For an easy selfie pose, relax your shoulders, turn your face slightly, and hold the phone at eye level or a little above it. Look at the lens, take a photo, then change one thing: your expression, your hand position, or the camera angle.
These 17 selfie poses and ideas give you a starting point for close-ups, mirror selfies, full-body photos, and pictures with friends. Choose a few that fit your mood. You can use them for a profile picture or a more creative self-portrait.
© Djamal Akhmad Fahmi
How to Choose a Selfie Pose
Start with the photo you want to make. For a close-up, try a relaxed expression, a smile, or a hand near your face. For an outfit photo, use a full-length mirror or set the phone on a stand. For a seated selfie, sit at an angle and rest your free hand on your knee.
You don’t need a different personality for the camera. Pick a pose that reflects how you feel, whether that’s quiet, playful, or confident. Take a few versions and compare them before changing your setup.
17 Selfie Poses and Ideas to Try
1. Show Your Best Silly Selfie Faces
In the beginning, it might feel awkward or forced to pose for your selfie. Let that pressure go!
Try silly poses and expressions that make you laugh. Raise an eyebrow, pull a face, or give the camera an exaggerated grin. Remember, no one needs to see these pictures of you. So have fun and try out as many poses as you can.
Take several photos as your expression changes. If your camera supports it, burst mode gives you a sequence to choose from. Check which frames have sharp eyes before picking a favorite.
2. Relax Your Face
Lower your shoulders and release any tension in your jaw. Let your lips rest together or part them slightly. Turn your face a little to one side, then try the other side without moving the phone.
For a more serious selfie, keep that relaxed expression and look into the lens. You don’t need to pout or force a smile. Compare the two angles and choose the one you like.
3. Practice Easy-Going Smiles
To avoid looking uncomfortable, practice in front of the mirror. Think about something that makes you laugh or someone you would love to smile at.
First, look down and relax your face. Then look up toward the lens and smile as you take the shot. Try a small smile as well as a broad one, so you have a choice.
You can use the same pose while sitting or reclining. Keep the phone secure and leave enough room around your head to adjust the crop later.
4. Use a Timer for a Styled Self-Portrait
Holding a phone at arm’s length limits where you can place the camera and what you can do with your hands. A phone stand or tripod and a self-timer give you more freedom to pose.
Set the phone on a stable surface and frame a test shot. Then sit or stand in position, turn one shoulder toward the camera, and rest your hands somewhere comfortable. A compatible remote is another way to take the picture without reaching for the phone.
On iPhone, the timer is in Camera’s controls. Apple’s camera guide explains the current controls; the layout on other phones will differ.
You can wear costumes and create characters, or make a simple portrait at home. Check out our article on the best self-portrait photographers for more inspiration.
© Deeana Arts
5. Make Your Eyes the Focus
For a close-up, use the screen to frame the shot, then look at the camera lens. Leave your eyes relaxed instead of opening them as wide as you can.
Try holding a scarf or collar near the lower half of your face, as in the photo below. Keep it clear of your eyes. Move toward a window if your face is too dark, and compare a straight-on pose with a slight turn.
You can also look away from the lens for a candid-looking portrait. Make the direction of your gaze a deliberate part of the pose.
© Alexandru Zdrobau
6. Show Your Outfit With a Full-Body Mirror Selfie
A full-length mirror makes it easy to see your outfit and adjust your pose. Stand far enough back to fit your head and shoes in the frame. Keep the phone to one side if you want your face to show.
Shift your weight onto one leg and relax the other knee. Turn slightly, then take a second photo facing the mirror. Check the edges of the frame for cropped shoes or elbows.
For a seated mirror selfie, sit on a chair, angle your knees to one side, and rest your free hand on your thigh. Keep the phone position steady while you compare poses. If you want a more elaborate reflection photo, our hidden-camera mirror tutorial explains how to remove the camera in Photoshop.
Use a mirror at home.
7. Give Your Free Hand Something to Do
Poses using your hands can make your selfie feel less stiff. Gently touch your cheek, rest your chin lightly on your palm, or tuck your hair behind your ear.
Keep your fingers loose and avoid pressing hard enough to squash your cheek. If you are wearing a hat, rest your hand on the brim. Take one frame as your hand moves into place and another once it settles.
8. Hold the Phone With Both Hands
Hold the phone with both hands and take a close-up with your arms framing the bottom of the image. Start around eye level and keep your shoulders relaxed.
Try a slightly higher camera position, then compare it with the first shot. Keep your neck comfortable. A pose does not need to make your face look a particular shape to be worth keeping.
Use a short timer if reaching for the shutter makes the phone move.
9. Try High and Low Camera Angles
Start at eye level, then explore different camera angles. A lower viewpoint can include more sky or a tall building. A higher viewpoint can show the ground or the setting around you.
Change camera height separately from distance so you can see what each does. Holding the camera very close exaggerates the relative size of nearer facial features. Moving it farther away reduces that perspective effect. Rutgers researchers demonstrated the difference between close selfies and portraits taken from farther away.
A selfie stick or a timer setup can help you increase that distance. Neither guarantees a particular result, so check the photo rather than relying on one “best” angle.
10. Capture Moments Together
You don’t have to be alone in your selfies. Involve your friends and take group selfies!
Hold the phone far enough away to fit everyone in, and gather close together. Ask each person to check that their whole face is visible. Try to keep faces at a similar distance from the camera if you want them to appear a similar size.
Take a few versions: everyone looking at the lens, everyone making a face, and everyone looking at one another. A large mirror is another way to fit the group into the frame. Our best-friend photoshoot ideas offer more poses to try together.
11. Invite a Furry Friend
Selfie poses with pets can be unpredictable. Sit beside your pet and bring the camera toward their eye level rather than trying to make them copy your pose.
Be mindful that your pet is comfortable and that you aren’t forcing them to be in uncomfortable positions. Let them move away if they want to. Take several photos when they settle, and check for movement blur before choosing one.
12. Show Something You Enjoy
Do you like riding bikes? Stop and pose beside your bicycle. Do you enjoy dancing? Set up the phone and capture a favorite pose.
If you love cooking or baking, include a finished dish or a mixing bowl in the frame. Put the phone on a stand so your hands are free, and pause the activity to take the picture.
Give the viewer enough context to see what you enjoy. The prop or setting can tell part of the story without an elaborate pose.
13. Try an Underwater Selfie With Suitable Equipment
Underwater selfies need an underwater camera, a suitable GoPro setup, or a housing rated for your exact camera and planned depth. Check the manufacturer’s instructions before taking equipment into the water.
Do not assume a water-resistant phone is suitable for underwater photography. Apple advises against intentionally submerging an iPhone.
Keep the pose simple and use your usual snorkeling equipment. You do not need to remove a mask or force an expression for the camera.
Dora Jokkel took the photo below and describes it like this:
This selfie was taken while snorkeling in Indonesia. Everyone looks ridiculous in a snorkeling mask. So I thought I would embrace the look and capture my frog face underwater.
© Dora Jokkel
14. Use a Pose From Your Favorite Activity
A familiar yoga pose or a sports pose can give a selfie a different shape. Choose a position you can hold comfortably and set the camera on a stable support before you begin.
Use the timer so you can focus on the pose. A simple stretch, seated position, or balanced standing pose is enough; you don’t need an acrobatic move.
Keep handheld selfies for moments when you can stop safely. On rides or during adventure activities, follow the operator’s camera rules.
15. Photograph a Photo of Yourself
This is a more abstract selfie idea. Find or print a photograph of yourself, hold it in front of the camera, and use your surroundings as the background.
A Polaroid photograph works well for this because its border gives the print a clear edge. Keep your fingers away from the face in the print. Try a background that connects with the original photo, such as the same place on a later visit.
It isn’t a conventional selfie, but it gives you another way to include yourself in a scene.
© Dora Jokkel
16. Include a Place That Matters to You
Let the location share the frame. Move your face slightly to one side so a building, landscape, or familiar place remains visible beside you. Check that it does not appear to grow out of your head.
Work with the available natural light. If direct sunlight is uncomfortable, try a shaded spot with a view of the location. Golden hour offers another look, while blue hour gives you a different mood after sunset or before sunrise.
Take one close-up and one wider version. Keep the one that tells the story you want.
17. Find a Different Reflection
Look beyond the bathroom mirror. A shop window, small handheld mirror, or a parked car’s mirror can give you a different frame for your face.
Move until your reflection sits where you want it, then check focus on your reflected face. Glass can also show objects behind it, so examine the result for distracting overlap.
Our mirror photography ideas include more ways to work with reflections. Try a small section of your face as well as the whole portrait.
Simple Checks for Better Selfies
Find Light That Suits the Photo
For an easy starting point, face a window with indirect daylight. Outdoors, compare open shade with direct sunlight and look at the shadows around your eyes. The University of Waterloo’s selfie guide also recommends window light and checking reflections in glasses.
There is no rule that the light must always be in front of you. Side light can give your self-portrait more shape, while backlighting needs care if you want to keep detail in your face. Check the screen and adjust your position before changing the pose.
For more control, see our guides to portrait lighting and how light affects a photo.
Check the Background and Frame Edges
Before you take the photo, scan behind your head and along each edge of the frame. Move slightly to keep clutter, signs, or other distractions out of the picture.
A plain wall is useful for a face-focused portrait. For a travel selfie, keep enough of the location to make it recognizable. Neither choice needs a complicated setup.
Use Portrait Mode When It Helps
On supported phones, Portrait mode creates a background-blur effect that resembles shallow depth of field. Your face becomes the main focal point, but the effect is optional.
Follow your phone’s prompts about distance and light. Apple’s Portrait mode instructions explain that the camera can warn when you are too close, too far away, or in an area that is too dark. Do not assume a full-body photo is automatically excluded; what works depends on the phone, camera, and framing.
Inspect the edges of your hair, glasses, and hands after the shot. If the blur looks wrong, try the normal Photo mode. Keep more of the background sharp when the location is part of the story.
Let Your Expression Change
If holding a smile feels awkward, lower the phone for a moment. Talk with a friend, think of something funny, or try one deliberately exaggerated laugh and see what follows.
Take the photo when you feel ready. A quiet expression is just as valid as a laugh, so there is no need to force either one.
Quick Selfie Poses for Men and Women
The same camera and lighting principles apply to everyone. Use these as starting points and borrow freely from either list.
Easy Selfie Poses for Men
- Stand or sit upright, then relax your shoulders.
- Turn one shoulder slightly toward the lens.
- Rest a free hand in a pocket or on your knee.
- Try a small smile and a relaxed, neutral expression.
For more examples, see our guide to poses for men.
Easy Selfie Poses for Women
- Tuck your hair behind one ear or rest a hand near your cheek.
- Use a full-length mirror to show your outfit.
- Sit at an angle with your free hand resting on your thigh.
- Turn your shoulders slightly and look back toward the lens.
Start with a comfortable pose and change one detail at a time. Our female portrait poses give you more examples.
Choose a Few Poses and Make Them Your Own
Start with three versions: a relaxed close-up, a mirror selfie, and a photo that includes a favorite person or place. Compare the light, background, and expression, then keep what works for you.
You can build a varied Instagram feed without finding a new pose for every photo. A small change in expression or setting is often enough to give a familiar pose a different feel. For a wider plan, see our guide to social media for photographers.
