Everyone’s taking a selfie – from ordinary citizens to celebrities and high-ranking officials, nearly all of us at some point have captured and posted one on social media. It has become ingrained in our culture, and chances are your gallery is filled with selfies, too, proving much of the craze for taking a photo of oneself has become so immensely popular across the world.
If you’re joining the trend, you’ve also most likely come across Kim Kardashian, the renowned reality star, socialite, model, businesswoman, and the undisputed “queen of selfies.” In 2015, she even released the book “Selfish,” containing her favorite self-portraits and perfectly displaying how she mastered the art of snapping flattering and glamorous photos of herself.
So, what’s her secret? Like what most photographers value, Kardashian said that “lighting is everything” for snapping her iconic photos. We’ll delve more into that in this article and know why well-lit selfies are the perfect selfies.
‘Lighting Is Everything’
Indeed, lighting is a crucial factor in capturing beautiful self-images. Kim Kardashian acknowledges this and revealed in an interview that she had a lighting setup ideal for taking selfies at home.
To further attest to her devotion to lighting, she endorsed an illuminated smartphone case. With LED strip lighting from the front, it makes anyone transform from haggard-looking to being awake, rejuvenated, and gorgeous with the simple incorporation of the surrounding light from the phone. It’s an excellent way of using technology not only for the famed personality but also for the ordinary people, be it a student, a parent, or a professional who wants to look their best in their selfie.
What’s even great is that no added apps or features are required to use the tool. Anyone can easily use the case, solve any brightness grievance, and take an endless collection of well-lit, beautiful portraiture of yourself anytime and anywhere you want to.
Benefits of Using Selfie Light
Indeed, lighting is everything and a selfie light can be your best ally when the light around you isn’t enough. While smartphones nowadays have the flash, it just doesn’t cut it and often makes resulting photos unflattering. Not to mention that the flash may also cause blinking when it gleams during the take. With that, it’s essential to get a selfie light and illuminate yourself better and make your images sharper. If Kim Kardashian’s selfies haven’t convinced you yet, here are the benefits of using selfies light that would entice you to get one right away.
Improved Lighting
There’s no doubt about the importance of lighting to get a good photo. Regardless of whatever or whoever you’re trying to capture, the right lighting will always save you. Of course, natural lighting is the best option, but it’s not ample or always available.
That’s where a selfie light becomes a necessity. Through this tool, you can mimic natural light no matter what the state of sunlight is outside. You can even use it as an additional lighting for your selfies outdoors, instantly brightening and enhancing your self-portraits.
There’s a Selfie Light For Every Type of Need
Kim Kardashian’s phone case with built-in LED light is definitely cool, yet there are other types of selfie lights you can choose from depending on your need.
One of the more popular selfie lights is the standing ring light. Though you can see them mostly used in vlogging, it’s great for taking selfies as well! It will highlight and brighten all the focal points of your face. Thus, providing a vibrant, professional-looking image without suffering from the glare a flash could cause.
If you’re always on the go, consider getting a clip-on ring light. It’s the smaller version of the standing ring light. You can carry it inside your bag and seamlessly clip it on the top of your phone for a well-lit appearance. Some models even have brightness settings, which means you can adjust it depending on your preference.
Meanwhile, there is also the square selfie light that you can quickly and seamlessly plug to your headphone jack. If you’re an Android-phone user, it’s the best option as they’re pretty small, easy to use and easy to store. Again, some units have temperature and brightness modes that you can take advantage of to get your best selfie.
Transcend Taking Selfies
Don’t let selfie light’s name restrict you as these devices offer many possibilities. While they’re great for their intended task, these selfie lights are actually great for all types of photography and videography. You can use it to look your best when live streaming, shooting YouTube or Tik Tok videos, or doing advertisement photography. Plus, they can also sideline as task lights for your hobbies like reading, crafting, or scale modeling.
Other Tricks on Taking the Best Selfie
Now that you’re aware of the benefits of lighting and having a selfie light, it’s time to apply some tricks and ace your self-portrait. Kim Kardashian said that you also have to get your best angle. Sometimes, you even need to take hundreds of photos to get the right one, but once you do, remember it and try to imitate it on your succeeding selfies.
As per the selfie royalty, her best pose is always chin down. Plus, she mentioned that the worst angle is taking a selfie from down low. To get a perfect shot and step up your selfie game, she advises to put it high above and place it as far away as possible. It should never go down to up, but rather be up to down, with the face tilting down.
Note that filters don’t always do the magic. No matter how many filters you apply, they won’t be able to fix an already bad photo. So, when taking a selfie, always get the right lighting and apply the proper posing. Presto! The picture will turn out so much better and you will be surprised that you won’t even require to search for a filter as your image is already looking phenomenal.