How to take the best pictures of yourself (for social media)

[john_cope]

• Camera

Camera matters more for men than women. Why? Because of focal distance. The ideal focal distance for the camera lens you use is at least 50mm. Below 50mm and you will look seriously distorted. Selfie cameras typically have low focal distance (no shit) and it exaggerates unflattering features like making your head appear narrower, your nose more bulbous, and you chin weaker. A low focal length might as well be called the fetal alcohol syndrome filter.

• Framing the picture

If you know nothing about photography, try to acquaint yourself with basic portrait photography and the 'rule of thirds'. The rule of thirds is actually not a strict rule but generally a good starting point. Basically important parts of the picture you take should line up with the upper 1/3 of the photo. This is where your eyes should be in the photo, or if it's a picture of your entire body, where your head in general should be. See the pics below - the photo on the right is much better because his eyes/head adheres to the 'rule of thirds'. The photo on the left looks a bit awkward and it would look better if there was some empty space above his head.

• Outfit / fashion / other gimmicks

Men should generally wear dark colors and try to create some sort of contrast. This is why some ethnic guys look so much better with dyed blond/bright colored hair - it creates contrast. Europeans (and some asians) have light skin so they should have dark brown hair. If you hair is light brown you should probably stay out of the sun (sun bleaches your hair) or dye it darker. It doesn't need to be black hair, since that would probably just reflect light and look greasy.

Fashion. Try to look good but don't try too hard. The focus is not on your clothes but your face (and to a lesser extent your height and frame) Avoid looking like a bum. Even people who thugmax don't want to look like a bum. You don't have to wear a fedora though. Also, show your eyes. Do not wear sunglasses in your most important pictures. Eyes are extremely important.

Gimmicks. You can appeal to primitive human evolutionary biases. Holding a Starbucks coffee appeals to people's innate hoarding behavior (and also associates you with something they like - coffee/sugar etc...). If you take a photo indoors make sure it's not claustrophobic - don't take pics on the staircase or bathroom. Taking pictures at public sculptures (why do you think girls take so many pictures at 'the bean' in Chicago? or at the Eiffel tower in France?) is an easy way for statusmaxing. Also, do you know how many times people take pictures of themselves with flowers or other pretty objects? See the picture of Marlon Teixeira below -

This is basically an example of sexual selection. In peacocks, their bright feathers and patterns appeal to potential mates. It shows fertility. When you take pictures with bright, pretty objects, you are basically associating yourself with fertility and sex. Why else do you think the female genitalia is often referred to (as much as I hate the anology) as a 'flower' or a 'rose' or a 'cherry'?

• Morphing / filters / editing

Avoid excessive editing on your pictures. I strongly suggest avoid using preset filters on facebook/instagram/snapchat whatever. You should be trying to change the exposure/contrast/highlights/shadows/sharpening/airbrushing on your own. People should not necessarily know the the photo was edited at all. A good example of this is an instagram account I found. Her name is Kara Zwaanstra https://www.instagram.com/karazwaanstra/
I am not here to debate if you find her attractive or not (although IMO she is) but she takes such good photos, and morphs them so well that it's hard to tell. I actually compared a photo she posted twice by accident. She morphed one a bit more than the other which was the only way I realized she had been editing all her pics. Specifically she was making her eyes larger, her nose and face in general a bit narrower. She was easily adding a full point on the rating scale just by editing her pics, and I looked at her youtube channel she definitely looked different in motion, but not enough that somebody might call her out as a fraud. You should basically do the same.

Her morphed instagram picture compared to her youtube videos. Pretty drastic difference.

 

[yellowasian]

Thx man love u

 

[prgfromnl]

How do you change camera lens?

 

[Germania]

You don't like me, but good guide, thumbs up

 

[Alexanderr]

Good thread

 

[john_cope]

How do you change camera lens?

The forward camera on your phone (the one not facing you) is generally a higher focal distance.
Otherwise if you have DSLR camera, just swap on the lens for a higher focal distance one. Some lenses have multiple focal distance options but generally its better to have a fixed lens. Camera lenses are quite expensive so when you start out just use the phone camera (not the selfie lens).

You don't like me, but good guide, thumbs up

I didnt know I didnt like you

 

[prgfromnl]

The forward camera on your phone (the one not facing you) is generally a higher focal distance.
Otherwise if you have DSLR camera, just swap on the lens for a higher focal distance one. Some lenses have multiple focal distance options but generally its better to have a fixed lens. Camera lenses are quite expensive so when you start out just use the phone camera (not the selfie lens).

I didnt know I didnt like you

When I google iphone camera lens I get 29mm, is that true? I have an iphone X

 

[jurmytm]

good thread bro, thanks

 

[DarknLost]

Good thread but you don't need all of this shit if you are or know any professional morpher
I'm one myself tbh (1$/morph)

Example from one of my morphs (user: @Phad)

Before

After

One of my best morphs was of @mido the slayer but he told me to not post the before pic,and unfortunetly I dont have the after pic anymore neither

 

[yellowasian]

Good thread but you don't need all of this shit if you are or know any professional morpher
I'm one myself tbh (1$/morph)

plz morph me

 

[john_cope]

Good thread but you don't need all of this shit if you are or know any professional morpher
I'm one myself tbh (1$/morph)

How would you morph Chico?

 

[Deleted member 2933]

No angle for my face.

 

[cardiologist]

Solid thread.

I need to put higher quality, NT photos on my Tinder tbh. Right now, it's a shitty selfie.

For Tinder, I have a theory that one photo with red eye is a good idea. For a few reasons: candid, spur of the moment, and implies you're NT/social. Photos with red eye are taken with flash in darker environments (i.e. bars and restaurants) and usually by someone else.

 

[john_cope]

For Tinder, I have a theory that one photo with red eye is a good idea

Autistic theory

 

[cardiologist]

Autistic theory

You need to be a in a social setting with one or two friends (hopefully you mog them) for this to work.

 

[Deleted member 5634]

Bumping this leggit post boyo