The selfie glow-up: become your own favourite photographer

Lights, Camera, Confidence!

As a professional or business owner in the digital world, you know the importance of showing yourself. Yet you are not comfortable with taking pictures of yourself. I’ve been there, so, I know that no matter what gurus preach online, good selfies don't just happen. Taking great selfies or self-portraits is a thoughtful mix of photographic principles with a dash of confidence.

Here is how to get comfortable behind your own camera:

Lighting matters

Natural light: sit in front of a window or go outside, where the natural light will bring out the best in you. Try avoiding overhead lighting (Midday); this produces unflattering shadows on your features, such as dark eye circles.

Golden hour: soft light during early morning or late afternoon is best; this time of day is known as the 'golden hour' due to the warm, brilliant, glowing effect it brings into photography.

Avoid using flash: when you take selfies, it gives unnatural results with a lot of shade and highlight.

Know your angles

Camera position: holding your camera slightly above your eye level can help slim your appearance and highlight your best features.

Move: don’t stay in one position. Tilt your head, lean slightly, or change your perspective to see what angle would be the most flattering.

Take practice selfies: with time, you will see what works for you in terms of angles and poses.

Use the right equipment

Tripod or selfie-stick: a tripod offers stability in clear shots, while a selfie stick captures your surroundings, and creates a distance that helps reducing facial distortion.

Clean your lens: few phone cases cover the camera lens. Smudges on the lens can get in the way of that otherwise perfect shot, so keep it clean.

Portrait mode: if your camera or phone has this feature, use it to create a professional-looking image by blurring the background and focusing on you.

Composition is king

Rule of thirds: mentally divide your frame into nine equal parts with two horizontally equidistant lines and two vertically equidistant lines. Place your face or eyes along the intersection of these lines for a picture with good balance. Practice first with your phone’s front camera, so you can see the grid on the screen and learn the right placement.

Background check: a messy, or too complex background will take away from you. Look for simple and clean surroundings.

Frame with detail: sometimes, including more of yourself or interesting elements in the background adds context and makes pictures more appealing.

Confidence boosters

Wear what you love: this will make you feel more confident during pictures.

Ignore others: most people are too concerned about themselves to even consider judging your photography anyway. Enjoy the moment.

Play and have fun: laughter and playing with objects can lead to the most natural and engaging expressions.

Smile naturally

Practice smiling: just stand in front of your mirror and see what your smile looks like. Many times, the most engaging smiles are those that reach the eyes.

Try different expressions: not every photo requires smiling. Experiment with expressions to find the best fits for your personality.

Half-smile technique: when a full smile seems strained, a relaxed half-smile will create a candid, approachable appearance.

With these tips in your photography repertoire, it goes without saying that not only will your selfies get better, but you will also feel more confident when facing the camera. I can help you with your outfits. Your goal will be to take pictures reflecting you, which will yield better results and translate to higher self-esteem, and customers!