Hi there, today i will tell you how l take my pictures. Sounds as a whole lot of work, I know. Because to be honest I don’t everyday look my utter best hahaha. Think about all those bad hair days or the eyeliner attempts that I just couldn’t get right. I looked either like a panda or like a panda without his black spots. Terrible, terrible days.

Anyway the big question is how to take the perfect picture every day? That’s what today’s video is about. Step by step I’ll guide you, and myself through the difficult task! So grab yourself a cup of warm tea, some healthy cookies and let’s get started.

1. Play your angles
Of course the most important part of the picture is you. I mean, it’s nice to have a fancy background. But while taking a picture the center of attention must be you. So this is where my first tip comes in: Play your angles. Or in other words, know your pose. You can have the best make-up day ever, but if you look like a potato because of the angle you choose to photograph… Well, you get the point. Now everyone has a different pose, but all of them have one thing in common: Chin down, camera up. Trust me, I have taken a whole lot of pictures in my life and this rule will flatter your face just a little more.

2. Three is more than one
Nowadays I hardly know anyone who only takes one picture of themselves, also known as selfies and thinks: “Well, this can go viral guys”. But if you’re one of those people who only takes one shot and think it’s enough, than this rule is for you: Three is more than one. Meaning, no matter how great the first picture you take is, there is no harm in taking a few more. Who knows there might be a better one there? Now, my story is a whole other one. I can take 20 pictures of the same look. This I call overcompensating. Let me explain. When you take more than 10 pictures or selfies the problem is that it will get harder to choose. So keep in mind three is more than one, but 20 is far too much.

3. Don’t go for the duck face if you’re not a duck
This is something that honestly disturbed me when it first started. Suddenly everyone stated doing the duck face when they saw a camera coming. Like, who invented that? Anyway, I personally feel that the duck face should stay with the ducks and we humans should stick to our natural look. If you want to give something extra to the shot, just inhale slightly. This way you create slightly parted lips and a relaxed look. Don’t get me wrong, if you’re totally into duck facing do your thing. I won’t judge.

4. Let the sun shine
Ok, you probably know this but it’s still important: light. When taking a selfie or a picture it’s important to keep the light component in mind. For people with a brown skin tone like me, light is crucial. Without it the picture will look to dark, with too much of it we look pale. Anyway, light can be a real struggle. So try to use as much as natural light as possible, meaning the sun. But well, this is not always possible. Especially if you live in Amsterdam. For those situations try to find a lamppost with as white light as possible. The yellow one makes you look like a carrot. Trust me I tried. Bad times, on to the next rule.

5. Make time for a timer
So, if you’re no taking a selfie it can be really hard to get a good picture of yourself holding your phone in the air. My trick? Put the phone down and use a timer. If you never have done this I know you’re thinking what is this mad woman taking about. But honestly, if you have tried it once you’ll see how easy it is and you’ll never want it any other way. For the people who do know what I mean, am I right or am I right?

6. Select a background
Now, this is a very important one. Actually this is what people did when there even weren’t any phones, let alone phones with cameras. Yes, I’m talking about selecting a background. Like, in my culture people love flowers so if they’re taking pictures -especially the previous generation- there had to be flowers in the background or the picture was worthless to them. Nowadays things changed of course. But still, think about it. When you’re on vacation the pictures and selfies you take are usually at some monument or interesting sights. So why don’t pay any attention to it when taking a random picture?

7. Try using a filter
Everyone does it, so why wouldn’t we? There is no harm in making yourself look as pretty as possible. But be careful here, too much is never a good idea. You don’t want to look photoshoped to the fullest. Try out different filters to find out which ones work best for you. Using filters is also a way of expressing you style of photography. For example I like shiny and glossy pictures. This translates in my addiction of magazines. I practically grew up with them. It silently is still a dream to be on a cover one day… Anyway, not the topic of today. Let’s move on.

This was already the last rule of how to take the perfect picture. I hoped you enjoyed my blog post. Any questions or comments? Hit the box below. Bye till the next time.