Universal fact: We all want to look better in pictures. A bad photo feels slightly akin to being caught naked. But news flash: “Photogenic” isn’t all genes—it also conveys a sense of ease in front of a camera. The latter, of course, can be taught. (So if you’re wondering what you should stop doing in photos, study up!) The game changes slightly, however, when you’re turning the camera on yourself instead of being photographed. And so, after years of photographing other people—and taking more selfies than I would care to publicly admit—I’m sharing four rules for how to look better in selfies.
How to Look Better in Selfies, According to a Photographer
take a page from gen z
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Published Dec 26, 2024
Marissa Wu/PureWow
Marissa Wu
1. Find the Right Angle
This rule stays the same across the board, whether you’re photographing someone else or taking a selfie: It really is all about the angles, people! You never want to take a photo with the camera angled up in your face. (Trust me, not even the most photogenic person will look good doing it.) Instead, aim to have the camera at least level with your head, or slightly above. By angling the camera downward, you are isolating your face from the rest of your body, making the latter appear smaller. This camera position also forces you to raise your chin to meet its gaze, elongating your jawline.
Marissa Wu
2. .5 It
Millennials and Boomers, I hate to break it to you, but Gen Z was on to something when they started obsessively asking you to use the “.5” feature on your phone. What it does is change the focal length of the lens—typically, an iPhone has a focal length of 26mm, which is wide. (For reference, I’d consider 35mm the start of the “normal” field of view—what the eye sees—while 50mm is universally regarded as the same perspective as the human eye. “Fisheye” starts around 28mm, giving the fishbowl effect.)
When using .5, the focal length zips all the way down to 13mm—AKA, super wide angle. And if you haven’t noticed it makes things *long*. Arms, legs, even an unfortunately placed forehead will lengthen by what feels like miles. When you take a selfie, your arm suddenly becomes a leading line to your now much smaller body. I have yet to see this be unflattering on anybody.
3. Use the Grid
If you live under a rock, I’m here to tell you that your phone camera comes with grids marking out proportions. You can toggle on this feature in your phone’s settings, and now you have nine even squares. Use this to help you creatively crop your selfies using the rule of thirds: Place whatever you want to highlight at one of the points where the grid intersects. Maybe it’s your fresh manicure, your eyes (you finally nailed the puppy eyeliner) or a piece of jewelry.
4. Use a Tripod
It’s still a selfie if you’re taking it yourself, right? Though, having your hands free means you can get a lot more creative, even if you’re just working with the rule of thirds and new angles. Coupled with the self-timer and burst mode, you can take a slew of photos in different poses and then assess them all efficiently in one go. Alternatively, you can snap one frame at a time, making micro adjustments as you go without having to juggle your device in your hand.
Now, get ready to fill up your camera roll.
