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Cape Town - Taking selfies - self portraits - with your mobile has become a popular activity thanks to smartphones with better hardware and the influence of reality TV stars.
Here are some tips, tricks, and tools from HTC Selfie Stylist Alexis Knox to help you put your best face forward.
1. Do a background check
You want your clicks to capture the real you, but nobody wants to see your dirty laundry or unmade bed. Look for a simple yet beautiful background that won’t distract from you being the focus of the image.
2. Find your filter
Unless you're hash tagging #nofilter, there's no shame in putting your picture through one. Good smartphones and many third-party apps such as Instagram offer a range of filters that you can use to look your best and capture the right tone and feel for your pic.
3. Let there be light
Want your selfie to seriously shine? Then step outside. Early morning or late afternoon is the ideal time for lighting. Natural light always trumps artificial. Light bulbs can make your skin tone look off and give you under-eye bags. If you are snapping indoors, stand near a window since the sun casts less shadow there.
4. Do as the models do
Hold your phone high above your head and away from you at a 45° angle so that you look slim and trim in your selfie.
5. Get your angles right
Scroll through any Kardashian Instagram feed and count how many pics are straight-on snaps of their faces (hint: It's very few). That's because turning your head slightly to one side makes your face seem slimmer and hides any sign of a double chin.
Experiment in front of the mirror to determine which angles are most pleasing for your face. The majority of people look best when their face is tilted at a slight angle to the camera, as opposed to straight on.
Another face-slimming tip: Raise the camera just above your line of sight and steady your gaze on the lens… but try not to stare!
6. Phone a friend
Or better yet, jump into a photo with one. Selfies are more fun, and less awkward, when they're taken with a pal. It usually leads to laughter and some silliness, so your photos end up looking less staged and more candid.
7. Remember: Slow and steady captures the selfie
Go slow and concentrate on positioning. Continually pushing the capture button only results in blurry photos and can cause you to accidentally auto focus on something.
Do you like taking selfies? Send us your best selfie now.
