How to take good pictures of yourself

There are two important things to keep in mind when taking a picture of yourself. The first is the tools you are using and the second is that it is still a photograph.

Tools
 
While you can use a basic camera to take a photograph of yourself, there are some tools that can help you enhance the shot, including:
Web or i-Sight Camera: A web or i-sight camera can allow you to see yourself while you are taking photos. This is perhaps the easiest way to take a photo of yourself. If you do not have a web or i-sight camera, you can plug a digital camera into the computer and use the image capture feature.
Mirrors: A mirror can help you to see the photo that you are taking too. Many people will take a photo of themselves in a mirror, but you can also use mirrors to see the preview mirror on your cameras LCD screen.
Tripods: A tripod can allow you to set the camera's timer and walk into the camera's frame.
Lights: Lights can also be useful because if you are using a method where you cannot preview the photo before taking it, you would not be able to gauge if more or light is needed.

Remembering That It Is A Photograph
 
It is important to remember that even when taking a photograph of ones self that it is just a photograph. It is easy to forget this. Many people focus more on just getting their face into the frame rather then on how to make the photograph look good. A few tips to avoid doing this are:
 

1. Get to know your camera and experiment. If you are going to just point the camera at yourself and hope for a good shot, you will most likely fail. Instead, experiment with different angles to get a frame worthy shot.
2. Look at each photograph before the next one is taken. This is especially easy if you are using a digital camera. Seeing what the prior frame looks like can help you make adjustments to the lighting, focus, angles, etc.
3. Look your best. For women, this may include wearing a special outfit or a touch of make-up. For men, this may include being clean-shaven or grooming facial hair.
4. Relax. Taking pictures of yourself is far less stressful than modeling for someone else. If you take 100 bad photos, you can just delete them off your digital camera before anyone can see.
5. Start off by taking the photos on a day when you feel comfortable about how you look. It helps if you have some confidence, and it shows. Put on some makeup if you like, do your hair a bit, anything that will make you feel better about yourself. If you take a bunch of photos on a low self-esteem day, no matter how they look you'll find fault in them!
6. Experiment with settings. A flash can really wash you out, which can be a blessing if you have lots of blemishes, but just know that people aren't stupid and if you've made the picture so bright that half of your face isn't showing or is blurry. Also, you can set the camera to have different tints depending on the light. There is one setting, which is usually indicated by a little light bulb, and this generally makes everything tinted blue if you don’t use the flash. Just play around with all the different options on your camera and see which one makes you look the best.
7. Take as many pictures as you can. You’ll have a lot to pick from when you’re done and the more options the better.
   If you have even a slight double chin never take the photo from underneath your face. A seemingly universally flattering angle is slightly above and having your face turned at an angle. 
8. Emphasize the parts you like about yourself. If you have nice lips, a good way to show them off is to tip your head upward so the camera is underneath your lips, which makes them look even fuller. If you don’t have full lips, a way to make them appear fuller is lots of lip-gloss with a little dab of shimmering white in the center of your mouth. Hide your stomach. If you are nervous about your stomach being pouchy, then lie on your bed and reach the camera up with one arm in front of your face and lay on your side. It creates the effect of a really lean body behind your face.  
9. Lighting is always a key factor. Professional photographers often use indirect light rather than shining light directly on a subject. This effect can be achieved by shining your light onto a wall or umbrella.