Simple Tips to Help You Take Better Self-Portraits on Your Phone

If you haven’t decided on a personal branding photographer yet or you’re still saving up for one, but you need some photos now, you can always take a few self-portraits with your phone.

It doesn’t need to be tricky either, not if you’re only looking for something simple. All you need is a fully charged phone and the below tips.

- Pick the right room. Wherever you decide to take your self-portraits, make sure the room has as much natural light as possible. This way, you can take your portraits near a window or a sliding door. Just pay attention to the time of day though – you don’t want the lighting to be harsh. Early morning or late afternoon is best.

- Pay attention to the background. Speaking of light. Be wary of shooting against a white wall as it could reflect the light and blow out your portraits. Another thing to be aware of when choosing a background is how busy it is. It’s fine to have a colourful background, but it shouldn’t be overly bright or have distracting patterns.

- Find a way to prop your phone up. Taking a selfie just won’t cut it if you want portraits that look semi-professional. You can either invest in a cheap tripod, borrow one, or create one using some objects around the house. Whatever you use, don’t shoot up. You want to shoot at chest level or higher for the best shots.

- Go wide. For the best results and to give you more editing options, shoot horizontally. And if in doubt, go wider and further away. You can always crop your photos later.

- Check your props. Using a prop such as a laptop? Make sure the screen is clean. Sitting on your couch in your living room? Clear away any clutter that might show up in your photos.

- Practice your posing. Because you won’t have a photographer to guide you, you may want to practice a few poses in the mirror before you get started. You can also use your favourite photographer’s portfolio to get inspired. Sit and stand up straight, breathe in through your mouth and out your nose, and remember, you don’t need to be serious in all of your photos – don’t be afraid to laugh.

- Find a free editing app. You don’t need to apply any serious filters to your photos, but you may want to touch up a thing or two. Google Photos has some basic editing features that will come in handy.

Now that you are prepared and set up, you can set a timer on your phone and get going – 10 seconds is best!

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