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Tricks to Getting That Perfect Selfie

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCF chapter.

Anyone struggling to capture that good quality selfie that everyone else seems to have on their instagram? Tired of your picture coming out grainy and blurry? Here are a few tips and tricks to help your instagram look like the Tyra Banks of instagrams. That’s right, time to make everyone else jealous. 

 

Lighting Is Key:

 

The first thing that will make a break a picture is good lighting. It’s been said that the golden hour, or the magic hour is the best time to snap a pic. The golden hour is roughly the first hour of light after sunrise and the last hour of light before sunset. The sun produces a soft glow which can be more flattering than harsh sun that blinds your eyes and washes you out. Also, keep an out for patterns in colors. If you’re sticking to Fall colors, try and keep with orange/brown tones.

 

Good Backgrounds: 

 

No one just wants to see your face constantly, or perhaps they do. But an even better way to spice up your pictures is to try and get scenic backgrounds to give your audience something else to admire and look at. Every picture tells a story. A great background amplifies that story and connects different elements. We all like feeling connected. This adds depth and an insight into the person’s life and adventures. I, for instance, love seeing new places because it gives me ideas where I can travel as well. 

People Problem?

What happens when people walk by? This can sometimes be the tricky part. Ever find a really cute wall, canvas or backdrop but there are too many people nearby? My friend and I perfected the pretending to be texting or talking about a phone message while we wait for them to pass by. Some people are excruciatingly slow so if that doesn’t work, just glare at them until they leave you alone and stop staring. Hey, maybe ask if they wanna join and have a little cameo! 

Time is precious and sometimes crowds can be a problem. It’s important to master the 30 poses in one minute look. While your friend keeps snapping away, just keep moving into different poses. Surely one has to come out a keeper and it gives you plenty of options! This will also help teach you which angles you like and which are maybe best kept out.  Make sure the photographer is angling the photo well and keeping you as the main focus. Make sure they tap the screen to have it focus so the picture doesn’t come out blurry.

 

Last, but not least, if you do end up going to a really cool restaurant, don’t be stingy with the food pics. Everyone loves food and if you don’t, who even are you? Spice it up with some food, architecture or travel pics.

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Rachel Davis is a writing & rhetoric major with a minor in mass communication. She is a pursuer of fine arts and fine cheeses. She loves naps, Netflix and long walks to the fridge. Rachel loves films and books, you can almost always find her at her second home; Barnes & Noble, reading J.K. Rowling and J. R. R. Tolkien all day long with a soy caramel macchiato in her hand while sweet talking her wifi and telling it to be strong. She has completed two internships in social media advertising and when she's not reading or writing, she is taking pictures, editing or traveling. She has been around France, Greece (no, she definitely does not recommend riding the donkeys, learn from her bad ideas), Italy and England. Her most recent excursion has been to Tennessee where she unsuccessfully climbed (and tripped) on the Smoky Mountains. She is just trying to survive, one donut at a time.
UCF Contributor