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Selfies aren’t new by any means – they’ve been around for almost 200 years. But the modern technology behind them allows anyone to be both a model and a photographer. The guide below details how you can excel in the selfie art form.

Selfies: Bad taste? Try Classic Taste!

Selfies have been around since before the American Civil War, but really became all the rage when the Kodak Brownie camera was introduced to the public in 1900. Everyone started snapping their likeness, from regular housewives to royalty, all with the help of a mirror. Don’t let all the New-age stigma against a professional-level selfie hold you back from classic forms of modeling and photography!

Long body shot, full length mirror, 1900. (Source: Wikipedia)

Princess Anastasia of Russia with a chair, 1914. (Source: Wikipedia)

Get Perfect Selfie Composition

If the timing is right and the moment calls for a selfie, then you should take it. When taking your selfie, don’t worry if you’re at home in front of your mirror, in your car, or standing in front of a famous landmark. If there’s a smudge on the mirror, your seatbelt is still on, or even if there’s a bit of litter in the background, it’s all character that highlights you and the moment in time.

Selfie Tips

Short Arms

You can put your camera on an elongation device, such as a Promaster extender, and utilize the auto timer to get more body into the shot.  Also consider measuring your arms and using your longest arm to take your selfies.

Missing Face Shots

Do you find that in taking your selfies you sometimes cut off parts of your face or miss parts of your body? Most portable cameras these days have a “flip” feature that lets you take a picture while you view the image in the window. Use this feature as much as you can.

Mirror Shots

If your phone doesn’t have a reversible camera, then have no fear utilizing a mirror to get the best shot until you can master forward-facing images without cutting off parts of your anatomy. You can also put on a pair of glasses and achieve the same reflective effect!

Bad Complexion, No Makeup

Poor complexions are nothing to worry about, especially if you’re taking a selfie with a mirror. Simply spray a little hairspray or flick some powder on the mirror and watch your blemishes vanish!

A perfect selfie, Pie Bear.

Other Selfie Considerations

Now that you’ve mastered the art of selfies, you have several questions to ask yourself: How much are you willing to pay for the images, and what copyright usages are you going to grant your images? You’ll also want to think about revising your release form to include selfies.