How can I take a more flattering selfie or self-portrait?

Question

I want to take a selfie or self-portrait that looks more flattering. Are there camera angles, lighting setups, or posing tips that can help? If selfies with a phone are less flattering because of the lens, is there a better way to shoot a self-portrait?

user75526 · Accepted Answer

The old cliche pose that rotund people used to take selfies was to raise the camera above eye-level pointing downward. Perspective makes the face appear relatively larger, and the body smaller, than it normally would. The larger the person, the higher the camera would be placed. The pose has apparently fallen out of fashion.
Instead of raising the camera higher, a variant pose is to lean forward toward the camera. It works the same way. Perspective makes the head appear relatively larger, and the body relatively smaller, than it normally would.
There are various other tricks that are not specific to selfies, such as turning to the side, lifting the chin away from the neck, reducing kyphotic posture, using appropriate colors and patterns, etc. See What are the best techniques for photographing overweight people?
Perspective can also be used to exaggerate or minimize other body parts. For instance, why do certain celebrities appear have such huge buttocks? In addition to implants, they place the camera down low and project their rear toward the camera to exaggerate its size.

How can I take a more flattering selfie or self-portrait?

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