d9m5j We all want to look great in our selfies. After all, that’s the whole reason we take them. It’s why we look up all the best female poses for photo shoot options, how to apply makeup for photos, and info on all kinds of related stuff.
Yes, they’re also admittedly a lot of fun, but it’s a little less amusing when you find that your perfect selfie looks all washed-out. Using the wrong tactics in certain light conditions can do exactly that.
The Golden Lighting
A lot of experts in the selfie-taking world will tell you about the “golden hour” for lighting. This is the time of day that gives more warmth and softness to the light, and it can be very gentle on our egos too!
It’s not uniform across all days, but a good rule of thumb is to opt for between an hour and thirty minutes after sunup, or before sundown. The sun will still be bright enough, but the light has gentler, rounder hues to it.
Harsher Light
When the sun is at its zenith, it can often be a little too bright. It can wash out your image, or throw severe shadows onto your image where you don’t want them. This can be turned to your advantage with a bit of experience and secret tips.
Depending of course on where you are, and the season, the light will have an almost arc-welding quality to it. That means you’ll want it to be facing you, rather than casting shadows. Facing the sun will get starkly lit pics, without those hard shades.
Dusk and Dawn
If you suddenly absolutely must take your selfie, but the sun is rapidly setting, don’t panic! Provided it hasn’t actually set yet, dusky light can be very generous to the selfie star. Ensure you’re in an openly lit space, and face the setting sun.
The same is true for dawn images. Let the golden rays fall onto your features, so that they’re nicely lit, and you’ll find that the tones are usually very pretty and gentle. It tends to have a very forgiving effect, letting the subject glow beautifully.
Cloudy
Some folks will avoid taking low-light selfies because there’s the chance that you get a dull result. This need not always be the case, though. Provided the cloud cover isn’t very heavy, it can actually produce even and diffuse lighting.
This means that it tends not to throw shadows, and spreads light evenly over all surfaces. While the warmer hues will usually be absent, it does have a nice smoothing effect that can be very handy if you’re worried about a spot, or a blemish.
Some Thoughts
Taking selfies, whether alone or with a group of girlfriends, means a lot of things to different folks. The main thing, though, is that it’s meant to be fun and life-affirming, so don’t let the lighting dictate to you!
There are pros and cons to practically everything in life, and the same must be said for different lighting for selfies. The thing to do is maximize the pros in every context, so that you come out looking great, and have a blast doing it!
