Most have become fairly well-versed with the usual selfie ideas. You’ve held the camera up high, cuddled up with your cat, and posed in front of a full-length mirror. There are only so many #OOTD (outfit of the day) photos you can post. Your Instagram feed is screaming for something new, something exciting. A few funny selfie ideas can easily spice up your Instagram account. With the right props and poses, you’ll instantly grab attention – and tons of likes.
Pro Selfie Tips: Front-Facing Camera vs. Rear-Facing Camera
The best way to elevate your Instagram game is to treat it like a business. Whether you’re an influencer or not, it pays to look professional. Even your funny selfie ideas should look high quality. To pull off an expert image, avoid using the selfie camera.
The selfie camera is the front-facing camera on your iPhone. This came out with iPhone 4 and has been included in every generation since. While it’s certainly convenient, the front-facing camera does not produce photos of the same quality. With iPhone 8 and X, the front-facing camera is 7 megapixels. Compare that to the rear-facing camera, which has 12 megapixels. The more pixels there are, the better image. By using the rear-facing camera for selfie poses, you get almost twice the quality.
Why megapixels matter
Pixels are short for picture elements. It refers to the dots of light that make up a digital image. All that light is what produces the detail you see in an image. One dot of light is one pixel. Since ‘mega’ means million, 12 megapixels is the equivalent of about 12 million pixels. That’s why a photo shot with 12 megapixels has a lot more detail than one shot with only 7 megapixels.
Megapixels matter a lot when printing photos. They also make a difference when sharing on social media. More megapixels allow you to crop a photo without losing clarity. Plus, the higher pixel count makes your low-light selfie poses look crisp. Indoor photos are less grainy.
Be as silly as you want. But if the image isn’t crystal clear, people will scroll right past it.
8 Funny Selfie Ideas Your Friends and Followers Will Heart
Ready to have some fun? Try any or all of these creative selfies for the win.
Play around with filters.
Instagram offers several filters for touching up photos and adding themes. For added filter options, the Snapchat app has additional options. It has a wide selection of funny filters. Give yourself dog ears, add a top hat, make a rainbow spew out of your mouth. Try creating your own filter. Just make sure the image is downloaded from Snapchat. That’s the only way to share your souped-up selfie on Instagram.
Create a photo booth collage.
Put people in an enclosed location and give them some random props. They’ll get really goofy, really fast. That’s the idea behind a photo booth collage. Pretend you’re at a friend’s wedding, having the time of your life. Make a few funny faces. Add out-of-the-ordinary accessories, like a bright pink boa. Write a joke or sarcastic one-liner on a stick sign. This can be done alone or with a group of people. Be sure to take a variety of photos. With that comical collection, make a photo collage on your Mac or iPhone.
Add animals.
Whether wild or domesticated, animals always liven up an Instagram feed. The key is to act fast. Try to catch them eating, yawning, or growling. Then, quickly throw yourself into the frame and hold down the camera button. You’ll get a burst of photos to help guarantee the funniest shot. Extra points if you can make it appear as though the animal is eating your head. An easier trick is to position your pet in front of you, letting its face cover part of yours. At first glance, you look half-human, half-animal. Alternatively, dress your pet in clothes and accessories (if they let you). Giving animals a human quality can be very entertaining.
Imitate your mate.
It’s been said couples who stay together for years start to look alike. One thing’s for certain, though: mirroring your mate is an uncanny coincidence. Stroke that curiosity by taking your similarities to an extreme. Maybe you both put on bathrobes with a towel twisted around your hair. Make like you’re having a spa day and snap a bathroom mirror selfie. Whether you imitate your mate or they dress like you, it doesn’t matter. Be clever and be specific. Pick one of your partner’s features to highlight, or settle on one theme. And then execute it to the fullest – props and all.
Multiply the selfie.
Gather a handful of friends and family for this one. Ask everyone to stand staggered behind you. When your camera is ready to shoot, be sure everyone is in frame. On the count of three, everyone takes a selfie (or at least pretends to). Your photo will include all your friends in the background with their cameras held high. It’s a train of selfies!
Use forced perspective photography.
Forced perspective photography is a technique that creates cool optical illusions. These distorted shots can be very funny when executed properly. Some of the most effective forced perspective photos are those that make a small object appear larger than life. Take a toy dinosaur, for instance. Position it in the foreground of your camera’s frame with the lens angled up. Stand far behind the toy (consider a selfie-stick!), posing with fear. It’ll look like you’re being attacked by the toy dinosaur, which appears life-size in the photo. Use this same composition with any number of props and selfie poses.
Capture then vs. now.
You faceplanted in a plate of spaghetti. You literally cried over spilled milk. Your mom dressed you up as a cowboy. Everyone has embarrassing childhood photos. Instead of hiding them in a box, put yourself back in that position. Recreate the moment, and then post the photos together for a then vs. now. We promise, an adult falling asleep at the dinner table is a lot funnier than when a small child does it. Consider it a cathartic experience. If you can’t laugh at yourself, no one else will.
Recreate a famous scene.
This is a different spin on then vs. now. Instead of recreating a photo from your own childhood, pull an idea from pop culture. Remember the fight between Bob Barker and Adam Sandler’s character in Happy Gilmore? Grab a friend, get dressed up, and throw those fists in the air. Or take a cue from Napoleon Dynamite’s dance moves. Whatever gets you to laugh will probably do the same for your Instagram friends and followers. Strive to make the costumes and background as authentic as you can. The scene should be clearly recognizable, so no one skips it in their feed.
Always remember: when the creativity flows, the followers will flock. So have fun, be silly, and never stop taking selfies.
