Selfie Help Desperately Needed

[Westcoasty]

Hey there, BIC members! Yesterday I put up my first ever post in What Are You Wearing Today Pt2, and my first couple of dozen selfies were dreadful. I tried multiple locations, multiple forms of lighting, and multiple angles, but my face always looked lopsided and it seemed like one eye was much bigger than the other, and the tiny folds from my mouth down to my chin became enormous. I looked like I was both deformed and on the brink of tears in nearly every shot. I finally got one I could live with, but nearly every aspect of my makeup disappeared into a beige wash.

Some of that is learning more about makeup for selfies, I suspect (and maybe different skincare?). My usual fairly natural look doesn't stand out well, it seems. But I must be doing something really wrong if every small flaw on my face turned into something out of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Please give me your best tips for taking selfies. I want to keep doing this, but not if I'm going to feel terrible after about the "truth" of what my cellphone camera is showing me. Thank you for any help you can provide!

[WinglessOne]

@Westcoasty   It’s been a while since I visited that thread, so I haven’t seen your post yet. But I can say this: the problem’s probably not you, it’s your camera. 

The front camera on phones has a wide angle lens. A wide angle lens distorts images closer to the camera, making them appear larger. That’s why facial features can seem larger and distorted in selfies; most commonly, phone cameras enlarge noses (because your nose is closest to the lens) and slim jawlines (which are farther from the lens). It’s frustrating for those of us who want to share a more accurate depiction of ourselves. 

I use an iPhone XS. Most times I just play with angles, but sometimes I set my phone on a tripod so I can sit/stand farther away from the lens and use a remote camera shutter controller to take pictures. If you use an older iPhone like me and still have the corded earbuds that came with it, you can use the + button as a remote shutter, if I recall correctly; I use a wireless remote shutter instead. And the earbud cord probably isn’t long enough to put much distance between you and the lens, now that I think about it. You can find remote control shutters for your phone at Amazon and elsewhere. 

Sometimes I use the rear camera instead for less distorted selfies. The trade off is crisper detail: you’re gonna see all my lines and skin texture in those photos. 😂 I’m okay with that since I hate using filters anyway on my own photos; I aim for real life depictions of myself so I can show how makeup and skincare products truly look on my skin. Anyway, I take these photos with my phone in a tripod (a small one with bendable arms) set in front of a mirror. That way, I can look in the mirror to see what the rear camera sees. 

Since I mentioned filters which are one type of editing: while I don’t use them, I do sometimes edit photos for tint, color temperature, contrast, or brightness. My bathroom has very warm lighting that always skews the heck outta photos, so I tint/temp-adjust those photos for more accurate color. And sometimes the front camera hazes things out a bit, so I nudge the contrast up to 3-5 on Apple’s photo editing scale. 

Lighting also matters, of course. But I’ll stop here so I can put my phone away for a while… this might be the longest post I’ve ever made via phone. (I prefer replying to posts via laptop.) Might ramble a bit more when I’m back home in front of my laptop. 

[Westcoasty]

@WinglessOne  I think I got the camera directions muddled - I was taking new selfies and realized I always use the front of the camera to take a photo, no matter which way the camera is "swivelled". LOL. Which one do you mean when I have the camera facing me and the camera is set to show my face directly, as opposed to a mirror selfie?

[WinglessOne]

@Westcoasty  I'd take a photo of my mirror setup to show what I mean, but I'd need a second camera for that—and for now, my only functioning second camera is my iPad, which is currently outta commission. This reminds me to consider (again) buying a new standalone camera since I miss having one... though I guess it'll be one of the mirrorless digital cameras that are replacing DSLRs... what I really miss is my "analog" 35mm camera. 😄 But anyway. 

Here's a silly doodle I just drew to explain what I meant: 

You can also aim the rear camera at your mirror reflection, of course. I don't like doing that because 1) my mirror's rarely clean enough 😂 and 2) some mirrors can further distort an image. 

Eventually I'll have to upgrade my XS to a new iPhone because Apple will drop support for my model, which is 5 years old. Also because the XS isn't a 5G network phone. I'm not looking forward to it because I love this phone. (Then again, I loved my iPhone 6S which I had before upgrading to the XS due to battery failure; and I loved my iPhone 4S before that... guess I get attached to my phones.) But the upgrade will come with a better camera, so that's a plus. 

[Westcoasty]

@WinglessOne  I am absolutely 100% in awe of your ability to engineer solutions. I mean, seriously. From this brilliant set-up to your magnetic makeup organizational system (etc) - just - brilliant.

That said, I will now stop fan-girling and thank you for this detailed explanation! I was thinking earlier myself that it might be good to replace my ancient, very low resolution digital camera. Mind you, a new phone might be all I need. Depends whether or not I get back into photography as a hobby, I suppose. Amusingly enough, I love taking great photos of people, even ones who feel like they don't photograph well - too bad I haven't done as well by myself!

And BTW, it was random fluke that my mirror was clean enough for selfies, as my sister is coming to visit in the next couple of days. It usually has an interesting assortment of spatters on it. LOL

Thank you again. This is really helping me - I've always liked taking a deep dive into learning something new.

[WinglessOne]

@Westcoasty  Aw, thank you! I’m glad I could help. 😊 I usually say “I’m a gen xer: 90% of my self-reliant childhood involved finding solutions to problems.” But I do enjoy problem solving. Well, for some types of problems anyway. 😂 

I forgot to mention another option: a selfie stick. I personally loath them in public, but a selfie stick at home can maybe put enough distance between you and the camera—even the front camera—to reduce distortion. Then you wouldn’t need to use the mirror, unless you still wanted to use the rear camera while the phone’s attached to the stick. 

Photography is a fun hobby! I was a b&w photo nerd in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and I kinda miss sitting at an enlarger in a darkroom. Don’t miss reeling my own film though. Analog film photography is one of the things I’m sad to see disappear, but digital photography definitely has its merits. The most recent phones have good cameras—and as one of my photo teachers used to say, “a good photographer can take good photos with any camera. It’s just a matter of applying your photo skill to that camera’s quirks and limitations.” So yep, if your next phone has a good camera, you might not need a separate standalone camera to keep making people see how well they really photograph. 🙂

[Westcoasty]

@WinglessOne  In the areas where you choose to problem-solve, I can only say that you're darn good at it!

I know what selfie sticks are, but I didn't think I'd get any better results using one, TBH. Plus I'm not sure my eyesight is quite sharp enough to see the image from that far away! I only need reading glasses for the mouse print on cosmetic packaging, but I concede that my vision is no longer as miraculously perfect as it once was. I'm not saying never to trying one out, but I think it's a way down the list. 😊

My school didn't have a photography lab, so any shooting I did with film I had to pay to get developed, and there just wasn't that much money in my pocket. I do prefer digital for that reason, as well as having instant access. It was always agony, waiting for a developed film to come back and see how it turned out!

Once I'm working again, I'll start looking at options for a new phone, I guess, and go from there. I've been dabbling with the idea of starting a new blog or vlog or pdocast, and I'd definitely need better recording equipment for a vlog or podcast. The written word is my strength, but I want to explore other forms of creativity as well.

Thank you again for your help! 😊

[Westcoasty]

OMG, @WinglessOne - you are BRILLIANT! It didn't even occur to me that the front and back cameras would be different. So to be sure I understand correctly what you mean by front and back, "back" is when the back of the phone is towards me and is taking my photo, and "front" is the front of the phone camera I use to take a selfie using my mirror, yes? Do I have that right?

I have a Samsung Android phone from 2017. I haven't replaced it because cellphone companies in Canada find a way to jack up your monthly fees (which are already stupidly high) every time you replace your phone, and mine has been working well enough. But I do know that the newer cameras are better, and oddly enough, my Instagram app takes better photos than the Samsung photo app, even though it's the same camera. Maybe I should use my IG app and just not post those photos to IG itself, as they'll still get saved to my phone's photo gallery.

I like the idea of a remote shutter and a small tripod. That would make it a lot easier to pose my face since I wouldn't be constantly tipping the camera this way and that. I could likely get far more consistent results, as well. Sort of a "set it and forget it" approach.

As for filters, I'm on the same page as you - I just didn't do it for my first selfie. I think I was too rattled to think of it! LOL. I know that the colour of my complexion in the mirror is far more golden than in the photos, for instance, so I get what you mean about adjusting the temp/tint. I just don't want to edit out deficiencies in my makeup application, or pretend I'm 28 instead of 58.

Thank you so much typing out all that great information from your phone! I use my laptop for commenting as well. Anyhow, I really appreciate it. 😊

[sister13]

So, @WinglessOne will chime in I’m sure, but generally, the front camera is when you are looking at your own image in the phone (I.e. looking at the screen as if looking in a mirror. Some might also call it the selfie camera. The back camera is the one on the back side of your phone that you point at objects to take pictures, and usually has a better camera actually. Now that I think of it, when I had an older phone and I used to get better pics when I would turn it and take my pic with the back camera (which took a LOT of trial and error because you can’t see yourself). But, my last two phones have definitely had better front/selfie cameras, so now I just use that. I’ve been trying to do more videos for my blog and now I’m finding similar challenges trying to get decent videos! Definitely a lot to think about! @Westcoasty 

Also, I know I mentioned it before, but it is uncanny how the lighting can make such a difference. At my old place, I could sometimes get a decent selfie at the upstairs windows , but nothing compared to standing at the entrance to my garage during any daylight. At my new house, I kept trying different windows but there’s really just one window that turns out the best, and that one is best in the mornings. So complicated! 

[Westcoasty]

Ah yes, that makes sense, @sister13  - thank you. I definitely got a better result today using the back camera with my mirror. That was in my brightly lighted bathroom, no daylight. I tried a bunch of front camera ones outside in the shade today to get natural light, but due to the front camera I kept getting facial distortion, etc. As you say, using the back camera would definitely be a trial and error process! But I'd really like to find a way to pick up the colours I'm using, so it's worth a try. Today's selfie still made me look very "natural," but IRL I had on a ton of fairly dramatic eye makeup. I described it elsewhere as being an "elven goth" look. LOL

So far I've been playing with makeup in the afternoon. I could see if morning light offers me some better options as well. Thanks for the input - that's all really helpful. 😊

[danielledanielle]

@Westcoasty , learn your angles.  If you've noticed a certain pose or look in a lot of photos of one person, it's that person knowing their angles.  (I know for myself a head tilt can do wonders, but that can vary.)  And just like everyone else, I take a bajillion photos.   I figured professional photographers do, so why shouldn't I?  Play around and have fun with your selfies.

[Westcoasty]

@danielledanielle  Thanks for the tips! I did do some experimentation with head tilts and angles, but I think I need to be more scientific in my approach. It's definitely a relief to hear everyone say to take a ton of selfies to get one good shot - apparently there's more to your gorgeous photos than all of you being genetically.blessed. 😊

[danielledanielle]

With a head tilt @Westcoasty , the feature you want noticed should be towards your camera.  It's like training your eye to go specifically towards something.

Tagging two ambassadors that can explain this better:

@Samtian 

@itsfi 

[Samtian]

@danielledanielle @Westcoasty Sorry I'm so late seeing these tags! @WinglessOne covered it like perfectly in her most recent post! 

[Westcoasty]

@Samtian   No worries, you're allowed to have a life outside of BIC! LOL. And yes, @WinglessOne did an excellent job, for sure.

[Westcoasty]

@danielledanielle  Okay, that makes sense, only I feel like my face ends up looking distorted instead. Maybe that's because the photo is of my face as others see it, i.e., the reverse of what I see in the mirror. Or maybe I'm not looking at my face objectively to begin with.

I welcome input from @Samtian and @itsfi - thank you. 😊

[itsfi]

Hi @Westcoasty, you've gotten such great feedback from folks here (and I've picked up some valuable insights as well)! Most of the photos I take are of products and less of selfies, as that's what's more comfortable for me, but I am planning on taking a selfie later this week / over the weekend - I'll be extra attentive to what tips and tricks I find work best for me and will post those here after I've gone through that exercise. I hear ya - I see some of my selfies and think, is that really what my X (eyes, jawline, etc.) look like?! I'll tag you when I put up the post. For the most part, the same factors that are important to me when doing product shots apply to a selfie - lighting, angles and trying to not overthink it, this last one being the hardest for me to do. 

btw, I saw your photo - I love the lighting in the room that you took the photo it. You look great! Whatever skincare routine you're using, keep it up! 

Thank you for the tag @danielledanielle!

[Westcoasty]

@itsfi  Thank you! The lighting was in my bathroom, which has very good lighting for an inside space (no natural light). Turns out the trick was to do the mirror selfie thing as it's a better camera (as advised by @WinglessOne).

I look forward to reading whatever other insights you come up with during your next selfie session! And I appreciate you letting me know that I'm not the only one who experiences selfie horror. LOL. 😧.

[JoSometimes]

@Westcoasty I used to think selfies were a “one-and-done” affair and when I did that, I had only a handful of photos that were… sub-par at best. I’ve since learned to just hit the shutter button as much as possible. I start with one or two test photos take make sure I’m happy with the background, the lighting, my hair/wig, outfit, etc… once I’m happy with those little details, I take a few dozen photos, making minor adjustments like the angle of my head, the angle of my phone, how I’m smiling, and if I want to throw up a peace sign or a heart. I pause once in a while to check the photos and make sure I’m still happy.

Here’s the rest of what I go through below. This is my process. You’re welcome to take as much or as little of this as you like. As you take more photos, you’ll find what you do and don’t like. 

Spoiler

I found an old photo that didn’t quite make the cut. I took a photo here because the window gave me plenty of light in front of me to light up my face. I ended up deleting it because of the glare on my glasses. That and the giant mess in the background. 

Tweaking The Background

Spoiler

ƒ-stop is a way to control the depth of field or that fancy background blur. On iPhones, you can access it in portrait mode. Sorry Android users, you’ll have to look up how to access it. The smaller the number, the more the background is blurred out. Now the mess in the back isn’t as obvious. There are some apps that can achieve similar effects. 

Filter

Spoiler

Some people don’t like to apply filters, but I do. I have eczema and my skin doesn’t always agree with me. I’d rather remember the events of the day and not how bad my eczema was on that day, so I tweak my photos to minimize that. 

White Balance, Saturation, etc…

Spoiler

Since natural light can be a little unpredictable and hard to adjust, I tweak the white balance, colour temp, etc… to brighten my photos and make them look more vivid. Usually I just hit the auto button and let it do it’s magic. Some people like a slightly muted or desaturated photo, so it’s entirely up to you how to move the sliders around.

Cropping

Spoiler

Finally, I crop the image. I use rule of thirds to help create more visual interest. I usually try to get my eyes on the upper line and even on the upper intersection if possible. If I can’t, then I’ll at least try to get my eyes on one of the lines and try to centre my head. In this case, I was almost able to get both eyes on the intersections.

The final result

Spoiler

Some people can pull off all those steps as they take photos, but I’m not that good so I edit them afterwards. This picture was salvaged thanks to some clever editing. 

Some people like editing their photos, while others don’t. Neither approach is wrong; it’s personal preference. I remember seeing an article written by a wedding photographer who showed a side-by-side of photos with and without edits. The difference was very apparent. Ever since then, I stopped caring about trying to achieve great photos without editing. At the end of the day, they’re my photos and I took them for me. If they make me happy and invoke memories of that day, then it’s a quality photo worth keeping. 

[Westcoasty]

@JoSometimes   Thank you so much for this wonderful detail! There's definitely some tweaks in there that I can do right away, like cropping the photo. I'll have to work on editing, but also on a better set-up before I start taking photos, you're right.

Also, it might be time to replace my six-year-old cellphone. LOL. Or even just use the Instagram camera instead of the camera app that came with the phone. I appreciate all the detail you've given me. That's very helpful. Thank you very much!

[JoSometimes]

My pleasure @Westcoasty! Honestly, your first photo already looked great. As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters.