#Selfie 101

The world carries nearly seven billion people as of 2013. Meanwhile, in a parallel universe, the Internet’s hash tag selfie has gained 57,754,658 photos on Instagram this very minute. There are photos of people’s oily faces, people while sitting on the toilet, people sticking their tongues out, which are all absurd. This has to stop, pronto. Therefore, fear not! Here are better ways to make a selfie worth the space online.

Follow the light

Ever wonder why models from magazines look so flawless, even- toned and perfect? Well, behind every photographer, are blazing lights focusing angrily on the model. Pictures loathe shadows, so we must kill yours.
To have a brighter face, turn towards the main light source. Never, ever turn your camera against it. You don’t need studio lights, the window can work its magic, too!

Find Your Angle

Hold your camera and extend your arm and extend your arm out. The farther the camera is, the more you’ll reduce that old sweaty- big- pored pace effect. It can be a little tricky.
Turn your head and find the best angle you have. (Unless you have perfectly sculpted jaws, you really need to search for it.) You never see your “bestest” if you haven’t seen yourself in all angles.

Have Fun Making Statements

Your phone is all yours and you have every right to look stupid in every way you can possibly make. There are thousands of poses, the wink, the thumbs up sign (my best friend’s signature pose), the peace sign (ah, the good old days.), the mirror selfie and the like.
And innocent plea: Do not make duck faces, ever again! They can give me nightmares.

Filters, FTW!

There’s this application called Camera 360. And it has been doing a pretty good job at hiding dark spots, pimples and a lot of imperfections. Plus, the filters are everywhere. They can give you any ambience your please. Camera 360 has made its way through every selfie- er’s heart and it will stay there, forever. Oh please, it has a “Sexy Lips” filter for crying out loud. Need I say more?

When all else fails,

Just smile. It is the best accessory there is. Don’t be like every grumpy woman in every movie ticket booth. Making unlimited versions of yourself is one of the perks of living in the 21st century. So why waste the power, right?


-Guest Barista Czarina-

Image: Sodanie Chea