If anyone has ever looked at every one of somebody’s selfies and been impressed by how perfect they are, it’s easy to think that they have to either be incredibly lucky or they’ve unlocked the secret of the selfie. The truth is, there is a science to taking selfies, and researchers at Melbourne’s La Trobe University recently did a study to find out the science behind getting the perfect selfie.
This study, which was done in Australia, found posts on social media using the hashtag #selfie.
Dr. Annukka Lindell, the lead researcher on the project, then analyzed ten recent selfies from 100 males and 100 females. Over 2000 images ended up being used in the study, and the conclusion was that angle matters more than most people realize.
Of the pictures analyzed, it was found that 92 percent of the people preferred a particular pose.
19.5 percent of selfies were midline shots, 31.5 percent of the selfies displayed the poster’s right cheek, and 41 percent showed the person’s left cheek. This proved that there was a definite preference for taking selfies from the left side.
When the male and female participants were compared, it was found that women typically preferred their left side more often than the men. Although there isn’t enough information to determine if selfies taken from the left got more likes and comments than others, it is clear that selfies can get up to 3.2 times as more likes compared to any other type of image.
Why The Left?
It’s hard to pinpoint precisely why selfie-takers favor the left side of the face, but the phenomenon of capturing the left side of a person’s face pre-dates selfies by a few hundred years. Think about the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. Which side of her face is turned toward the viewer? Her left side and this goes for many other historical photographs and paintings.
According to Dr. Lindell, “The left cheek poses are intuitively perceived as more emotionally open and expressive than right cheek poses.” It’s possible that because the left side of your face is controlled by the right side of your brain, it is more expressive compared to the right side. This is because the center of emotions is seated in your right mind.
How to Take The Perfect Selfie?
Here are some quick tips on how to take the perfect selfie, gleaned from the study:
- Even though midline shots are considered as emotionally-inviting and expressive as left-angled shots, many people don’t like these because they tend to make your face look larger which is not particularly flattering. Shots, where the subject is directly facing the camera, should, therefore, be avoided.
- Angling the camera down from a raised position is another easy way to help the subject “shrink” and appear slimmer because angling the head upward to look at the camera which pulls the skin tighter, especially around the lower face and neck area, stretching this out to look thinner. Just be sure not to angle too far upward as it becomes evident that this is what’s being done.
- Turning the left side to the camera for a 2/3 or 3/4 view will help the camera highlight the cheekbones, add more angles to the face which gives it more depth, and further helps to slim down the subject. Be careful not to turn too far to the left as then it will end up being a profile view rather than an angled shot.
By following these simple tips, anyone can take the perfect selfie and get all the likes and comments they deserve.
Thank you, science!
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About The Author: Originally from Michigan, Melody now enjoys working as a freelance writer from her home in Nicaragua, which she shares with her amazing husband and their crazy cat that was raised on goat’s milk from the time her mother abandoned her at just ten days old. They’re excited to be expecting their first baby, who they thought was a girl, were told was a boy, and then was told was a girl. She also recently finished her first novel and is working on making a cat coloring book.
