Whether you’re trying to get the perfect picture pose for Instagram or preparing to film your next YouTube video, you’ll agree with us that Lighting is Everything!. More so, a selfie light can be the difference between a picture that looks ‘Ooops’ or ‘Ah! Ah!!.’

Poor lighting can make an absolute mess of your photos. Suddenly, you’re looking darker than usual, and if your skin has blemishes, you can be sure it’ll accentuate this “flaw.”

Is a selfie light really worth the hype?

Maybe you’ve admired a couple of pictures you found in magazines or the internet and tried to wrap your head around how expensive the camera must have been.

Well, the secret is not just in the camera. Moreover, a quality camera does not always guarantee a perfect picture. The missing piece is the ring light (also fondly called a selfie light or diva light).

Pair it up with your camera (your smartphone camera or any regular camera) on your next shoot, and your pictures will almost look too good to be true.

Is your camera and selfie light ready? Even if this is your first time using a selfie light, this guide is beginner-friendly and can get you through the details on how to place your selfie light correctly. Let’s get started!

What is a selfie light?

Selfie light is a circular fluorescent that is smartphone attachable or can be ‘set up in front of you with the aid of a tripod or its original stand.

If you’ve tried taking a couple of selfies with your smartphone and the results were far from impressive, what you need is a selfie light. Videographers, Photographers, and Content Creators generally use this light to produce images. And videos that have the perfect amount of lighting and capture the bright side of their craft.

Standard, Miniature, Illuminated Case Selfie Light – What’s The Difference?

It’s worth noting that although you can use a standard ring light for selfies. Makeup artists, videographers, and professional photographers use it more often to showcase their works.

It’ll require a tripod stand or the regular stand it comes with while setting it up. Because of its multifunction, it can be very pricy and bulky compared to its counterparts.

If you’re looking for a simple and functional lighting fixture, your best bet would be to use a miniature ring light. You can either fit it/clip it to your front-facing smartphone camera or opt for a more discreet model by getting an illuminated phone case.

They are portable, selfie-friendly, and easy to use anytime and everywhere without calling attention to yourself (like you could while setting up a standard ring light). They are also a more affordable option and are always picture-ready.

Tips For Placing Your Selfie Light

Here, we would give you a general/basic overview of how you can set up a standard ring light, miniature selfie light for that perfect selfie bomb.

However, because of the varying models, innovations, and designs of selfie lights out there, try not to ignore the instructions in the manual entirely.

How To Set Up A Standard Ring Light

  • Check The Instruction Manual On How To Use Mains Power: If you’ll be using the ring light more on the go, the first thing you want to do is check the manual to know what’s allowed.
  • For instance, some ring lights will function well when you plug them into the USB port of your laptop, while others might not be able to withstand the amount of power generated from your PC, causing severe damages to it.
  • If you’re using a solar-powered ring light, it comes with its specifications as well, like when to place it in direct sunlight to recharge and retain power.
  • Position Your Camera: Once you’ve set up your standard ring light on the tripod or makeshift stand; Place your smartphone in the middle section of the ring light in a portrait or landscape position.
  • Then, ensure the selfie light encircles the camera lens of your device completely. That way, it’ll cast off any shadow and produce the best outcome.
  • Check For Reflections: Move the ring light away from you a little bit to find what range works best for your environment. Also, remove objects that reflect or try adjusting your ring light in such a way that it’s not beaming directly on the reflector, maybe your eyewear in this case.
  • Adjust Your Color Temperature Setting: Some ring lights come with color temperature control features. If yours is one of them, you can test how warm or cool you want the light to be by adjusting the settings.
  • With your ring light on, set the brightness (using the dimmer) to suit your needs. And bear in mind that if you make the light bright enough, your footage will look more sharp, vibrant, and colorful.
  • Strike a pose and take your selfie: Just remember to take lots of photos and that way one is guaranteed to be social media worthy.

How To Set Up An Attachable/Miniature And Illuminated Phone Case Selfie Light

It is straightforward. Although, you’ll also need to charge the battery as prescribed in the instruction manual.

  • Clip the attachable selfie light to your smartphone or place your phone and secure it in the illuminated phone case.
  • Turn on the selfie light. Then, adjust the view by opening your selfie or smartphone camera app.
  • Set your preferred brightness level using the attachable dimmer. Then test different angles while holding your device to see how it’ll affect your shot- you can use a selfie stick for this
  • Strike a pose, take your selfie.