Ah, the (in?)famous selfie — it’s inarguably what’s at least partially responsible for a certain American Klan’s immeasurable success, and no doubt splayed across your feed, from your friends to your #goals inspiration (whether that be fitness or food). But with all the recent realness going down online, we’ve come to know not all images are created equal.
Specific angles, lighting, tools and subtle (or even not so subtle) tweaked and edited images are what make the cut when it comes to posting your snap. Here, a few of our favourite Insta-stars share their secrets for your best shot yet.
Lighting
“Lighting is essential for a good selfie,” Jessica Heap, who goes by DJ Jesebel, shares. “Facing a brightly lit window or finding an evenly shaded spot on a sunny day works really well. But be aware of shadows, and try and avoid direct sunlight — squinting/eyelash shadows are not cute!” she concludes. Nicola Scruby of The Unrefined echoes this sentiment: “If I could offer any advice when taking a photo for Instagram, it would be to ensure there is adequate natural light. I avoid taking photos indoors, unless I have a ring light. When taking a photo, make sure you’re in front of the light to ensure you have no shadows across your face.” For Bonee Fahlstrom, a Model, Influencer, Blogger, Naturopath and Nutritionist, “soft light in the afternoon is my fave time; it’s when the golden hour soaks in.”
Posting Time
“When it comes to posting, I find the best days are Sunday through Wednesday, after 5:30pm and until 8:30pm, as that’s when I find most of my followers are active,” explains Influencer Cass Sersemis. Annaliese Gann, a plus-size model and Influencer, goes one step further: “Always post at times when your followers are most online. If you’re registered as a business page, then you can see insights. Late night/ early morning works best for me.”
Filters
“I filter every photo so I have a consistent theme across my page. I love the filter app VSCO – I use the A5 filter and boost the photo’s contrast and saturation,” shares Scruby. But don’t take it too far. “Embrace being a woman and being you. People like being relatable, and we are all human at the end of the day. The occasional no makeup selfie makes you YOU! And that’s what people want to see. That’s why they follow you,” says Heap.
Editing Apps
Fahlstrom keeps it real: “When it comes to representing myself on insty, I love to give insight into the real me, with natural curly hair, promoting what I would use and want to inspire my followers with, so I keep my selfies natural.” Sersemis divulges, “I love Afterlight, and using their “dusty” filters. Facetune is great for whitening the background if need be, and I use the details tool to make my eye inner corner highlight pop. Another thing I love to do is smooth the image a little bit; if it’s a close-up image, I like to make sure my pores aren’t in your face, and I just think it makes the photo look a lot nicer. After smoothing, it’s a must to sharpen the image and bring that quality back. I often get asked what camera I use to take my photos with, but I just use my iPhone 99.9% of the time and I think that by smoothing and then sharpening the image, it makes it look like it was taken with a professional camera.” For Gann, “My fave editing app is Photo Director, it’s the best. You can actually remove objects from the background, too.”
BY AIMÉE WICE
Aimèe Wice is a freelance beauty, fashion & health writer.
@amouraimee_ amouraimee.com info@amouraimee.com
Yours truly, contributing their comments:
BONNEE FAHLSTROM, Model, Influencer, Blogger, Naturopath and Nutritionist @bonnee_fahlstrom
JESSICA HEAP, DJ Jesabel @jesabeldj
CASS SERSEMIS, Influencer @cassersemis
NICOLA SCRUBY, Blogger @the__unrefined
ANNALIESE GANN, Model and Influencer @annaliesegann