Guest post by Jakob Schiller

Selfies are silly. But we can’t stop taking them either. Here are five tips that will help ensure your selfies stand out from the crowd.

1. Think about your background.

The whole point of a selfie is to show what you’re doing, and where you are, so you need to make sure your head isn’t totally blocking the most important part of what’s happening behind you. Most importantly be safe!

2. Be aware of the light.

If you’re standing in a shadow, but the background is in the bright sun, your photo will be too contrasty. Make sure there’s even light and things will look much better.

3. Hold your phone above you to look skinnier.

A lot of people already know this but we thought we’d mention it anyway.

4. Show some emotion.

No one wants to look at a photo of you with some blank stare on your face. Show us how you feel. Let us know what’s going on in that head of yours.

5. DO NOT, and we repeat, DO NOT, take selfies during the Tour de France.

Fans taking selfies have already caused one accident and we don’t want to see any more selfie pile-ups.