5 Things The Most Attractive Guys Do (And Do Not Do) To Take Good Selfies
Follow these tips for your own good.
Getty For a long time, I was against the male selfie. I know, it’s hypocritical and slightly sexist, but I was pretty confident that the only guys who took them were totally in love with their own reflection. Call me crazy, but it’s what I saw.
I’ve since come around to the idea that selfies are for everyone and that I have no room to judge ... well, maybe some room.
The majority of selfies I see posted by guys are cringe-worthy. Strange faces, obvious muscle flexing and weird captions dominate the "melfie" (male-selfie — if that term gets big, remember it started here), and it needs to stop, especially in this day in age where you’re meeting tons of people online.
Social media is a great way to connect with others, sure, but it’s also a way of branding yourself to the rest of the world, and one that can make or break you.
Even people you meet IRL first will go to your Facebook and Instagram to find out more about you, so you want to make sure the content you know how to take and post a selfie that reflects the best of who you are.
We say “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but we know everyone does anyway. Having a bunch of mediocre or bad melfies could make someone write you off before they even gets to know you. It’s a cruel world out there, but in order to succeed you have be somewhat cool online.
Now I’m by no means promoting the idea that you have to be fake or completely calculated with your online presence in order to be taken seriously. Authenticity goes a long way.
It's just that, if you learn a few tips on how to take a good selfie, you can capture the absolute best parts of who you are in your pics.
It’s not about trying to make yourself more attractive to other people or even worrying about what they think. It’s about putting your best self forward so there's less standing in the way of you getting whatever it is you want.
Taking and sharing photos of yourself works best if you can find that right balance between, “Everybody knows this was staged and that I took 140 shots to get this one” and, “Oh, wow! I didn’t even mean to take a photo. Oops! Here it is anyway ...”
Walking that fine line is an art many have mastered, yet many more have not.
No worries. That's why I’m here to help.
Follow these 5 tips for men on how to take and post good selfies and you should be just fine:
1. Don’t post your selfies too often.
We know what your face looks like. We don’t need to see it 12 times a week.
Also, the more diverse your posts are, the more attractive you’ll look. You have a full, awesome life and there are tons of things to show off other than your face.
2. Have a caption in mind before you post.
Don’t selfie just to selfie, you feel me? There are hundreds of other things you could share besides your face.
My rule is to only post when I’ve got a good caption to go with it — which usually means something happen (other than my face) that I want to share.
3. Know how to find the right lighting.
If you’re gonna selfie, selfie good. Natural lighting is always the best and it's way better than using flash. Do not use flash, and do not use too many editing tools or filters.
Above all, stay away from the blur feature. Just. Stay. Away.
4. Avoid making weird faces at all costs.
I’m sorry, but when I see a guy making the same dumb face in all his pictures (and that I never see them make in real life), it looks like they’re trying wayyyyyy too hard.
Just be yourself, dammit. People can tell when it’s natural vs. when it's forced.
5. Don’t be afraid to smile.
Do you want to look pissed 24/7?? The smoldering stare into your camera lens isn’t doing it for anybody.
I get that you want to look tough and manly — and a few pics in that style are totally okay — but throw a smile in there every once and awhile. Girls like seeing guys who are happy.
Emily Blackwood is a freelance writer, editor and journalist who covers small business, pop culture, travel, e-commerce, health and wellness.