Nigel Barker shows you how to take a “selfie”

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posted Thursday, April 11, 2013 at 4:33 PM EDT

Nigel Barker is a famed fashion photographer, and probably most well known for his role in the popular reality show "Americas Next Top Model." Barker recently talked to Nightline's Juju Chang, on a segment on the popularity of the self portrait or "selfie." In this six-minute segment, Barker gives his opinion on the art of the portrait, and how to take one with a smartphone.

He shares tips about how to make your selfie look as good as possible, some of which you can see in the video below, and the rest are laid out on the ABCNews website. Some of them are just common sense, like using the front facing camera on your camera if you can, and making sure that your camera is anchored as steadily as possible. More interesting are Barker's views on posing and positioning.

The photographer recommends pointing your head skyward for a few seconds, to temporarily tighten your neck muscles, and snap a quick photo with your chin reduced. He also suggests that women might not want to cross their arms for fear of making their muscles look bigger — instead put them on your hips. He also recommends against posing, shooting from a high angle, or making the dreaded "duck face."

While Barker's comments are aimed at people attempting a self-portrait, they also hold true of photographing anyone else, or when someone else is trying to snap a picture of you. Even something as simple as thinking about delicious food, says Barker, is enough to make you look more naturally happy.

You can watch the entire segment below.

(via SLRLounge)