Perfecting that Selfie Angle

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No longer shall we accept the early 2000 selfie. Let’s all take that pledge. Put your right hand up and say the following…

“I (state your name) will do my best to make sure I have interesting, appropriate, and Insta-worthy photos moving forward. So help me Queen Connection”.

bad selfie example

We all take “selfies”, and to build our personal brand, it’s necessary. But I think it’s time we put some rules in writing.

 

And selfies have evolved, because it no longer means you putting your arm out to snap a photo. If it’s a photo of just you, well technically, it’s a selfie.

 

It’s been said that the average person takes more than 450 selfies every year . One study even said that some take more than eight in one day (that would be nearly 3,000 a year!

 

So since taking our own photos are here to stay, here are Queen Connection’s tips for making sure you are doing everything right.

 

1.  Camera Angle

Try holding your phone slightly up and facing down towards your face (duh, right?) But don’t hold your phone too high. That’s just weird. Holding the camera slightly up will force you to look slightly upwards, which generally is a little more flattering. Designer, Michelle von Flotow works this flawlessly.

 

Michelle von Flotow works the camera angle for selfie

 

This also rolls right into talking about your body position.

 

2.  Body Position

Use your angles to your advantage. Here are some ideas on what you can do:

 

Easy does it. Casual and effortless like Meghan. Check out her hand placement.

 

hand placement for selfies

 

Angle your body in a way so that your legs are pointing away from the camera. Isabella Radovan looks effortless in this pose.

 

 

Hand on hip is still the ultimate go-to. Gissell Bahena, Miss Illinois Teen USA 2021 shows us all how it’s done.

 

 

• Put your weight on your back foot and put one foot slightly in front of the other.

 

Sure, this is a family pose, but Stephanie Feild kills it (as always)!

 

 

Straighten your back, and roll back those shoulders.

 

Also, take note on where Miss Rodeo America, Jordan Tierney, eyes are looking in this photo. The only thing better than her pose, is that coat  😍.

 

 

Cross those ankles

Crossing your ankles can elongate your look and give your photo a more effortless and casual feel.

 

But to be honest, there is nothing casual about Asya Branch, Miss USA 2021. Show stopper!

 

 

“The Flamingo” is the flirty, side kick and it can be done in a couple of different fashions.

 

Katherine Merck has fun in this photo with a slight boot kick.

 

 

And Pageantry Magazine caught a perfect glimpse at our girl, Bailey Guy, USA National Teen, kick and all.

 

 

Touch something with your hands: a chair, your hair, your pocket, the wall, or make it look like you’re trying to block the sun with hand.

 

Adrian Brannan does this well here.

 

 

And this girl is always killing it. Shaley Ham is truly #goals.

 

westdesperado selfie queen pageant

 

3.  Lighting

The best light is natural light. The “golden hour,” is the hour right after the sun rises and the hour right before it sets. If that’s not possible, always face the source of your light. Hence the ring light. 😊

 

Whether you’re outside in the sunlight or using the lamp, try to position your face so that the light is toward your nose. It will help with the correct shadows and highlights to your face.

 

There’s also lots of fun apps to help with lighting.

 

4.  Content

Your photos are considered content because they are saying something. So content is truly anything you post. So, think about these things before posting: 

 

•  Would my followers enjoy or find the post interesting?

•  Don’t be negative. This doesn’t mean you can’t talk about struggles or something personal that’s not cheerful. It just means don’t be passive aggressive or run something or something down.

•  You’re a roll model. Whether you have a crown or not. Always remember that.

•  Is your post suggestive or provocative? Think through that.

•  Your posts can be found by anyone (no matter your settings). Are you cool with a future employer finding your posts?

•  Captions are everything. You don’t need to be a poet with your text, but don’t leave it blank either. Here are some ideas for captions. And if all else fails, the tried-and-true emoji captions can do the trick as well. Just no eggplants.

•  Be authentic. Be you.

 
 

5.  Fun Stuff

•  Try flipping the image in photos. This might give you a different look or more flattering image.

•  Use Portrait mode when you can. It obviously takes the best pic.

•  Look for cool locations like a colored wall, murals, or graffiti ’ed walls. Also considering looking for lines like a sidewalk, garage door, or staircases. Seemingly simple, these can make for some interesting backdrops.

 

The lines in this natural backdrop, give this Rachel Allan photo boss babe vibes.

 

rachal allan pageant photo

 
 

6.  Safety

•  There are creepy people out there and there are lots of scammers. Don’t get sucked into this. Always lean on the side of caution.

•  Not everyone is a modeling agent or is actually reaching out to legitimately collab. If someone reaches out with a business proposal, do your research!

how to take the perfect photo queen pageant

Katie Stien Queen Connection founder brick wall photo rodeo queen pageants judge coach

Katie Stien

Katie Stien is a wife, mom of two boys, meeting expert, pig show regular and cowboy boot aficionado. She is also a past title holder, pageant coordinator of more than 12 years, an agriculture advocate and enjoys helping youth be the best versions of themselves. Through Katie’s professional and personal career, she saw a need to connect those in the industry; hence how Queen Connection was born.

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