Why Should I Learn how to take Great Selfies?
Okay, so you’ve decided to hire a professional photographer for you wedding – BUT WHAT ABOUT THOSE MOMENTS WHEN THE PHOTOGRAPHER ISN’T AROUND?
Enter the selfie.
A selfie taken with a phone will NEVER be as good as a photo taken by a professional photographer with a professional camera – but that doesn’t mean they can’t still be awesome photos you love and cherish.
At the end of the day – capturing the moment matters more than the quality of the photo.
So if you’re going to rock a selfie – let us give you our top tips for making them absolutely epic:
How To Take Great Selfies Tip #1 – Location, Location, Location.
We’ve heard its the number one rule in Real Estate – did you know its also key to a great selfie? Select a background for your photo that is pleasing to the eye, and has similar or darker lighting than the light on the subject (that’s you!). Avoid cluttered and messy bedrooms with dirty laundry piled on the bed, and go somewhere the background will ADD to, and not distract from the photo.
How To Take Great Selfies Tip #2 – Light, Light, LIGHT!
Selfies taken with flattering lighting are LIGHTYEARS ahead of those without. Sorry, just had to put that one in there! Bad puns aside, great light is key to a great photo. During wedding season, most outdoor ceremonies and receptions will have the sun high in the sky during prime photo time – meaning if you take that photo in direct sunlight, you’re going to have squinty raccoon eyes with harsh shadows and bags under em. Unless its halloween, NOBODY wants to look like a raccoon! (Our apologies to Raccoons everywhere.) So if faced with bright afternoon sunlight, either seek out shade, with a nice shady background to match, or if none is available, put your BACK TO THE SUN. Whatever you to, don’t face into the sun – you’ll be squinting and the light will be flat and harsh. Putting your back to the sun for your selfie will at least take advantage of the backlight the sun can provide, giving your body a little glow.
How To Take Great Selfies Tip #3 – Define the chin
The nature of a selfie makes this one an easy trap to fall into, and a recipe for bad selfies. NEVER move your head back towards your body in an effort to fit yourself into the photo. This will give you multiple chins, and make you look awkward. Instead, follow this tip used by models to define your beautiful jaw – bring your head out and chin slightly down, kind of like a Turtle leaving its shell. This will stretch out the skin on your neck and define your jaw – NO MORE DOUBLE CHINS FOR YOU!
How To Take Great Selfies Tip #4 – Strike a pose
Not anything cheesy! What we make sure to do in all of our photos is make sure the subject is standing naturally. Place all your weight on one leg and pop the hip to provide shape to your body, move your arms so that they are not flat at your side – creating space for your body, and place your body at a slight angle to the camera. All of these things will make your selfie look more natural and less like Aunt Martha’s dreaded family photo-session.
How To Take Great Selfies Tip #5 – Take Lots!
Unlike in the days of expensive film cameras, we can now take as many photos as we like for FREE. Take advantage of that! Many a great selfie has been lost simply by not taking another one just in case the first was out of focus or some other detail was off. When it comes to photos, the more the merrier – don’t lose a moment because you didn’t feel like taking an extra second to snap a backup selfie!
How To Take Great Selfies Tip #6 – Have fun with it!
Half the fun in a Selfie can be letting go and just having fun taking a photo. Don’t let these tips become RULES that weigh you down and take the fun out of it! Take as many silly photos as your heart desires – noone ever said you have to show them to the rest of the world. Then maybe take a couple nice ones using our tips, and you’re all set for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the 4000+ other social media sites out there.
Those are our Top Tips to make sure you’re looking good, and your selfies are epic. We hope they help you on your next selfie taking adventure. If you’re looking for more photo taking tips and tricks as well as wedding planning resources, check out our other blog posts.
Do you have any tips for taking selfies? Be sure to leave a comment below!
Here are a few posts to get you started:
If you’re looking for a laugh, check out these hilarious wedding cakes
Choosing a venue? Check our Okanagan Wedding Venues
or narrow it down with our Kelowna Wedding Venues or Vernon Wedding Venues
Planning an outdoor wedding? Here are some great ideas for summertime outdoor weddings
Happy Planning
Ryan
Ryan Breitkreutz, Head Cinematographer
Looking for selfie taking tips? How about advice for taking great selfies? Or maybe you’d settle for GOOD selfies? How do you take an awesome selfie? What tricks are there for taking selfies? Hopefully this post is perfect for you!