Selfies are simple enough when it comes to the face. All you need to do is hold your phone, snap a few different angles, and that’s it! However, the same can’t be said for taking a full-body selfie.
This can be annoying if you don’t have anyone to be a photographer for you, especially if you want to see how good your outfit looks on camera.
If you’re struggling to take a picture of your whole body, you’re in the right place! You’ll find the most common methods of taking a full-body selfie in this article. We’ll also list our favorite methods that can help you snap the best full-body picture possible.
Sounds interesting? Keep reading, as you’ll also find our best tips on taking full body pictures at the end of this article!
Full Body Selfie Methods
Theoretically, you can use any camera you want for a selfie, but the term typically involves using your phone camera to snap your picture. Here are the most popular ways to take a full-body selfie.
We’ll start with our least favorite option, then finish with our two recommended methods.
Using A Mirror
This involves using a mirror to make sure you like your pose, then begin taking pictures of your reflection. This method does allow the camera to view your whole body, but the result can look dated. There’s also a lot that can go wrong.
A mirror may pick up parts of your surroundings that you don’t want on camera. There may be smudges or marks on the glass that go unnoticed at first, but you then see them later in your pictures.
The mirror method may be fine for casual pictures, but if you want a better result, we’d recommend another method.
Selfie Stick
A selfie stick is a device that holds your phone on the end of a rod. Some have a button on them that takes a picture while pressed, while others use Bluetooth to connect to your phone.
Though selfie sticks are bulky, they’re ideal if you want to take a full-body selfie while you’re out and about. However, depending on the length of yours, you may not be able to fit your whole figure in the shot.
Camera Timer – Without Tripod
This method allows you to take a full-body picture of yourself, but it may not be the best for your phone. As you don’t have a tripod, you need to create one with some items around your house.
This could be a few books on top of each other, using a shelf, or balancing your phone on handles in your kitchen.
You’ll need to ensure that your phone is well supported and that it won’t fall over. You’ll also need to make sure that it’s pointed towards you and that you’re in focus. This can be hard to do without a tripod and may take a lot of time.
Once your phone is set up, you’ll need to set the timer in your camera, then begin posing. The timer is normally found in the camera app settings. You may need to keep going back to your phone and starting the timer again until you get the right picture.
Depending on your setup, this may involve removing the phone, then precariously placing it back on your makeshift tripod. This puts your phone in danger, especially if you have a delicate smartphone with a glass screen.
Camera Timer – With Tripod
In this method, we’ll use the smartphone camera timer as we did in the previous method, but we’ll use a tripod instead.
You won’t be creating a makeshift tripod here, but you’ll have to invest in a suitable tripod. You can get ones for as little as $10, or you can spend a bit more on ones in the $100 range.
Just make sure that your purchase has a mount that can support your smartphone.
A tripod is simple to use. You attach your phone to the mount, making sure that it’s secure. Set the timer on your camera’s app, then begin posing. The advantage of a tripod is that your phone is kept safely in one position.
If you want to change the focus or the angle, you can go back and change the settings without removing your phone from its spot. Tripods make taking selfies a lot easier.
Tripod And Remote
This method is our first recommended way of taking full-body selfies. Other than a tripod, you’ll also need to purchase a remote Bluetooth trigger. These look like little buttons that connect to your phone. You capture a picture by pressing the button.
Remote triggers have an advantage, as you can take as many pictures as you want without setting up another timer. This is ideal for lengthy photoshoots where you want to take more than a few pictures.
Simply set up your phone and tripod as we did before. Connect your trigger to your phone via Bluetooth. Then begin posing, pressing the button to capture a picture each time.
If your pose shows the trigger in your hands, you can counter this by putting the timer on. The timer will start when you press the button. This gives you enough time to get into your pose, hide the trigger from view, and capture your picture.
Video And Tripod
This is our second recommended method of taking full-body selfies. The majority of camera phones can take videos too. A lot of people don’t use this option as they concentrate on the picture aspect.
Begin by setting your phone up on a tripod. If you don’t have one, you can try leaning your phone against a few books. Press the record button then start posing. Hold each pose for three seconds. When you’ve finished, stop recording, then play the video back.
If you like a pose, pause the video, then screenshot to save the picture.
Which Method Is Right For Me?
Depending on the finish you’re going for, you may prefer one of these methods over the other. The video and tripod method allows you to be free in your movements, so you may capture some fluid and interesting poses. However, you may not end up with an in-focus photo.
If you want a sharper photo, the tripod and remote trigger option may be better. You can let your smartphone’s camera use auto-focus, or you can set the camera up to a particular focus setting.
The result will be clearer, in-focus pictures, which is ideal if you’re getting into individual poses each time.
That being said, if you like some of the previous full-body selfie methods, go for it! Our two recommended methods should give you the best quality pictures, but it’s more important that you get the end result that you want.
Tips On Taking Full Body Selfies
Whatever method you choose for taking full-body selfies, there are a few tips that you should know before you begin snapping away.
Camera Rotation
This may seem obvious, but holding your phone vertically will capture more of your body than if it was placed horizontally. The only exception is if you are lying down. In this case, you’ll have to position your camera so that it takes a landscape photo.
If you do want to take a standing photo at a horizontal angle, you’ll have to move your camera back far enough so that your figure fits in the frame. This may not be possible if you have little surrounding space, though you can get by this by attaching a wide-angle lens to your phone.
Use The Back Camera
In most cases, the best camera on your phone tends to be the rear camera. Using the selfie camera to take photos of your frame may help you look at your poses as you take pictures, but it won’t result in the best quality photos.
Floor Markers & Stand-In Objects
If you use the back camera to take a picture of yourself, it may be hard to know if you’re in frame or not. Stand-in objects can help with this.
As you set up your camera, look at the shot and roughly gauge where you’d like to stand. Take an object and place it in the frame. This will be a mark telling you where to place your feet. Look at the shot again and frame it, using the objects as a guide to tell you where your feet will be.
Similarly, you can also use taller objects to tell you where your head will be. Brooms, vacuum cleaners, and mops all make good choices. Place your object in the frame, settle on a shot, then move into the broom’s place, removing the object as you do so.
Securing Your Tripod
Lastly, if you use a tripod, it’s important to make sure that it’s secure before you begin taking pictures. If your tripod is loose or resting on a shaky area, your phone could fall and get damaged.
Begin by making sure that your surface is level. If you’re on an uneven surface, you can adjust the tripod’s legs to counteract this. Balance the tripod by making a leg shorter or longer than the rest, then see if the tripod is stable.
You’ll also need to look at your tripod’s feet. Rubber ends can stop your device from slipping. You can also find spiked ends that dig into rough floors to keep the tripod in place.
If you’re in windy or shaky weather, you may want to add a sandbag to your tripod. The extra weight will keep your device anchored down so that it doesn’t fall over.
In Summary
There are many ways to take a full-body selfie, but we’d recommend using a smartphone tripod to do so. You can set your tripod up and take a video of yourself posing, or purchase a remote trigger to take individual shots.
Make sure that you use your back camera and that it is rotated vertically, unless you are lying down. A tripod is a good investment, so do remember to make sure that it’s secure before you shoot, or your smartphone may get damaged in the process.
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