How to take a great mirror selfie
One of the things I see people say all the time when they join the group is, “I hate taking my mirror selfie” or “How do people take these selfies and look good?!”
Firstly, everyone feels that at the start.
And to be clear, I am absolutely not a photography expert, but I have taken a lot of outfit photos over the years, so here are a few small tweaks that make it easier (and more shareable if you want to share).
1. Remember the purpose
You’re not trying to look like a fashion influencer, you’re simply documenting your outfit for yourself, and maybe sharing it with us in the group (but even that’s really for you).
That’s it. It’s a way of keeping track of your outfits and getting feedback on what you’ve put together. It’s not really about how polished the photo looks.
2. Stop worrying about the background
I often purposely don’t tidy up the space where I take my selfies. I live in a busy house with kids, my main mirror is in my hallway, there are coats everywhere, bags and shoes on the floor, postcards stuck on the mirror. That’s my real life, and if I waited for the perfect backdrop I would never ever take a photo.
3. Keep it simple
Use a full-length mirror, step back a little, hold your phone around chest or eye height, and stand at a slight angle rather than straight-on if that feels more natural (except during body shape week, when we need to see your shape properly!).
Make sure your shoes are in the frame as well, because they really help when you’re looking back at proportions later.
4. Relax your body
Stand in a relaxed way, keep one knee soft, with your weight slightly shifted onto it. Have you noticed how people often have a slightly bent leg or one leg behind the other in photos? That tiny shift makes it look more natural. Looking stiff is usually what makes it feel awkward, not you.
5. If you’re focused on your face… remove it
If you find yourself zooming in on your expression and being self-critical, just hold the phone in front of your face. The outfit is the point, so hide your face if that helps. Though I do think our faces often say a lot about how we feel in an outfit, so if you can keep it in, that’s useful information too.
The honest truth is that the more often you take them, the less weird they feel, and you naturally fall into a routine. If you look through lots of selfies in the group, you’ll notice people often stand in the same spot, hold their phone in the same place, and almost stand in the same way each time.
It becomes normal, and just a tool for you to use to help you get dressed easier everyday, as opposed to something to stress about.
Related JoyDrops:
We have so many great tips and tricks JoyDrops, you might want to take a peek at these other articles:
Daily Photo - Now you’ve read how to master a great mirror selfie, take a look at this joydrop for the importance of taking the daily photo.
A little stitch gadget… that makes a big difference