Trouble Taking Selfies? Here Are 10 Easy But Effective Tips

Woman posing for a selfie

Taking selfies is so second nature at this point that everyone thinks they’re pros at it. However, there’s an art to it that not everyone has mastered. If you’re aware that your selfie game needs a little work, it’s never too late to learn. Ready to take perfect shots of your beautiful self? Here are 10 easy but effective tips that will take your selfies from meh to wow:


Find your light

woman in brown coat taking a selfiePhoto by Fausto Sandoval on Unsplash

Don’t ever underestimate the power of good lighting. Seriously, that’s a big mistake we all make when taking photos. Always remember that natural light works best, so whenever you’re trying to get a good selfie, stand near a window or go outside if possible. If you can’t have natural light, harsh overhead lights will do nothing for you. Go for a ring light instead and adjust the brightness in a way that suits your complexion without creating harsh shadows.

Know your angles

woman taking a selfie in the streetPhoto by Rafael Cisneros Méndez on Unsplash

Listen, unless you’re blessed with a perfectly symmetrical face, some angles will be better than others. That’s why it’s important to find the right angle for your face. To do that, hold the camera slightly above eye level. This can enhance your features and avoid the dreaded double chin. Then, tilt your head to the right, snap a few photos, tilt your head to the left, and repeat. Try different expressions as well. After that, you can assess all the photos and determine what angle you feel brings out your beauty the most. When you’re assessing the selfies remember to be kind to yourself! You’ll feel the urge to be hypercritical and focus on perceived flaws, but reign that in; compliment yourself instead.

Always check the background

woman taking a selfie in the streetPhoto by kevin turcios on Unsplash

Is there anything worse than taking an amazing selfie only to notice that your background is a complete mess? It’s not aesthetic at all and it takes time to make it look decent through photo editing or Photoshop. To save yourself the pain, find a simple, clean background every time you want to take selfies. That will keep the focus on your face and look more aesthetically pleasing overall.

Use a good camera

woman in white long sleeve shirt holding black smartphonePhoto by Taan Huyn on Unsplash

We’re not saying you should have a dedicated selfie camera. Your smartphone already has everything you need. However, it’s important to accept that the smartphone selfie camera is not always the best. Sure, it does make taking selfies easier, but the back camera is actually a lot better. Trust that the quality difference will be worth the little extra effort of taking selfies without seeing the screen.

Keep it steady, keep it steady!

smartphone on monopodPhoto by Steve Gale on Unsplash

Blurry selfies are a no-go. Keep your hand steady or use a tripod or a selfie stick for more stability. If you’re prone to shaky hands, try using the timer function on your smartphone camera. That will remove the need to hit the button, which reduces movement. Also, when your arm gets tired, just take a break instead of pushing through. A tired arm will just make your hands shakier!

Mind the way you frame your selfies

woman holding black android smartphonePhoto by June Aye on Unsplash

When you’re focusing on your beautiful face, it’s easy to lose sight of the way you’re framing your shot. The golden rule is to avoid cutting off important parts of your face or head. The best way to ensure this is to keep your eyes one-third of the way down from the top of the frame. That’s generally the most flattering to everyone, but don’t hesitate to try different things to find what you like.

Learn the art of subtle editing

woman editing photo on her cell phone

Photo by Ron Lach on Pexels

Using filters is fine and good, but they usually mess with the quality of the image. The best thing you can do is learn how to edit your own photos. Apps like Lightroom or Snapseed offer all the features you could possibly need. The most important ones are brightness, contrast, and saturation, so learn how to play with those to find the settings that work for you. Remember to keep it natural! Over-editing will ruin a perfectly good selfie and no one wants to look like a product of AI.

Play with little props

Woman posing for photo while wearing funny props

Photo by Sora Shimazaki on Pexels

Adding personality to your selfies is all about playing with your facial expressions, but you can also use props. Accessories are the most common props for selfies, so think of sunglasses, fun earrings, cool rings for when you do hand poses, necklaces, etc. Just make sure whatever prop you choose doesn’t overshadow you! Influencers can be a great source of inspiration for this.

Use your flash carefully

Woman posing for photo while using flash light

Photo by Darya Sannikova on Pexels

Usually, people avoid using their flash. It can create harsh shadows and also make your eyes look red. However, if you’re out and about and you need that extra light, you have to do what you have to do. Keeping the flash as far as possible from your face will help, so take the selfie from above at arm's length while minding your angles. Also, consider getting and external selfie light, that will be much flattering than the flash.

Let your confidence shine through and have fun!

woman in brown jumper holding white smartphonePhoto by Brittani Burns on Unsplash

The most important tip of all is to be confident and have fun when you’re taking selfies. It’s really not a big deal and don’t hesitate to take more photos than you think you’ll need. Experiment with your poses, smile widely, and let your personality show. The more you practice taking selfies, the better you’ll get. Once you find what works for you, every selfie will be a hit.

This Viral Video Game Is Changing the Face of Voter Outreach

In 2024, voting campaigns have evolved greatly, to say the least. Creativity is now the name of the game and tongue-in-cheek humor is expertly leveraged to drive action. One example of that is Bop the Bigot, a revival of a viral game created in 2016 by Bazta Arpaio, an Arizona activist group, as part of a campaign to unseat Maricopa County’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio lost his re-election to Paul Penzone that year.

The game has now been updated for the current election cycle and relaunched by On Point Studios, with new features added to enable players to find out what’s on their ballot, confirm voter status, and register to vote.

Much like its former 2016 version, the game allows users to take out their political frustrations by virtually “bopping” GOP candidates in the head. It’s very similar to whack-a-mole, except the mole is replaced by former President Donald Trump, Ohio’s Senator J. D. Vance, and Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, which is spearheading Project 2025.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

B. Loewe, Director of On Point Studios, came up with the concept for this game when working as the Communications Director at Bazta Arpaio in 2016, and is the executive producer of this revamped version. In the first version of the game, Bop the Bigot players used a chancla (flip flop) to “bop” the characters, tapping into Latino culture by leaning on the childhood experience of being set right by a flying chancla from a fed-up mother or grandmother.

This year, the chancla is replaced by a more current element, a green coconut, referencing Kamala Harris’ coconut tree meme. There are also side characters like “the couch,” cat ladies, and more coconuts. All references to jokes about Vice-Presidential candidate Vance, or insults Vance has made about women on the campaign trail.

Another new addition is that Harris’ laugh is immortalized as the game-over sound effect, an unexpected detail that adds even more humor and levity to the game.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump, Kevin Roberts, and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

Bop the Bigot, which is playable on desktop and mobile, is intended not just as a way to vent political frustrations, but also as a tool for activism and securing voter engagement.

For example, the game supports the work of Mexican Neidi Dominguez Zamorano, Founding Executive Director of the non-profit organization Organized Power in Numbers by using the “game over” screen to prompt players to donate to it and support their efforts.

Organized Power in Numbers is focused on empowering workers in the South and Southwest of the U.S. through collective action and comprehensive campaigns. Their mission is to create a large-scale movement that challenges the status quo and advocates for workers' rights, and racial and economic justice.

Currently, Dominguez Zamorano is leading worker outreach to 2 million working-class voters in the South and Southwest through doorknocking, texting, and calls with the help of local groups in North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, and more.

“We have been blown away by the enthusiastic reception for the video game. We knew we wanted to be part of its creative approach because our movement needs more fun and laughter. We need more ways to connect with nuestra gente so we can feel joy among all the absurdity we witness every day,” Dominguez Zamorano shared with Luz Media via email.

“Our people are gente trabajadora and we deserve to feel uplifted even in our toughest moments. We are deeply involved in the South and Southwest so we know what’s at stake in this election and we’re happy this can be a resource to mobilize, raise spirits, and get out the vote," she concluded.

Dominguez Zamorano is a committed activist for immigrants and workers' rights, known for her strategist skills and expertise. She played a key role in the campaign to win DACA and has also held roles in major campaigns, including as Deputy National States Director for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. In addition to her work with Organized Power in Numbers, Dominguez Zamorano is serving as a Senior Advisor to Mijente’s Fuera Trump Initiative.

Grassroots efforts like these have taken on new life in 2024, with Bop the Bigot adding to the larger, ongoing fight against political apathy and disinformation. Just as it did during the 2016 race, the video game uses humor to soften the serious task at hand—getting people to the polls.

"We want the game to be a fun and comical outlet for anyone who’s been insulted, frustrated, or harmed by Trump in the past and everyone who is ready to move forward as a country after election day," explained Loewe in a press release. "The proposals in Project 2025 and the beliefs of Trump and Vance aren’t just weird, they’re truly harmful. We wanted to give people a humorous and peaceful way to smack down their racism and sexism. We hope it makes people laugh and also feel empowered and motivated to get to the polls on or before election day."

With a mix of satire, sharp political critique, and nostalgia, the game is a call to action. The upcoming election, which is getting closer by the minute, has sparked fierce activism and creative yet grounded initiatives like these aim to ensure voters are engaged, especially young Latinos and disenfranchised groups.

hands holding up yellow protest signs that say Hands Off Our Bodies
Photo Credit: Gayatri Malhotra via Unsplash

Originally published in Common Dreams. Reprinted with permission.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

In November, abortion rights measures will appear on ballots across ten states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and New York, where Latinos make up a significant portion of the electorate. For decades, pundits and politicians have recycled long-held misconceptions about Latino voters and abortion access, citing our conservative and religious beliefs.

Anti-abortion extremists have long fueled these misconceptions through misinformation and disinformation campaigns targeting Latino communities with egregious lies and inflammatory rhetoric about abortion. Yet, polling, focus groups, and direct interactions with Latino communities have debunked these outdated tropes.

The Latino electorate will prove decisive in securing reproductive freedom and abortion access through ballot measures around the country, particularly in states where Latinos are a significant portion of the electorate.

For Latinos, the freedom to decide, a pillar of our American democracy, is critical. Meanwhile, Latinos are being hit directly with anti-abortion efforts that take away that freedom such as the six-week abortion ban put into effect by the Florida Supreme Court and the 1864 abortion ban upheld by the Arizona Supreme Court. In the wake of the Dobbs decision, people of color and Latinas have felt the impact of a lack of abortion access, an element of basic healthcare.

A 2023 report by the National Partnership for Women and Families estimated that nearly 6.5 million Latinas, or 42% of all Latinas of reproductive age in the country, live in a state that either had or was likely to ban abortion. Ironically, it will be abortion access and anti-choice efforts to restrict freedom of choice that will mobilize Latino voters this election.

In a poll conducted by three national reproductive justice organizations, 87% of Latinas named abortion and women’s rights as one of their top priorities as they head to the polls. Another battleground poll conducted by Somos PAC and BSP Research found that 61% of Latino registered voters expressed a more positive/favorable view of Kamala Harris after hearing that she will protect abortion rights, versus only 19% of Latinos who said they had a more negative view of Harris after hearing that.

In key states to secure the White House and both chambers, Latinos make up large chunks of the electorate: Arizona (25%), Colorado (15%), Florida (20%), Nevada (20%), and New York (12%). In the face of unprecedented attacks on basic healthcare access and targeted attempts by extremists to mislead and divide our community on this issue, this November Latinos will be key deciders on abortion access across the country.

Mari Urbina, Managing Director of Indivisible, Battleground Arizona Lead and former Harry Reid advisor.

Héctor Sánchez Barba is president and CEO of Mi Familia Vota (MFV).