One of the most popular selfie techniques used by the most important social media influencers is the halo effect. You’ll see this in pictures all across Instagram, selfies highlighted by a glowing ring behind the head of the subject. It looks so cool you think either they just have perfect natural light or super expensive editing software, but you can get the same look for your selfies for a super low price or even free! In this article, we’ll show you how.
To get this halo effect in their selfies, influencers use a combination of good lighting, filters, editing, and photo lenses. When looking at the photos it can be easy to think these influencers just look naturally great in every picture, but we never really see the full process that takes place before their selfies are post-worthy. Read ahead and we’ll give you some tips on how you can get the halo effect in your selfies!
Ring lights
We’ve talked about it before, far and away the most important factor to how your selfies turn out is your lighting. Most influencers use ring lights because having light from a larger area instead of one round bulb creates a much more natural look. There are two main types of ring lights, free-standing lights, and clip-on lights. Free-standing lights are great for all kinds of photography but can be pricier. While they’re a good investment if you do a lot of photography other than just selfies, there are better options for more casual influencers. Here’s where clip-on ring lights come in, and we have the perfect option for you.
Auxiwa
One of the most popular sources of the great lighting you see in many Instagram influencers’ photos is the Auxiwa Clip On Selfie Ring Light. This is by far the best lighting option in its price range, and can usually be found for under $20 USD. The Auxiwa ring light is a rechargeable ring light that clips right onto the top of your phone. It’s built so that it doesn’t cover up your camera and provides the perfect amount of light for any of your selfies in portrait or landscape mode. The Auxiwa can even flip around for use with your rear camera! This is the best option if you want to get the halo effect and take your selfies to the next level without hurting your wallet too much.
Editing
They don’t always like to talk about it, but we all know that one of the most important tools in any influencer’s toolbox is great editing software. One program favored by many influencers is Adobe Lightroom. Lightroom has built-in functions called presets that apply a few different edits to your photos, and take the work out of your hands if you aren’t great with technology or don’t have the eye for design. Another super popular app you’ve most likely already heard of is VSCO. Similar to Lightroom, VSCO is full of preset filters and simple editing tools to make your photo editing easy and tasteful. Either of these apps can work wonders to give your photos that finishing touch they just seem to be missing.
Filters
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, filters are another great way to make your selfies stand out and give you that perfect ‘halo’ look. The filters available these days are so realistic that there’s no reason not to use them, hardly anybody doesn’t anymore. There are so many different filter options out there, but the most important choice is which program to use to get them. There are many amazing filters out there but many bad ones too, so it’s important to choose right. Adobe Lightroom and VSCO are still great apps for this, and so are apps like Snapseed, Afterlight, and Pixlr. There are filters to make the colors in your photos duller or more vibrant, make your photos black and white or sepia, or even to leave the color on your face but make the background black and white. All of this mixed with the halo from your lighting can make some seriously cool effects.
Conclusion
It can be easy to look at pop stars, actresses, and the Kardashians and think “that could never be me” but where there’s a will there’s always a way. They say that the best way to fulfill your dreams is to fake it until you make it, and improving your social media presence can be a key part of that. Building your brand shows the world who you are and who you want to be, and in this world of pictures and videos, the way you present yourself on social media can actually make a huge difference.