Stars know a thing or two about looking gorgeous in front of the camera. After all, it’s their job. So it’s no surprise that they have mastered the photo taking techniques that will result in a picture perfect image. And POPSEOUL! has uncovered the secrets to make you look fabulous in pictures too! Cauz it’s ALL about technique.
Sel-ca 101
Sel-ca is a newly created word by Korean netizens which stands for self-camera and it refers to taking picture of yourself with either your digital camera or camera phones. Although the word sel-ca has English roots, it’s part of everyday vocabulary and activity in Korea as you can see even celebs are snapping away.
Rule # 1: Check yourself out.
Make sure that there is nothing stuck in your teeth, that your hair is in order and that the lighting is okay. Common ways to check yourself out are taking out the princess mirror in your purse, using the reflector on your digital camera or taking a practice shot. Remember that the more lighting, the better but if you can’t get the right amount of spot light directed to you, try using the black and white option or any other color option in your camera.
Rule # 2: Never look directly into the camera!
The worst thing you can do for yourself is to look directly into your camera for it’ll make your face look huge! For a more slimmer look, follow these three simple tricks.
(1) Look up at your camera
By elevating your camera 20 cm, you are forced to look up, which makes your face look a lot slimmer and your eyes bigger. The key to this trick is making sure that your chin is down while your eyes are looking up to the camera. And make sure that you keep your eyes wide open- like you are surprised. From personal experience, it takes time to master this, but once you have it down, you are good to go!
(2) Look down at your camera
Instead of elevating your camera 20cm, lower your camera 20cm and look straight down at it while keeping your eyes wide open. Because you are looking down, you are forced to lower your chin. This creates the necessary angle to keep the face looking slim. Although this sounds easy, the results are not as flattering as looking up at your camera.
(3) Tilt your head
The hardest yet most natural looking pose is to tilt your head, looking like you are not conscious of the camera – although you are sel-caing. Because you are looking away from your camera, it’s most likely that you are not going to get the shot you want, so don’t get discouraged if you only get parts of your face or none at all! It’s all part of the sel-ca learning process. Once you become acquainted with your digital camera and you are used to sticking your arm out, you’ll have that perfect sel-ca shot in no time.
Rule # 3: Express yourself!
Showing off your perfect teeth is so yesterday. In today’s digital era, it’s all about expressing yourself, so take advantage of the fact that there is no film to waste and show off your wacky side to the world.
(1) Put on a funny expression
There’s no better way to show off your wild side than to take some wacky shots of yourself. Being able to take such shots, shows that you are confident enough to make fun of yourself and no, you won’t be considered a freak because the pictures are for your own viewing pleasure! So snap away!
(2) Accessorize
If you get bored with just putting on funny expressions, then try accessorizing to make sel-caing more entertaining. Common props used by everyday sel-caers are scarves, towels, hats, and wigs – we dare you to try something new.
Rule # 4: Practice, practice & practice.
To master the sel-ca technique, practicing on a regular basis is a must! The best way to practice is to take your digital camera with your everywhere you go and start snapping away whenever you have extra 30 secs to spare. You can sel-ca…..
(1) while waiting for a site to upload
While you are waiting for your favorite blog, POPSEOUL! to load, take some shots right by your computer. It’ll take you less than 30 seconds to turn on your camera, elevate or lower your camera – lower your chin and snap!
(2) while shopping
While waiting for the shop girls to bring the clothes in your size, take some shots of yourself by the mirror in your fitting room. Unlike the face close-ups, you can take a full body shot with the help of the mirror but the downsize is that your camera is included in the picture. But hey, as long as you can show off your slammin body, does it really matter?
(3) while driving
Next time you are stuck in traffic, whip our your digital camera and practice your sel-ca skills. But please make sure that you are stuck in dead-lock traffic when you do this. It’ll be so sad to read that the cause of the car accident was “sel-caing.”
(4) getting ready to sleep
If you just don’t want to get out of bed or can’t fall asleep, practice in your bed. This post is rated PG, so nothing naughty of course! However, let me warn you that it’s a lot harder to get your sel-ca angle in bed, but it’s worth a shot.
Stay tuned for…
How to sel-ca outdoors
aww this was a really good post!; i learned a new phrase now
haha
thanks. it was really fun to read
kyaaaa… so funny….
YEH is so damn cute with her selfcam
by the way, does anybody know the digicam merk that they use “while Shopping” ?
lol…this is good
btw… for Sel-Ca shots in bed
jus make sure you dont drop the camera on ur face
coz that’s gonna hurt a lot =P
hell right! it does hurt~ hahaha. don’t end up bruising urself just for sel-caing (oooohhhh~ i soooo love the word selca now! kkk~) ^_______~
oh my, thanks for great tips.
now, I can practice everyday and I can take picture whenever my friends asked me to show my face ^^
sorry for my lame english :’D
YEH is the selcaer for all of the past years.
She has the gift down tight.
omfg. lol i’m laughing my butt off. talk about camera whores. in america, that’s what selca takers are. lol cam whores.
AWWW!! This is just awesome!! While reading, I just learned to picture myself more!! XD
Love this post!
the 2nd Park Si Yeon photo looks hilarious I like it! hahaha!
these pics are just so darn cute ^^
chae yeon <33333
cam whoring it is here in the US
this is really funny. i do it all.
i must be a selca expert.
i’m starting to love the word ’selca’.
Awesome! Love this article. Love Popseoul. You’re all awesome!
Who’s the bottom left girl in (3) while driving?
Love ur tips! SO totally useful…if only I was prettier >____<
YEH all the way~~~
she’s so cute..
thx for the tips^^
most helpful post ever. I’m sure a lot of popseoulers (is that a word?) are going to be sel-ca-ing like crazy now.
ha3..hope that it’ll work..
try it first..
*Narcissist mode on*
ha3..
the girls in the last pic (sel-ca in bed) are freaking beautiful!! not fair
… if only I looked like that..hehe 
great..
i really enjoying this..
now i can snap my own photo..
like korean celeb..
2 thumbs up POPSEOUL..!!
Strike a pose!
wow..so this is selca??? wow..I’ve been doing this since last last year..so this is it…. i neve knew it…
huh, i thought one of the must-do is you actually have to BE a star?
and pout a lot. puff those cheeks and ‘gelina lips out.
Like it….
it was so funny
…….
Hope that I can be a Korean star…he3x
thats not gonna happen I am a pilipino…..
visit corea y mas
i heard that word many times.. sel-ca xD
i like how it sounds sel-ca sel-ca Heheh
does anyone know how to spell it in korean?
is it 샐카 셀카 or something else?
ha ha ha i’m not doing this lol
oh this totally works lol
wow a bunch of narcissistic people
hahaha! laughtrip!
so vain!!!
i have to study selca-ing!
thanks for the guide!!!
Somebody’s narcissistic…lol…here in America, they are called “cam-whores”. xDD
This post is funny! But…selca-ing is awesome until a point where people begin to wear their bikini in their room, taking pictures of their clevage. Like those people at my school.
*cough*
wens the nxt one commin??
I love really love the Korean image.. it looks like so gorgeous especially the way they have their own poise….ahahahaha…what a chinky eyes!!!
Love it!!!
it’s cute
yah i learned a new way to look PICTURES haha. but i already did these TRICKS .
LMAO… gd post!
where’s the “how to sel-ca outdoors?”
it’s taking u guys so long. haha!
XD
eun hye ur soooo cute….
haha nice tips. ima try it!
haii (i am roze ilove nichkhun )
zinab+nichkhun+roze+soha=love
soo funny
LIKE THOS ONE ! LOVE IT SOOOOO MUCH
Me and my friend try that, and we look like 2NE1 w/ out makeups so u imagine how horrible it was….
wooooow…!
haha so cute..:D i learned a lot of it.;) thx
,,,hi..i really enjoying
,,,watching your geourgeous smile….
ohh i never knew looking down at the cam would be such a flattering angle. coool~
Ahahaha as much fun as this is, omg. This is too funny. ^^