How to Use Your Phone to Take Great Selfies

Smartphone cameras are giving real cameras a run for their money and they’ve got capabilities you might not even be aware of — all of which can up your selfie game. Use these tips to adjust your settings and photo modes and whip out those filters for your best selfies yet.

Whichever camera you’re using, there are a few keys to taking a great selfie.

Use the grid setting.

Use the grid setting to refine your composition. A grid uses two vertical and two horizontal lines to divide your view into nine equal parts. This lets you apply the rule of thirds, which is the principle of placing the focus of your shot at one of the line intersections rather than in the center of your shot.

Good lighting is everything.

Aim to use good natural lighting when possible. Whether you’re indoors or out, shoot in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid harsh contrasts and deep shadows.

Lock your focus.

Adjust and lock your focus and exposure before shooting. Autofocus generally works well, but if you want to adjust your focus, you can manually adjust it by tapping the part of your screen where you want to focus.

Adjust the Settings

·         The SamsungGalaxy S7 features one of the most cutting-edge cameras on the market today. And even better, it has many of its settings accessible directly from the viewfinder — like filters, HDR, timer, flash and picture size. More advanced features are accessible through the gear icon.

·         The iPhone 7 camera display shows True Tone and Retina Flash, along with many of the same settings as the S7. Past the main camera screen, go into your settings to turn a grid on and off or use icons or gestures to zoom in and out.

·         Google Pixel integrates with the Google Camera app, meaning you can make most setting adjustments with the app. Switch between front and rear cameras or get super creative with all the lenses — panoramic, wide-angle, fisheye and 360-degree photo sphere shots.

Shoot in Different Photo Modes

If you don’t want to deal with exposure or color settings, use the “auto mode.” If you’re OK to do a little editing to your selfie, switch to “manual.” Then, try these:

·         Virtual shot lets you capture multiple angles which can then be viewed by tilting the photo, letting you make fine adjustments to your selfie.

·         Food-optimized settings will enhance food colors, useful for shots where you’re taking a selfie with food or other objects with vivid colors. It’ll make all your friends envious of that berry smoothie you’re sipping.

·         Use timelapse, slow mo or pano to give your selfies a twist. All three of these smartphones sport these photo modes.

·         After you’ve taken the picture, use the selective focus feature to really hone in on your subject or emphasize a particular feature — say a close up of your gorgeous, smokey eye makeup.

Use Built-In Filters

Turn your low-lit mediocre picture into a vibrant and flattering shot by using a filter. You know how to use filters because they’ve been popular since the beginning of Instagram. But these days, smartphones come equipped with a number of built-in filters to help make your selfie social-media worthy. Go classy with black and white or silly with a giant head, whatever your mood, there's a filter for it.

·         Galaxy S7: Deep, Pastel, Monogram, Film, Retro, Delicious, Gold and Nostalgia.

·         iPhone 7: Mono, Tonal, Noir, Fade, Chrome, Process, Transfer and Instant effects.

·         Google’s Camera app: Retro ’30, Big Head, Big Jaw, Big Eyes, Bunny Head, Grayscale, Sepia, Colorize, Beauty, Newspaper, Funky and Swirl.

You can also download additional filters for all these smartphone cameras.