8 Tips to Help You Take Your Best Selfies

If you haven’t taken a selfie photo with your smartphone yet, maybe you should.

Initially a means of self-expression among teens, selfies exploded to capture every moment and reaction in real time. Today, selfies appeal to all ages.

Not only are selfies a great way to show off noteworthy settings or commemorate milestone events, they can also be used to provide a visual check-in or health update, show family that you’ve arrived at your destination and even solicit opinions on your fashion choices.

It’s fun and sort of addictive — you can always take more selfies to find the perfect shot to share. And imagine your grandkids’ surprise when you start blowing up their phones with your face.

Anyone can take a selfie by opening a smartphone’s camera app and clicking the little circle with arrows or what looks like a wheel at the bottom of the screen. This flips the image you see on your phone screen from the back camera to the front camera. But getting a good selfie takes practice.

1. Face the camera

This should be obvious. But if you don’t know where the lens of the front camera is located, your eyes might gravitate toward the shutter button or your face on the screen.

The lens on most iPhone and Android smartphones is at the top center when you hold the phone vertically. Run your finger along the edges of your phone to discover its exact location. When your fingertip obscures your face, you’ll know you’ve found it.

Focus your eyes on that front camera, like you do in a video conference. This is easiest when taking a vertical selfie but needs some practice for a horizontal selfie because you’ll need to look left instead of up.

2. Stretch out your arm

If you’re taking a selfie with someone whose arms are longer than yours, don’t be shy about passing the phone along to them.

The closer the phone is to your face, the more likely the camera will distort the image. The farther away you are, the better you’ll look. To hide an extended arm, shoot vertically instead of horizontally.

3. Use a timer

When set, most camera timers will count down as much as 10 seconds. That gives you time to compose your shot and frees you from having to reach awkwardly for the shutter button.

On an iPhone

1. Open the camera and tap the down arrow ᐯ at the top of the screen. If you see an arrow facing the opposite direction, tap it once to change its direction.

2. Tap the clock icon 🕙. If you don’t see the symbol, drag the slider at the bottom to the left until you find a similar icon.

3. Select a countdown time, from 3 to 10 seconds.

4. Tap the big white shutter button to start the timer.

On an Android

1. Open the camera and tap the gear icon ⚙️or menu button to open Settings.