Better Smileys — a.k.a Selfies

Details: Published: Thursday, 20 August 2015 14:01

Couple takes Selfie, a.k.a. Smiley

Aspen Grove Dental Associates Challenge You to Take Your Best Shot – A How To Guide For Taking the Best Selfies

[dropcap class="dropcap"]We have scoured the Internet and picked the brains of some of our favorite photographers and social media mavens to come up with a pretty awesome list of tips for taking better Smileys… What’s a Smiley? That’s what we at Aspen Grove Dental like to call Selfies — those iconic autobiographical, unassisted profile pics that we all love to LIKE and HEART on social media. It’s our job to help keep your smiles beautiful and shining; it's up to you to show them off![/dropcap]

So, with no further ado...

The AGD Top 20 Tips for Better Smileys!

Selfie Sticks are for amateurs!
Hold your camera at arm's length to avoid wide-angle distortion and click away!
Shoot in Landscape Mode
Landscape mode is another way of saying horizontal format. So why shoot horizontally? If you think about it, most media and display devices are optimized for horizontal: computer screens, TV screens, social media banners, and of course video are all horizontal formats. So do yourself a favor, and snap horizontally. You won’t regret it.
Tilt Your Head on an Angle
According to the folks at Seventeen Magazine, this highlights your cheekbones and makes your eyes look bigger. Hey, just sayin’!
Hold your camera 8-12" above your eye-line.
This is generally a more interesting and more flattering angle.
Find the perfect light!
• Whenever possible use natural light. Flash has its place (spelunking selfies?), but natural light is our preference.
• Window light is always a good choice.
• Avoid shooting in the midday sun when the sun is high overhead. Shadows may look like bags under your eyes.
• In bright sunlight, face directly into or away from the sun. The latter is called backlighting — your face is in shadow and your hair is rim-lit by the sun — it’s a great look!
• Ask any Hollywood cinematographers about the best lighting and they will reply, “Magic Hour”, the hour before and after sunrise or sunset when the light is low and beautiful.
Sunglasses Are Cool
If it's a bright sunny day and you find yourself looking into the sun, wear sunglasses - nothing spoils a potentially fabulous Smiley faster than squinting eyes. Besides everyone looks good in sunglasses.
Develop a signature pose.
This is another tip from Seventeen magazine.
Pay attention to the background.
Generally, simpler backgrounds are better, putting the focus on your beautiful smiling face. When in doubt, move about — find the perfect background.
Look before you SNAP
It’s easy to get caught up in the moment, and not see the big picture. We’ve all seen photos where telephone poles seem to be growing out of someone’s head. A lot of camera phones now have the ability to switch the phone around so you can see the scene while you are framing up the pic. So, take a moment to LOOK — check your headroom; look at the composition; make sure there is nothing unintended in the frame (like an unmade bed) — If you like what you see, SNAP it!
Take Control
Assuming your camera is configured to allow you to see the screen while taking your photo, you can choose the focus and exposure by tapping the area of the screen that's most important to you. Experiment by tapping different areas of the screen to get the perfect pic.
Remember to Smile
It’s easy to get so caught up staging a great selfie, with arm outstretched, directing others, that you might just forget to smile. It’s pretty common.
Smile Naturally
To achieve a natural smile, relax your face and don’t smile until the moment you are ready to take the pic. Most people can only hold a natural smile for a couple of seconds.
Smileys are meant to be F.u.N!
Props are great. Posing with statues, balancing a spinning ball, etc. Serious selfies tend to come across as — well, creepy!
On the Level
When horizon lines are slightly off-level, it can be distracting. Most smartphone cameras have a grid feature that makes it easy to keep horizons level.
Dutch Angles
Contrary to the level horizon tip, intentionally wild angles, sometimes called “Dutch Angles” in Hollywood, can add energy and a lot of interest. To achieve this effect, hold your camera at approximately 45 degrees. Experiment!
Use a wind machine…
Yup, you guessed it — Seventeen Magazine.
Know your good side
Most people have a good side. Learn yours and then feature it.
Learn to Use Filters
You can enhance your pics with a photo App. Instagram is a popular app, offering many filters, but it is only one of gazillion photo apps out there. (More about this in a future post.)
Safety in Numbers
Avoid Photo Fail...Take multiple pics, just to be safe — especially in strong sunlight where you can't see your screen all that well.
Be Still
It may seem obvious, but standing still while taking your Smiley gives you the best opportunity for sharp focus.