I’ll be sincere, I’m a lover of an excellent selfie—however on the subject of self-love, belfies are the transfer. Belfies, in any other case generally known as “butt selfies,” have taken the world by storm, so we’re right here to share with you among the finest ideas for the best way to take a belfie so that you, too, can hop aboard this twenty first Century phenomenon.
A fast scroll by means of Instagram will remind you everybody loves an excellent butt picture, however belfies aren’t merely a thirst-trappy ploy to get a ton of likes—they’re additionally a technique to experience the great thing about our our bodies. Whereas the phrase “belfie” is past cringe-worthy, the idea itself is way from it. I’m all for taking pictures of your butt—in truth, taking nude pictures of my physique has been essential to my consuming dysfunction and physique dysmorphia restoration over the past a number of years.
The one difficulty with belfies, in fact, is that they’re laborious to take. Nailing the angle in a mirror selfie is all the time robust and lighting is tough to handle there, too. Utilizing your telephone’s hands-free function is a pleasant technique to create a extra curated composition, however as a result of you possibly can’t see what you’re capturing as you shoot it, your entire course of tends to contain lots of trial and error.
I’m of the thoughts that our world can be higher with extra lovely belfies in it; taking severely sizzling photographs of your tush shouldn’t be as difficult as it’s! So, I reached out to 2 New York Metropolis-based boudoir photographers—Irina Mednik of French Kiss Boudoir Images and Evgenia Ribinik of Evgenia Ribinik Boudoir Images—to get their tushy ideas and methods for taking the perfect belfie potential.
Oh, and BTW, I included a little bit of belfie inspo under with pictures displaying ladies, however I wish to remind and encourage you that everybody can have a good time their booty with a belfie! This isn’t only for the women—we’ve all obtained belfie-ready bums!
1. Know your angles
When taking a photograph of, effectively, something, angles make all of the distinction. That is very true on the subject of your butt. Mednik notes that whereas butts are available a wide range of sizes and styles, many ladies attempt for a similar preferrred. “Most shoppers need a spherical, plump behind that’s completely located between a skinny waist and lean legs,” she explains.
However as an alternative of striving for a stretchmark- and cellulite-free bottom that appears like Kim Kardashian’s, you’d be higher off working with what you’ve obtained. A part of the great thing about belfies—and actually, any nude pictures in any respect—is that they seize you precisely as you might be. They’re sincere, they’re actual, they’re a bit of bit weak—and that’s what makes them so particular. Odds are, the particular person on the receiving finish of your belfie already is aware of what you appear like, anyway. And if you happen to’re taking them for your self, you undoubtedly do.
That stated, you could resolve it’s value investing in an affordable telephone and digicam tripod
or self-timer distant
for selfies that will help you get the appropriate angle, too.
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This compact cellular phone holder not solely permits you to stabilize your telephone for hands-free selfies and pictures, nevertheless it’s additionally geared up with three small ring gentle add-ons to enhancing the lighting and general look of your imagery.
So as an alternative of forcing all people into some pop-culturally outlined preferrred, Mednik appears at every consumer individually. “Photographing their behind actually depends upon their backside,” she says. Every shoot is the distinctive results of what a consumer appears like and what they worth aesthetically, so there’s no one-size-fits-all reply to the query of angles.
However one tried-and-true angle Mednik turns to time and again? Having the consumer lie on their stomach and arch their again so their tushy can “come out.” You need to use your again and your hips so as to add some critical form (learn: roundness) to your booty, and it’ll make the distinction between your butt and waist extra outlined. “It’s an awesome optical phantasm for individuals who don’t have a lot junk within the trunk—nevertheless it additionally works completely for individuals who do,” she says.
2. Use belfie inspo
Since boudoir pictures have a tendency to sit down on the intersection of what an individual appears like and what they need to appear like, there’s lots of variation in go-to angles and posing. Because of this, lots of boudoir photographers ask their shoppers to make a moodboard of their favourite boudoir photographs—that means, the photographer can get a way of the consumer’s aesthetic (concerning the whole lot from poses and angles to lighting and composition).
It may appear bizarre to make a Pinterest board devoted to booty photographs, however odds are, you’ve already bookmarked just a few Instagrams you’re eager about recreating. So begin there. What do these pictures have in frequent? Do they skew extra Kim Kardashian break-the-internet Paper cowl, or extra artsy and genuine? Perhaps one thing in between? Realizing what you’re making an attempt to do will hold your belfie course of transferring alongside easily.
However both means, if you happen to’re in want of a bit of inspo, Mednik and Ribinik shared a few of their go-to poses, under:
Crossed legs
Stand along with your legs crossed. This can emphasize the form of your tush, providing you with that hourglass look so many individuals are keen on.
Sit it down
Sitting may look like a bizarre transfer for a belfie, however in line with Mednik, it’s an awesome alternative for individuals with butts on the flatter aspect. The trick is to sit down along with your physique angled barely away from the digicam, creating a phenomenal curve to your bottom—even when that curve is virtually non-existent if you’re standing. (No disgrace—bear in mind, flat butts might be simply as lovely as juicy ones. Your physique isn’t unsuitable simply because it doesn’t meet our present, fashionable preferrred.)
From the aspect
Aspect selfies are additionally an awesome possibility—simply be certain to range what your legs are doing. “The booty all the time appears rounder if the leg going through the digicam is tremendous straight when you take a aspect selfie,” Ribinik advises. “Popping it whereas in that pose additionally helps!” (She particularly vouched for a lower-angle set-up on this pose. “I really feel prefer it provides the booty such a cool, spherical coronary heart form,” she says.)
I do know what you’re pondering—these poses are all good and effectively for boudoir pictures. However how am I speculated to snap something like this with out the assistance of a private butt photographer? Your telephone’s self-timer is your finest pal. Make a day trip of it and have some enjoyable training poses and angles. Simply discover one thing to prop it up in opposition to, and also you’ll be in enterprise very quickly.
3. Thoughts Your Lighting
When lighting your belfies, revisit your moodboard (or your bookmarked Instagrams, or wherever else your belfie treasure trove lies). What do the pictures you’ve saved appear like? Is the lighting delicate and romantic? Is it harsh? Totally different lighting set-ups may give pictures solely completely different vibes, so spend a while determining what you need on the front-end.
If you happen to’re undecided, Mednik and Ribinik suggest beginning with delicate, pure gentle. Harsh, brilliant gentle (the form of factor you’d get from a flash, or from a highlight) tends to flatten your curves, leaving them blended into the background. It additionally tends to solid darkish shadows that intensify cellulite and uneven pores and skin (which we’re mainly all coping with—we’re people, in any case).
Gentle, pure gentle, alternatively, creates a extra romantic temper—and it’s simpler to work with. Not solely are you able to merely open a window (no gear, required), however you can too be rather less exact along with your angles and composition and nonetheless find yourself with one thing that appears good.
Since we don’t all have skilled lighting kits at our disposal, a bit of planning will repay. Mednik recommends setting an earlier alarm and snapping some belfies at dawn, “when the sunshine is absolutely delicate and flattering.” She recommends mendacity on the mattress along with your booty up, window behind you.
Situate the telephone throughout the room so that you’re sandwiched between the window and the telephone. “That’s the most secure gentle to work with,” she says. “It’s sometimes superb on everybody and may also have a moody really feel to it, too.”
4. Contemplate your composition—and what garments you’re sporting.
You don’t must take a pictures class to be taught what the “rule of thirds” is—it’s already constructed into your telephone digicam. You already know that grid that pops up if you’re posting a photograph on Instagram? That’s your rule of thirds grid. Situating the point of interest of a picture on the intersection of two of these strains will draw the viewer’s eye into the composition, making your picture extra compelling.
“If I’m getting a brilliant close-up I often go together with the rule of thirds, however the destructive area to the aspect does look fascinating so long as there isn’t litter,” Mednik says. “You wish to be certain the background is as clear and easy as potential as to not distract your eye from the actual magnificence within the picture—the butt.”
So far as clothes, Mednik and Ribinik each agree: The much less, the higher. If you happen to’re not utterly snug taking a nude picture, each photographers suggest a thong or cheeky panties to emphasise the curve of your booty. If you happen to’re not fairly there but, pull a Kylie Jenner (as seen above) and let your panties peek out of some low-cut denims. I do know, proper—the solely time low-rise denims will turn out to be useful.
A model of this text was initially printed in April 2020.