How to always look great in the ‘selfies’ | Technology

The stamp is usually common: throughout all tourist places and at the point hot Of the photographs, it is common to find dozens of young people smiling into the air and taking a photograph. The phenomenon of selfies does not seem to know a limit and it is estimated that, every day, an average of 92 million selfies are taken, representing 4% of all photographs taken. Data lovers will enjoy knowing that the average age of a selfie taker is 24, and they spend a whopping 54 days a year doing so. Knowing this, how can you take a proper selfie?

The three ways to take a selfie: choose the best for each moment

When hearing the word selfie, the natural tendency is to think of the front camera of mobile phones, not in vain, this lens is there for that purpose (in addition to video calls). However, those who go deeply into the self-photo technique know that better results are obtained using the rear lens, which is much more capable and powerful.

“There are three ways to take a selfie”, explains Víctor Abarca, the popular youtuber Madrilenian based in California. “The most common is to use the front camera of our device; the second is to use the rear camera of our phone and use a mirror to take the photo; and lastly, use a tripod for the device and program a countdown”, explains Abarca. And he adds: “Each of these ways of taking the photo achieves a different result.” Abarca dominates the technique and this is reflected in his Instagram profile, with a multitude of self-photos with different scenes and backgrounds.

There are three ways to take a selfie, but which one is better and under what circumstances? “The photo with the front camera gives a feeling of naturalness and improvisation, having a wide-angle lens so close to the face can distort us and make us not like the result,” warns the man from Madrid. This format is perfect if you want to show something informal. If what you want is to take a group photo, it is best to use the mirror technique: it consists of standing in front of a mirror and shooting taking advantage of the full potential of the rear lens. “By using the rear camera of your phone, which usually has a better resolution than the front one, you will achieve greater sharpness and also capture a more natural and less distorted image,” explains Abarca.

The final—and more professional—way is to use a tripod in conjunction with the phone’s self-timer. Abarca, who always uses an iPhone, recommends “always use the main camera, if possible in 1x, frame the scene, think about how you want to pose, press the countdown button and run to get in front”. This method is the one that offers the best results, since, in addition, it seems that someone has taken the photograph of us.

Manufacturers bet on technology

Being one of the most used functions in a mobile, manufacturers make a strong commitment in the field of photography, and of course, in the performance of the front camera. Benito Peral, product manager at Samsung Electronics Iberia, explains that the manufacturer takes advantage of artificial intelligence to “improve the result of the selfie”. The Korean manufacturer is committed to “versatility” when using all available cameras, so that the user can easily switch between the three options described above. In this sense, Samsung takes advantage of the possibility of folding the chassis in its folding models to use the main camera to take the self photo.

The Galaxy Fold allows you to use the external screen “as a mirror” at the time the selfie is being taken, but always using the main photographic system, so the results are optimal. Apple, for its part, dedicates a specific section to selfies, allowing the user to take advantage of the so-called “Portrait Mode” (application of the bokeh effect) and a very interesting possibility, to preserve the mirror effect, so that the letters are not inverted. In the photography.

How to take a perfect selfie

Having explored the different possibilities offered by mobile phones and the advantages of applying technology, it is time to face the camera: How to take a perfect selfie? Javier Hernández, a collaborating photographer for EL PAÍS in the Basque Country, recommends monitoring the lighting: “That the light on the face is compensated with that of the background”, and the use of a tripod will depend a lot on this, since it allows “expanding the plane”, and better compensate for lighting. Hernández also recommends “looking at the camera” (referring to the lens) or doing it “a little above it”, depending on whether or not you are confident in front of an objective.

Regarding the position, Abarca is also committed to the width of the plane to obtain better results: “My advice would be to separate the mobile as much as possible from the face and instead of holding it from the front, lower it a little from the height of the eyes and turn the camera a few degrees to the side, to give that sensation of a fast and relaxed photo”. What all the experts agree on is the need for a lot of evidence: “mastering the ins and outs of a selfie can take a lot of evidence”, and he warns that “its complexity should not be underestimated”.

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