how to take the perfect selfie

A lot of my law school classmates tease me for being the "selfie queen." What can I say? Taking good selfies is a talent of mine (do what you love, and the money will come...?)! Celebrities and "Instagram models" have elevated the selfie to an art form. Sure, flawless makeup and fancy equipment provides a good foundation for a great picture, but not all of us have Mario Dedivanovic on speed dial. There are many things the average person can do to take the perfect selfie armed with only a cell phone and a dream.

Step One: Find Your Light

This first step is the most important one. Lighting can make or break a picture. Strong lighting accentuates the high points of your face and increases the clarity and quality of your photo. I usually find a window with beautiful natural light, or stand directly in front of a lamp. Face the light directly and make sure your camera is placed directly in front of the source. If the lighting is off-center with the camera, or there are other lights in the background, your picture may have a shadowy, castover effect.

Step Two: Work Your Angles

ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS take the photo from above. Your "photo-taking" arm should be extended outward and upward, and the camera should be tilted down (from just above forehead level) at about a 35 degree angle. Tilt your head slightly facing away from the camera with your chin slightly pointed downward. This will elongate the lines of your face.

Step Three: Edit, Edit, Edit.

The Instagram editor is for chumps. Most beauty bloggers and celebrities use mobile apps to perfect their selfies, instead. I put some of my photos through two different photo editors before uploading them to Insta in order to improve light and picture quality.

First, I use either Camera+ (App Store, $2.99) , Afterlight (App Store, $0.99), or VSCO Cam (App Store, Free) to change any brightness, exposure, highlights and shadows. I save my newly edited image to my camera roll and move on to the next app.

Second, I edit small details. Makeup doesn't always look the same on camera as it does in real life. I use Facetune (App Store, $0.99) to accentuate my best features and return my eye shadow colors to their original luster.

WARNING: Make sure you don't go overboard. If you buff out all of your features, your natural beauty won't shine through! After all, you should still look like yourSELF in a selfie.

Step Four: Pick A Good Time to Post
You should try to never post between 9:30 pm and 8 am on a weekend. Most people are either out partying or they're asleep. The most optimal time to post a weekend party pic in order to get the most exposure is in the early afternoon the next day, or right before you head out for the night (so long as it's before 10 pm).

If you follow these steps, you should have the perfect selfie (or at least a pretty good one)!

What are your favorite mobile editing apps? Are there any tips you use that I neglected to mention? Comment below!