This TikTok selfie hack is changing the game for front-camera selfies

14 April 2020, 17:49

Here's how to take a selfie without the front facing camera distorting your face

By Katie Louise Smith

Here's how to take a selfie without the front-facing camera distorting that pretty lil face of yours.

Everybody knows that the front-facing camera on your phone is the devil incarnate. For those of us who do not look like Bella Hadid, finding that perfect angle for a selfie can take time.

There's plenty of hacks and tricks out there that have helped us up our selfie game in the past, but this recent discovery that's doing numbers on TikTok might be one of the best yet.

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The hack, shared by makeup artist Eleanor Barnes (who goes by @snitchery on Instagram and @babysnitchery on TikTok), advises you to take your selfie from a distance, with the front camera zoomed in, instead of holding it so close to your face. The reason being that the front-facing camera actually distorts your face.

While the distortion issue of the front-facing camera is nothing new, the hack has proved pretty useful and has...revolutionised...the way people are now taking selfies.

While Snitchery's impressive results also have a lot to do with the angle at which the phone is held, and the lighting, people like James Charles and Bretman Rock also tested the technique and shared their results with their followers.

While the hack is changing the game for many people out there, it actually just comes down to an understanding of how camera lenses work.

Photographer Jake O'Donnell replied to James Charles' tweet with an explanation: "This is literally how wide angle lenses work. They exaggerate the distances between objects and that effect is compounded when the objects are closer to the lens."

And there you have it. A photography lesson, and an extra 50 guaranteed likes on your next selfie. You're welcomeeee.