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How to Take Good Self-Portraits

Taking a good picture of yourself is not as easy as it might seem---many amateur photographers will simply turn the camera around and snap a picture. However, this method does not show the full body, shows the arm in the picture and produces pictures that are shot at odd angles, which can distort your features. In order to get a really good self-portrait, use a tripod or clamp tripod to hold your camera steady. The timer function allows you to place yourself directly in front of the lens before the picture is taken, giving the illusion that you have your own private photographer.

Things You'll Need

Tripod or clamp mount
Digital camera
Mirror

Instructions

- 1
  Mount your camera to a tripod or to a clamp mount to hold it steady. The camera should be set at your height so that it will capture your full body shot.
- 2
  Set your mounted camera in front of a full length mirror. The mirror shows you exactly what the camera sees and will help you strike a pose.
- 3
  Set your camera to take a picture on a timer and rush to stand in position. Look into the mirror to help you pose yourself in the correct position. Hold your pose until the camera goes off.
- 4
  Review the picture and re-shoot if necessary. It might be necessary to adjust the height of your camera to get the shot you want. Play around with the setup until you shoot the perfect picture.
- 5
  Adjust and crop the picture in a digital editing program. Once you have captured the photo, you can crop out your body, or other background elements as you wish. Make sure the colors are leveled and apply any photographic filters.

Photography