If you tend to stick with the latter definition only, then the first real selfie was taken in the 1920s in New York by 5 gentlemen. Now, who would have thought that it would be men who would start something like that, huh?

These five gentlemen were photographers at the Byron Company, Manhattan, NYC

How to Take a Selfie — Do’s and Don’ts

How did you find the little history lesson? It turns out a bunch of guys might have started something which is now used predominantly by women…seriously guys, what have you done? But, perhaps, selfies aren’t as bad as their reputation suggests, it’s just that some people tend to overdo them. And for this reason, it is time to outline some of the most vital do’s and don’ts when taking a picture which might either hunt you down until the rest of your life, or make you the local celebrity on Facebook.

According to techinfographics.com there are over a million selfies taken each day with the intention to be uploaded on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other social network. Moreover, from the same infographic we can see that up to two-thirds of Australian women between the age 18-35 have snapped a selfie of themselves…well, it seems that I know the remaining one-third of the women in Australia…bummer.

Anyway, let’s get back to the main question — how to take a selfie that will look good and bring all them likes and positive comments? Well, let’s start with the DO’S first:

Look good. Here I don’t mean, you should be a super model or a pop star, but rather be ready to take the picture. You won’t fool anyone if you take a picture where you are a complete mess and the text is saying “just got out of bed, still cute, though”, neither it will work if you think someone would fall for the “got caught sleeping by my honey boo-boo”, when it’s obvious that you neither have a “boo-boo”, nor he or she has taken the selfie (remember, this is a picture which you are supposed to take of yourself…by yourself). So, back to the point — be camera ready. Don’t overdo it, act natural, yet casual. A dab of lip gloss and some mascara won’t hurt either, but don’t put too much…nobody would want to see you looking like a mad clown on meth.

Consider the angle . Unless you want a “lovely” looking double-chin, it is in your best interest to find the right angle. A downward one must be definitely avoided, so you better stick to an above-the-head angle or a straight-on one. The best thing about selfies is that you can take as many as you want until you are happy with it, but then again, if you have all day to waste for one picture, then maybe (juuust maybe) you should think of…erm…a job? In any case, a post in the huffingtonpost.com points out the usefulness of your phone timer when picking your best angle. Since, you might have to tilt your face in the opposite direction of your torso, while trying to press the camera button, you might end up looking as if you have been punched by an invisible person. Therefore, prop your camera against something like a window or a mirror, press the timer button, show the world your best angle and there you go — you are one step closer to the perfect selfie. Another step would be to have your mirror and windows clean, but that point shall be discussed a little bit later.

. Unless you want a “lovely” looking double-chin, it is in your best interest to find the right angle. A downward one must be definitely avoided, so you better stick to an above-the-head angle or a straight-on one. The best thing about selfies is that you can take as many as you want until you are happy with it, but then again, if you have all day to waste for one picture, then maybe (juuust maybe) you should think of…erm…a job? In any case, a post in the huffingtonpost.com points out the usefulness of your phone timer when picking your best angle. Since, you might have to tilt your face in the opposite direction of your torso, while trying to press the camera button, you might end up looking as if you have been punched by an invisible person. Therefore, prop your camera against something like a window or a mirror, press the timer button, show the world your best angle and there you go — you are one step closer to the perfect selfie. Another step would be to have your mirror and windows clean, but that point shall be discussed a little bit later. Smile. You know what a smile is, right? No, not a duck-face! A smile is that beautiful act which will ultimately make more people like your selfie than if you do a duck-face. I know, we’ve all done it at some point, but let it rest in the past. Duck-faces are a big no-no when trying to take the perfect selfie. Smiles were, are and will always be better than anything else.

Use filters . Nowadays, there are plenty of filters and applications for your smart phone and it will be an absolute crime if you don’t take advantage of them. Do you remember the infographic from above? According to the research 36% of the people admit of altering their selfies (obviously, most of the women wouldn’t admit it, so the numbers might be even greater). So, experiment a little, check which filter will work best for you and use it.

. Nowadays, there are plenty of filters and applications for your smart phone and it will be an absolute crime if you don’t take advantage of them. Do you remember the infographic from above? According to the research 36% of the people admit of altering their selfies (obviously, most of the women wouldn’t admit it, so the numbers might be even greater). So, experiment a little, check which filter will work best for you and use it. Mind the surroundings. This is the ultimate fail for most selfie takers. Nothing ruins a picture like your dirty socks or unflushed toilet set as a background. I mean, c’mon people, it’s common sense to look behind you, clean your mess up and take the damn photo. I’ve seen plenty of pictures of pretty girls that have jeopardized their chances to get my like by having a messy background (and yes, my Facebook likes mean a lot…honestly, ask my grandma, she loves it when I like her posts!). So, please, please check your surroundings before taking the picture. Or at least don’t rush to upload it on Facebook and Instagram, but first check if the background is fine and if not — clean around and then take another selfie. It’s that simple.

An unfortunate photobomb

The Do’s are the easy part, though, but from the countless amount of selfies around the Internet I notice that most people are not really paying attention to the don’ts. Honestly, how hard it is to clean your mirror or a window before taking the picture? As a matter of fact, girls, if you start washing your mirrors and leave no streaks behind you might actually kill two birds with one stone. I mean, imagine a pretty girl taking a selfie in front of a spotless mirror or a window and seeing her clean and organized bedroom in the background. She’s definitely a wifey material — both beautiful and knowing how to take care of a house. Lovely.

So, in retrospect, the first big don’t is — don’t take a selfie in front of a dirty mirror or a window. You remember the lady from the 1900s at the beginning of this article? She looks classy, doesn’t she? And you know why? It’s not only because she has dressed well for the occasion (this argyle type of dress was THE thing back in the 1900s, I’m telling ya), but because she has also found the time to wash her mirror too, and that’s what classy girls do. And if you don’t know how to clean your windows or mirrors, then I have friends in Sydney who are in the window cleaning business and would gladly help you out. Or just google it. Or ask you mum…considering you are probably 15.

Don’t try too hard. People will notice when you pose and when you are natural. Be creative, but don’t make a fool out of yourself. And a shout out to all the guys out there who think flexing in the mirror real hard will increase your chances of getting lucky tonight…well it, actually, might, but in most cases you will just look like you have a serious constipation.

Don’t forget the background. I won’t get tired of telling you this. It takes two minutes to remove the pile of dirty and unfolded clothes and it saves you a lifetime mockery. Be aware of the so-called photobombers too. These guys are another phenomenon and they definitely deserve their own article, so I won’t go into too much details. Just be careful who is doing what behind you while you take the picture.

How to take a selfie — NOT

Duck-face. Do I even have to tell you why you shouldn’t do a duck-face anymore? There is nothing sexy in this pose, ladies, and I mean nothing! All you can do with a duck-face selfie is ruin an otherwise a really nice picture of yourself.

Hashtags. Hashtags are necessary and very helpful in social networks like Twitter and Instagram, but only when used moderately. If you start overusing them it just looks silly and makes you an obvious attention-seeker. So, please keep the hashtags low. #doyougetmypoint and if you don’t maybe this video will help you out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57dzaMaouXA

Well, all in all, selfies can be classy, sexy, funny, creative and generally very cool, but only if done right. So do a favour to yourself and to your followers and consider the aforementioned do’s and don’ts. You can thank me later.