A good mirror selfie starts with a clean mirror and a phone held at chest height. Check the background, keep other people out of the frame and wear what you'd normally train in. These mirror selfie tips need no gear beyond the phone you already own.
Why a mirror selfie works on a gym profile
SetsOfLove's tagline is "Mirror selfies welcome", and it means it. A mirror selfie shows where you train and how you dress for it. It also looks like you, not like a studio shoot.
You don't need a photographer or a friend with a free hour. You need a mirror, a bit of patience and about 10 minutes. That suits a tight budget and a busy week.
One note on the main photo: your face needs to be clear in it. If your phone covers your face in a mirror selfie, use that shot as a second or third photo instead. The reasoning is in why your main photo should clearly show your face.
Mirror selfie tips: set up the glass and the phone
Gym mirrors collect smudges, chalk dust and fingerprints. They show up on camera as a haze across the whole picture.
- Wipe the mirror with a dry cloth or clean towel before you shoot. If you'd like to use a spray, check the gym is fine with it first.
- Wipe your phone lens with the corner of a clean shirt. A greasy lens makes everything look soft.
- Hold the phone at chest or shoulder height. Held low, it looks up your chin. Held high, it shrinks your body.
- Stand about a metre back from the mirror so your head, torso and some of your legs fit without cropping.
- Turn slightly to one side rather than squaring up. A small angle looks more relaxed.
Turn off the flash. In a mirror it bounces straight back and washes you out.
What should be behind you?
The background is half the photo. Before you press the button, look past yourself.
- Check for clutter: towels on the floor, bags, a pile of plates.
- Look for signs, screens and posters. Large text pulls the eye away from you.
- Choose a plain wall, a rack or a quiet corner of the floor.
- Straighten the frame so floor and wall lines aren't leaning.
If you can see other people in the mirror, even small and far away, wait. Photos of other people without their consent aren't allowed on SetsOfLove profiles, and it's simply fair to the people training behind you. Go at a quieter time, or pick a spot where the mirror shows only you. Consent and gym photos goes further into why bystanders stay out.
Does lighting matter that much?
Yes, and it's the part most people skip. Standing under a harsh overhead light puts shadows over your eyes. Standing with a bright window behind you turns you into a silhouette.
Try this. Take 3 shots in 3 spots: near a window, under the brightest ceiling lights and in a dim corner. Compare them on your phone. The best one is usually obvious.
There's more on this in lighting tips for gym photos, including phone settings that help.
What should you wear?
Wear your normal training kit. Pick something clean and comfortable that you'd happily be seen in. Plain colours tend to look tidy on camera, and big graphic prints can compete with your face.
A mirror selfie should say "this is me at the gym". It doesn't need to say more than that. Keep it relaxed. Nothing sexual is allowed, and the best photos are usually the ones where someone looks comfortable and like themselves.
If you feel self-conscious, that's common. Take plenty of shots and delete freely. Nobody sees the 14 you didn't use.
A friend can help too. If you train with someone you trust, ask them to take a photo of you at the rack or between sets, as long as no one else is in the frame. A photo someone else takes is often more natural than a selfie, and it saves you holding a phone at arm's length. Even so, a mirror selfie is quicker, and you stay in charge of every shot.
A quick checklist before you upload
- The mirror and lens are clean.
- The phone sits at chest or shoulder height, with no flash.
- Your face is easy to see if this is your main photo.
- The background is tidy and has no readable text.
- No other person is visible anywhere in the frame.
- The light is on you, not behind you.
- You look like you do on a normal day.
Once you have one good mirror selfie, mix it with other photos. Best gym photos for a dating profile shows how to build a set of 1 to 4 that gives a fair picture of you.