How to Take Better Selfies That Don’t Look Like Selfies: What Your Favorite Influencers Use

It’s 2020. Everybody’s an influencer. Everyone has a personal brand. Even if you think you don’t, you do!

If you’ve made a recommendation to someone and they took action, you’ve influenced them.

No matter your plans, industry, or profession — we’re all online now. Your social media presence is important and having some good photos of yourself that support the story of you and what you do can’t hurt!

One thing that holds a lot of people back is getting those photos. If you’re a beginner, you might not have it in your budget to hire a photographer. Maybe you’re intimidated by the process. Maybe you’re not comfortable with having your photo taken. Or maybe you are fascinated by the idea of self-portraits — selfies that don’t look like selfies.

In my latest video, I shared some tips to get your feet wet in The World of Self-Portrait Photography. If you already have a camera with a self-timer, or an iPhone & some headphones, you can get started immediately. BUT, if you’re ready to get more serious and break free of the self-timer prison, you’ve come to the right place.

Self-Timers are fine, but can be really inconvenient when you need to set the camera up far away from you. All that running back and forth will drive even the most strong-willed crazy after a point.

♡ A REMOTE — You press the button, the camera takes a picture — or multiple depending on your camera settings. You can also get one for your smartphone. If you’re in a pinch, you can plug your headphones into your iPhone and use the volume buttons. Depending on the kind of shot you’re setting up, this can be very effective.

♡ CAMRANGER — I can’t find the one I have anymore as they’ve come with a newer model since. This is a life-saver and a time-saver. All you have to do is connect it to your camera and then connect it to your smartphone/tablet. Once you’re hooked up and everything is in place, you can control your camera from your smartphone/tablet. You can adjust the settings such as ISO, aperture, focus, and even capture photo/video. You’re able to see what the camera sees without getting up to check the actual camera. It’s worth every penny for any one person show.

(There are some less expensive options that I haven’t tried out so I can’t vouch for them. If you find something great, LMK!)

♡ LET THERE BE LIGHT — This is a light that many top influencers use on the go. Usually for those who are super serious about getting the best shots when they are at an event and don’t have control of the lighting. If you don’t have an Instagram boyfriend/husband (BTW! Get one! Listen, I’ve had an influencer tell me that she met her “significant other” by going on dating apps and exclusively looking for photographers. Smart girl!) this light might be a bit much for a night out with the girls. BUT you can still use this light at home or while traveling.

This light is another option that is super powerful and adjustable.

♡ CLIP-N-GO - I will say, one of these little clip-on lights are great for nights out or when you need better lighting on your face in general. It’s small enough to fit into a jacket pocket or purse.

♡ A RING LIGHT — You know how in a lot of beauty photography there are these lighted circles reflected in the model’s eyes? Yeah, it’s a ring light. Ring lights are amazing at making people look their best because they give really nice even lighting across the face without casting odd shadows. Again, you can always adjust them to get different effects. Also, really great for lighting hair.

♡ A TRIPOD FOR YOUR CAMERA / A TRIPOD FOR YOUR PHONE — If you already have a tripod but need something for your phone, there are attachments you can buy separately. This is a great kit for your phone though. Lets’s be real, anything can be a tripod if you commit!

♡ A BENDY TRIPOD — What’s great about this is it’s kind of reminiscent of those monkey stuffed animals with the bendable limbs that you could wrap around practically anything. This is helpful when you’re trying to get pretty specific odd angles that aren’t always easy to do with a regular tripod. Also, it’s great for on-the-go as it’s pretty compact. Lots of vloggers pull these out at events to get more stability in their shots.

♡ BACKDROPS — Anything can be a backdrop. You can use curtains, fabric, whatever your heart desires. But if you’re looking for something that looks more pro, these are the ones to get. You may need a backdrop stand. You can also get away with some tape and pushpins in a pinch though.

♡ CAMERAS — This is the camera that is getting a lot of buzz. A tip I have for anyone starting out that may not have the budget for a brand new camera is to buy second-hand from another photographer. Do your research, of course, but buy from people that take care of their items well. When there’s a will there’s a way.

For more of my tech stuff that I recommend, you can go here for even more.

Listen, the gear doesn’t always matter at all. It can help but it is never a substitute for creativity. Have fun and experiment! Try different things. Sometimes, it’s more fun to see what you can get away with not having! It’s a challenge, a game, an experiment. And that’s the whole point.

Don’t get hung up on the technical stuff unless there’s something that you truly feel will save you precious time and make what you’re trying to achieve significantly easier.

xx