Everyone’s doing it. Celebrities. Bloggers. Your roommate. Your boyfriend. Your little sister. Even your mom. I’m talking about taking a selfie. Scroll through your Instagram feed and every photo is either a brunch spread, inspirational quote, an adorable puppy or a selfie.
And while it seems like taking your camera phone and snapping a photo of yourself simply requires two seconds of time and a base line understanding of technology, there really is an art to the perfect selfie. Lighting. Angles. The pout. So much to consider!
We turned to two of CollegeFashionista’s resident “self-perts,” Olivia and Aisha, to share their tips to help you achieve the raddest selfie possible.
CollegeFashionista: What’s your first step when taking a selfie?
Olivia Muenter: Find good light! Like any photo, finding a good source of light is key. I try to find a window usually because natural light is best.
Aisha Hatter: Finding the right light. My go-to- spot for selfies is what I like to call my “Selfie Window” in my apartment. It’s actually magical.
CF: What is your selfie secret?
AH: Something just happens when a camera is in front of me and my so-called “primping face” comes out. Also, I like adding a ridiculous caption to make everyone well aware that I’m not taking myself too seriously.
OM: It usually takes a handful of photos before I find one I actually like. Most of the photos I don’t use are totally hopeless.
CF: When you’re in public, how do you avoid feeling awkward?
OM: I try to remind myself that no one really cares what I’m doing that much. If I’m feeling great about myself or my outfit and decide to document it, who cares what anyone else thinks?
AH: I’m a very private selfie taker and I have to be alone to take a good one.
CF: What apps do you use to edit your selfies?
AH: I really hate the default Instagram filters, so my favorite apps to use are Afterlight and VSCOcam.
OM: I don’t use filters anymore. I usually edit brightness/contrast/saturation and always turn the warmth way down. I do use FaceTune sometimes to edit out blemishes or shine, though.
CF: Would you ever put a raw selfie with no edits?
OM: If I felt great about it, of course!
AH: Probably not. But I don’t do a lot of heavy editing; just some brightness correction to give the shot some pop and dimension.
CF: Who are you embarrassed will see your selfies on Instagram?
AH: Any guys that I like because a lot of boys don’t really understand selfies.
OM: I realize that anyone who follows me might see my selfies, so I don’t really get embarrassed thinking about that. I do turn a little red if someone comments on them in person, though.
CF: What’s your typical selfie rotation on Instagram?
OM: I don’t think I have one! I’m always trying to keep my feed interesting and cohesive, so I try to avoid posting selfies if they don’t really fit into the overall aesthetic. I try to make sure the colors work with the rest of the photos in my feed and the position isn’t too busy. Of course, sometimes I just don’t think about any of that at all, but in generally I think I post a lot less than I used to. That’s for sure!
AH: I try my best never to post two selfies back-to-back, but you know, sometimes I slip. I typically like to do one full outfit shot, selfie and some kind of landscape shot.
CF: Who are your selfie inspirations?
AH: Alexa Chung, Leandra Medine and Tilda Lindstam because they are all stunning but never take themselves too seriously. Also, their caption game is on point on all levels.
OM: Gigi Hadid and Kristina Bazan.
