Don’t be the person who takes 100 photos to get the perfect selfie

Everyone loves having a good picture of themselves. It can boost your confidence, help you show off a nice outfit, or even bring you more matching on a dating site. However, taking a good selfie is about more than just holding your phone up and snapping a quick photo. Here are a couple of tips to perfect the art of the casual self-portrait.

Check the background

Most people forget to look at their surroundings when they’re snapping a picture, but any photographer will tell you that the background is a major part of your composition. Look for things like leading lines, complementary colors, or interesting structures. Also, remember to keep an eye out for photo-bombers or embarrassing elements. If you’re taking a bathroom selfie, you want to make sure no one can see your bottle of Rogaine.

Work on your selfie poses

This tip works best if you have a phone tripod or some place to prop your phone up on. If you can make the background interesting, it helps to include more of it in your picture. Along with getting the right angle to highlight your best features, you want to make sure your body language conveys the right emotions. Nonverbal communication can help you appear more confident and happy. It can also exude nervousness or moodiness. Figure out which poses works best for what emotion you want the image to invoke.

Pick the right outfit

Just like the background, the foreground (aka, you) are really important. The right outfit not only shows a sense of style but can also make you feel more confident. If you don’t have exotic locations to take your pictures in, an exciting outfit can help you keep your photographs fresh and interesting. Outfits also convey mood in an image, so it’s a great way to perfect your personal aesthetic choices.