Do’s:

Look good

This might seem obvious, as you’re putting a picture out there for the world to see, but you’d be surprised at how many people miss this point. Unless your sole intention is to create a funny, ugly picture, do your best to look good. People want to see a good looking, possibly sexy picture of you. This is your chance to show your goods off to people that might not see you all the time, clean it up and look good.

Smile

Why so serious? Nobody likes to look at selfies to see that you’re depressed or angry. Unless it is a funny picture, smile. People look better when they look happy, so if you want to up those likes, show off those pearly whites.

Pick a good angle

The angle is so important when it comes to the selfie game. Aim the camera too low and that double chin makes you look like it’s been a long winter. Too high of an angle with the camera pointing down makes it seem like an 8th grade emo post. Get a solid amount of background while making sure it’s not too close up, and hit up all your best features. If you got it, flaunt it.

Filters are friends

There is a reason there are so many filters for pictures these days. They work. They can drastically change a picture, bringing it from a boring selfie to an absolute work of art. Someone that was once an average Joe is now a smoking hot 10 with a sepia filter and enhanced sharpness. Plus, it creates variety among your social media feed, so you will stand out more.

Know your surroundings

Please don’t be the person to post a selfie with a disgusting dirty room in the background, or a mirror that has stains all over it. Be aware of where you are. The key to a good picture is not just your mug, but the surrounding images as well.

Get the right lighting

Lighting can make or break a selfie, and filters can only do so much. Too dark and people will be squinting to see your face. Too light and you will look like an angel, but not in a good way. In the way that nobody can see your face, just a bright light.

Dont’s:

Too many hashtags

This seems to be a trend that is exploding, and literally nobody likes it. There is nothing worse than looking at a selfie, then scrolling down a bit further and reading a paragraph of hashtags, especially when 8 of them in a row are pretty much the same thing. People aren’t searching through hashtags as much as you think, so relax on it, and you will see your likes increase.

Look like a duck

The duck face. This is the cop out usually of girls that are too self conscious of their smile, so they resort to looking ridiculous, and uglier than they would have been if they just smiled. If you think it’s funny, it’s not. If you think it is making a comeback, it’s not. If you want someone to scroll as fast as possible past your selfie, throw up the duck face. You’re lips aren’t that desirable, get over it.

Use the flash

The flash on a camera is just a terrible idea all around when creating a selfie. This is exponentially worse when taking a selfie in a mirror. You suddenly get that awful bright glow of light blocking out half of your face. Stick to using filters and contrast if you need to make a picture lighter, and stick to lighter surroundings. If nobody can see your selfie, nobody is going to care.

Try too hard

This is a rule that people just don’t seem to get the hang of. Everyone can tell when you’re trying way too hard in a selfie. It is painfully obvious when someone has taken 23 photos of the same exact thing in order to get the perfect selfie. Whether it is the face trying too hard, the muscles perfectly flexed, or the hat seemingly in the perfect position, don’t go overboard. Nobody likes a practice hero. Snap a few at most and pick the best one, the more relaxed you look, the more inviting it is to toss up a double tap on your selfie.