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Chinese new year is here! Do you know what that means? Besides the grand feasts, vibrant new clothes, and collecting ang paos, it also means that you’ll be gathering with all your loved ones to celebrate a joyous time. But with that also comes pressure. What pressure you ask?
The “I need to take the best of the best photos to post on social media!” pressure.
It may be time for chopsticks to fly during lou hei tosses, comas from all the pineapple tarts you ate, and your relatives asking when you’re getting married; but this is also a once-a-year time to take the best photo shots to kick off the new year blessing your social media audiences.
So let's chat about how to take the BEST photos during CNY in any situation whether it be on your own or with a group so you’ll always have an abundance of bomb photos.
Taking photos on your own
Let’s start with the basics, the self-portrait, better known as, the selfie. While everyone might be busying around or you simply want to shoot your CNY OOTD before it gets wrinkled or messy, it’s still not the easiest task to take a photo of yourself.
Sure you can simply take a simple front-facing selfie of yourself and call it a day but here at Productnation, we want you to go above and beyond. So let's get into it!
- Hunting for natural light
Sure, your mum’s fancy chandelier above the dining table is a pretty sight to see but it’s not a great source of light to take great photos. Find an area with amazing natural lighting, this could be near big windows but do avoid direct sunlight as this might appear too harsh later on.
If you’re shooting outdoors and can’t seem to find the best direction of where the sun will hit you just right, try this nifty trick! Open up your camera and place your hand in front of the camera. Then, slowly turn and stop when the lighting looks just right against your hand. There you go, the best lighting!
- Prepare a tripod and a remote shutter
Photos will always look better when it’s from a distance (it’s a great way to have others assume you have friends when you don’t). They appear professionally taken and it makes for a great way to show off your outfit or your background in a broader aspect.
But then comes the question of, what if you’re alone?
Who needs others when you have this handy dandy trick! Firstly, find somewhere you can place your phone according to the level and angle you desire. Ideally, use a tripod for easy versatility but if you don’t have one then get creative! Use your bag, a bottle, a wall, etc—the opportunities are endless!
After you’ve got that sorted out, time to get yourself a nifty remote shutter. Sure—go for the timer, like an amateur! Or keep a remote shutter with you. They tend to connect to your phone via Bluetooth, making taking the perfect shot a breeze.
Additionally, if you are a proud owner of a smartwatch, utilise their remote shutter feature where you can preview the shot before snapping the photo op!
- Take a video instead
Are you not the most unphotogenic person and most of your shots don’t look right? Well, you’re still unphotogenic, but maybe we can find a way to work around it.
Place your phone at your desired position and start a video. Now, work it like a model and pose to your heart’s content! All that’s left to do is screenshot and pick your best moments. What’s great about this is that videos film in 4K so you know the quality will come out crystal and amazing.
Taking photos with others
- Know your angles
“This is my good side.”
We’ve all heard that phrase said by glamorous actors in movies and shows—very grandeur, but…what does it actually mean to have a “good side”? Do we tend to have a portion of our face that looks better at a specific position?
There is actually some interesting science behind it! Many of us are (unfortunately) not blessed with a symmetrical face unlike Kim Seokjin of BTS who has been mentioned to have a perfect golden ratio lauded by numerous plastic surgeons worldwide.
So what’s left to us? Well, we may not have his perfect face but we at least have half of it! Due to our asymmetrical faces, we tend to prefer one side over the other.
A method for you to find your best side is to do the clock method test. Start with your front-facing camera and bring it close to your face. Then, angle your face similar to a clock until you make one full round. Afterwards, go through all 11 photos and decide which one you look the most flattering in and voilà, there’s your best side!
So when you’re taking an impromptu group shot with your siblings or your cousins, you’ll at least always be Kim Seokjin-ready for it.
- Recreating poses
Now, we’re not trying to say that you can’t pose…but that’s exactly what we’re saying. It’s fine to admit to flaws and pretty sure many can relate. With that, the easiest way to always nail group photos is to look them up online and recreate your favourite ones!
This not only makes for fun, quirky photo ops for the ‘gram but the process and attempt will definitely be memorable. Try out trending group photo styles such as one where you shoot with your back camera at a 0.5 wide lens with the flash on and is best done in a dark setting.
To add, a quick search on Pinterest will show you an endless scroll of ideas and inspiration for you and your loved ones to try out!
At the end of the day
In the end, it’s all about having fun and making memories. The added bonus is that you’ll have amazing photos to post on social media.
And if all else fails, we still have filters and Photoshop.