How to Shoot the Perfect Self Portrait

The Oxford English Dictionary added “selfie” back in 2013 because of its popularity in everyday language. Today’s cameras make it easy to take and share selfies, and many photographers and artists are creating entire careers out of self-portrait photography.

1. The easiest and quickest way to shoot a self portrait is to hold the camera at arm’s length with the lens pointing at you. Depending upon the lens’s focal length (and how long your arms are!), you may or may not end up with a distorted view of yourself (noses in particular can suffer…).

2. Another solution is to point the camera into a mirror to take a photo of yourself. Just keep in mind that any writing on your clothing or the background will come out backwards. If you use this technique, remember to have the camera’s autofocus lock onto the reflection and not the mirror itself, otherwise your selfie will be out of focus.

3. Select Nikon cameras make taking selfies super-easy, particularly those with back screens that flip up or angle so you’re able to see what the camera sees.

4. All Nikon cameras have a self-timer option. This means you can put the camera on a tripod or sturdy surface, frame up the shot, set the camera’s built-in self-timer, jump into the frame, arrange your pose and wait for it to fire.

5. Use a wired remote cable release with your Nikon DSLR. This is ideal if you’re going to be standing very close to the camera. The MC-30, MC-36A and MC-DC2 are all easy to use, but do check your user’s manual to make your choice is compatible. Simply attach it to the camera, hold it out of sight, smile and press the shutter button on the remote.

6. Use a Nikon wireless remote. Depending upon your camera, it may be compatible with a wireless remote. The ML-L3 and ML-3 use infrared and therefore need a clear line of sight between you and the camera. The WR-R10/WR-T10 and WR-1 use radio frequencies to communicate so they don’t require a totally clear line of sight.

7. Use the Wireless Mobile Utility along with the WU-1a or WU-1b wireless mobile adapters or your camera’s built-in wi-fi (if it has that feature). For the select cameras that utilise wi-fi (either built in or via adapters), you’ll be able to set the camera on a tripod or sturdy surface and use the app on your compatible smartphone or tablet to remotely take the picture.

8. Use a Nikon Selfie Stick . If you’ve got a compact Nikon COOLPIX digital camera (or a Nikon 1 camera that, with lens attached, weighs less than 400g), you can attach it to the Selfie Stick, set the self-timer, hold it out in front of you and capture the shot. Be mindful of where you are, though, because some places such as museums and sports stadiums have limitations on the use of Selfie Sticks. Nikon’s Selfie Stick collapses when not in use, has a padded foam handle and a wrist strap for easy use.

9. And why not use the Snapbridge app from your mobile device, as various camera functions can be controlled remotely: Shooting mode (P/S/A/M), shutter speed, aperture, ISO sensitivity, exposure compensation, and white balance. SnapBridge also allows for Bluetooth® supported connection between your camera and the compatible smart device, thus making automatic upload of your images possible.

• Be aware of your background; you don’t want a tree or telephone pole growing out of the back of your head.

• As well as the typical selfie close-up, try wideangle views that include you; a wideangle lets everyone see where you were when you took your selfie, so if your location is attractive, show it off.