It’s the new buzzword in photography. In fact, scrap that, it’s the new buzzword in social media. We are well and truly in the age of the selfie and particularly if you are jetting off on your travels, there’s never been a better occasion to grab the perfect selfie and post it across all of your social media channels, your photobook and everything else that takes your fancy.
While some people appear to have mastered the modern selfie in the click of a finger (or the touch of the button, in this case), others are struggling. Their selfies regularly cut off half of their face, or prompt an awkward expression which immediately signals that they should send their recently taken snap right to the recycle bin.
Based on the above, the following guide has been put together. While nothing can quite beat practice when it comes to selfies, if you can implement the following tips into your next selfie you will significantly improve the chances of performing better.
Avoid tourist traps like the plague
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking a photo at a tourist hotspot, but when it comes to selfies this is an approach that needs to be avoided. It just screams cliché and if you were to look at all of your friend’s social media accounts and photo books, you would see the exact same shots with their face.
The best selfies are the inventive ones and suffice to say, tourist attractions just don’t cut it in this regard.
It’s not just about your face
This might raise a few eyebrows, especially when one considers the nature of a selfie. However, let’s not forget that you are traveling, and when the time comes to cast your eye over your photo album the last thing you want to be asking is just where in the world you were when said photo was snapped.
As such, as well as trying to get your face into the shot, make it your priority to get the background as well. Make sure that whoever is looking at your photo knows exactly where you are, and you don’t have to pen a description of the event on the back of it when it comes to printing.
At this point we should add that not all locations are worthy of a selfie, the saying “location, location, location” is more prevalent than ever here and can make or break your shot.
Like it or not, good selfie sticks work
Finally, never underestimate the power of a good selfie stick. When they first arrived on the scene you may have been forgiven for viewing them as a fad, but now the situation has changed.
A good selfie stick can really make you tick every selfie box. It can bring in the background, make the lighting perfect and just get all of your angles right on the money.
Of course, remember the word ‘good’ here. A bad one can cause all sorts of problems and usually, after a little time at least, you won’t even be able to take a selfie with the device.