Getting Better Pics of Yourself

 Avoid selfies, if you want really good pics. Usually they are the worst, other things being equal. Obviously, then, you have to get someone to click you and whoever is with you.

Assuming you do, get a good background, without standing at the edge of a cliff. But check around if you can find a better spot, and go for it. 

An angle and distance are the most important, and light is the most important.. that's what photography is about..

Smile, if that looks good on you. Sometimes, a non-smiley is more appropriate for the situation, or setting.

If the pic is really important, posed is better than candid. Candid ones can go either way. Silly poses too are fine, and sometimes better than serious ones. Wear a hat, if there's one. A Vietnamese conical one is best (from experience).. an Assamese one comes next. Or a detective type one, if you want to look like Sherlock Holmes.

If the background is unique, try and get it into the pic. Enhances you in the process. If it's not, close up on you is most effective.

Think about how you will use the pic- in what size, or where on social media.. of course, you can crop. Or correct some defects, but not all.

An Angular View

Everyone looks good at a particular angle, if you have looked at yourself in the mirror (I am not asking how often, by the way-I am focussed on the topic of discussion). Your best angle might be from the left top, or the right front, or centre, below. Film stars know this too well, and try not to let the unflattering angles intrude on their popularity. A pretty face can turn ugly when viewed from the wrong angle, as anyone stealing glances at one would know. Some stars even flaunt their curves, as I remember one particular lady did, as in ....don't lie (in this case, the angle was, shall we say, different?). Guru Dutt and his ilk had great camera angles and lighting, to keep their filmi characters looking surreal.

Anyway, what I am trying to prove is that angles are very important. Journalists are always on the lookout for the right angle (acute or obtuse) on a story, or a twist, so to speak. So are writers/authors, of books or plays or short stories and screenplays. Mystery writers from Agatha Christie to Rex Stout thrive on creating that new angle so that the reader is kept guessing whodunit till the last couple of pages. It keeps the little grey cells of the reader engaged.

Some new angles are sorely needed to break the monotony of life. So put on your thinking caps, and look into the camera...at the right angle, of course.