ideas, and you’ll see yourself being comfy around the lens:
1. Get A Tripod
At times, you might feel like capturing the backdrop into the picture. Such shots require the camera to be at a fair distance from you. Now, unless you have someone to click your image, you need a tripod stand.
If you’re wondering how to take a good picture of yourself with a tripod, here’s the trick. With a tripod stand, you can just set your mobile’s camera at a still and crisp angle. Once it is done, you’re left to set the timer, go to your spot, and pose for the pic. A three-legged tripod stand is the best option for both a camera and a mobile phone.
2. Learn Some Poses
Now that might seem a little tricky, but good poses are inevitable to learn how to take a good picture of yourself. Striking a well-suited pose not just enhances a photograph but is also like telling a story via it. For instance, if you are in a garden, you can pose like you’re taking in a flower’s fragrance while holding it near your face. Or pretend like you’re looking elsewhere, as in the image below.
Take cues from the internet or any influencer’s photograph, but yes, don’t overdo anything because, at the end of the day, you want the photograph to come out as natural as plausible. Start practicing the poses, and gradually you’ll be a pro at it. You can also ask a friend for help if they are good at it.
3. Selfie Stick Is Very Important
Selfie lovers can’t do without selfie sticks when it comes to taking a good picture of themselves. Want to know the reason behind this? Because shots from some height give a better result without stretching your arms too much. Moreover, there are fewer chances of the shadow being in your way.
It is best to take a photograph with a selfie stick when you don’t want your face to have too much focus. Nevertheless, it doesn’t mean you have to go the whole nine yards to make the lens too distant from yourself. Just a fair amount of gap will do.
4. Lighting Matters
Okay, you’ve learned a few poses and also how to work around the selfie stick. But if the lighting is not appropriate, you can’t get a good picture.
Now when you’re outside, you need to adjust the photo angle depending upon the type of photograph you want to click. Let’s say you want shadows at bay in your Instagram-perfect pic. Then, you need to record the moment after sunset. But shadows are actually not that bad in photos. If you have an enticing and creative idea, you can click pics right when the sun is over your head.
On the other hand, lighting has to be direct yet balanced when you’re posing for the camera in a restaurant, shop, or at your home. It must illuminate the crucial elements in the image.
5. Try Out Beautiful Locations
Image Credits: static.wixstatic.com
Backgrounds must not be underestimated if you wish to learn how to take a good picture of yourself. Backgrounds can amp up the overall effect of an image. So whenever you set your foot out to a beautiful place, forget not to make the most of the splendid backdrops. Nature is full of unexpected surprises, so why not discover them when you come across one? Such pictures will give you the memories of a lifetime.
6. Try Incorporating Items
Many times it might feel awkward being all alone when you are taking solo pictures of yourself. Well, adding a new element to the image can make it fun and creative. Also, you won’t hesitate to be the only center of attraction.
You can add anything from a book to an umbrella depending upon the intent of the image. If you can include something from the background, it will be the cherry on top. Nowadays, the trend of holding a small board that reads ‘bride/groom to be’ is very much seen at wedding functions. Just swap the lines, and you can also set the trend with ‘first day at college.’
7. Be Confident
If you’re not confident, no matter how hard you try to learn how to take good photos of yourself, you will surely not get the perfect shot. To show confidence in photos, one needs to work upon body posture. Certain stances can ruin your photo, like slouched shoulders, standing with loose legs, looking tired, etc. You might not be able to get a picture-perfect shot just like that. But with time, you’ll get better at it.
8. Be Considerate About Expressions
Expressions matter a lot if you want to learn how to take a good picture of yourself. If, like most people, you also hold the perspective that smiling for cameras is as easy as pie, you need to think again. If you’ve ever noticed, one can easily tell if a person is actually smiling or just faking it. When we smile whole-heartedly, the expressions tell it all by adjusting to face structure, for instance usually wrinkles show up under the eyes when we smile. Similarly, every emotion has its own impact on a picture.
9. A Quality Camera
Camera quality is crucial when it comes to learning how to take a good picture of yourself, in fact, anything. DSLR is one of the most trusted cameras to capture quality photographs.
With mobile phones, we usually end up having imbalanced contrast and exposure. Adjusting camera settings to HDR (High Dynamic Range) mode can help tackle this issue. iPhones have an in-built HDR camera, while android users might need to modify the camera settings for this purpose.
10 Bonus Tip: The Rule Of Thirds
This is a bonus tip because most professional photographers use this tactic. Though you can position yourself as the center of the frame in a photograph, applying the rule of thirds can be in your favor at times.
Image Credits: www.shutterstock.com
In this rule, one mentally divides the frame into three rows and three columns into grid lines (tic-tac-toe lines), then the main subject of the picture is placed either in the 1/3rd or 2/3rd part of the frame leaving some negative space. Negative space is basically the area surrounding the main subject matter of the photo, which is not the main focus. This way, you can experiment with placements in the picture. It looks more eye-catching than a normal photograph that puts the subject in the center. Thanks to Sir John Thomas Smith for this rule.
Clicking pictures of oneself is not that easy. Apart from editing, there are other ways too that can assist you if you want to know how to take a good picture of yourself. So far, we have discussed many crucial areas that, if taken care of well, will not let you down in front of cameras. The above article aims to highlight the ten key tactics for those who are eager to learn how to take a good picture of themselves.