How to take a good selfie: light, angle and a real expression

Most bad selfies aren't bad because of the face in them. They're bad because the phone was too close, the light came from above, and the expression was held for too long. All three are easy to fix before you press the shutter.

Face the light

Light does more for a photo than any filter. The best light for a selfie is soft and comes from in front of you, a little to one side.

• Indoors, stand facing a window during the day. Not with the window behind you, which turns your face into a silhouette.
• Outdoors, open shade is ideal: under a tree, beside a building, on a cloudy day. Direct midday sun makes hard shadows under the eyes and makes you squint.
• At golden hour, the hour before sunset, turn so the low sun lights the side of your face.
• At night, find a lit shop window, a street lamp at face height or a screen in front of you. Avoid a single bulb straight overhead.

If one side of your face is in shadow, turn slowly until it isn't. Watch the screen, not the room.

Hold the phone further away

The front camera is a wide lens. Close up, it makes whatever is nearest the lens, usually the nose, look bigger than it is. Hold the phone at arm's length, or use the 2x option some phones offer on the front camera and step back.

• Height: about eye level or slightly above. Far above looks dated, below is unflattering for almost everyone.
• Angle: turn your face a little away from the lens and look back at it. Straight on is flatter.
• Chin: push it slightly forward and down. It feels odd and looks like a better jawline.

A timer or a stand beats a stretched arm when you want more of the scene in the shot.

Get a real expression

A smile held for five seconds looks held. Try these instead:

• Take a burst. Hold the shutter and move slightly between frames. Pick the best one later.
• Breathe out, then shoot. It drops your shoulders and loosens your jaw.
• Think of something specific. A friend's joke works better than "smile now". There's more in how to smile naturally in photos.
• Look at the lens, not the screen. Looking at your own face on screen reads as looking slightly down.

Keep the background simple

Look behind you before you shoot. A tidy wall, some greenery or a street with depth is better than a messy room or a crowd of strangers. Portrait mode can soften the background, but check the edges of your hair: the blur sometimes cuts into it.

What to do with the one that's almost right

Sometimes the best selfie has a blink in it, or a smile that went stiff. If the light, the angle and the setting are right, it's often easier to fix the face than to recreate the moment. Glowly can open closed eyes or soften a forced smile in the photo you already have, and leave the rest untouched.

A quick checklist

1. Face soft light, never with the brightest light behind you.
2. Phone at arm's length, at or slightly above eye level.
3. Face turned a little, chin slightly forward.
4. Take a burst and move between frames.
5. Look at the lens, not your own face.
6. Check the background before you post.

The goal isn't a different face. It's yours, in good light, at a moment that looks like you.