Take great selfies with these posing, shooting tips from Gabbi Garcia

MANILA, Philippines — This is the age of selfies. No doubt about it!

Everyone has picked up the habit of taking selfies with their phone camera whenever they chance upon an Instagrammable place or feel beautiful with their OOTD (outfit of the day). Continuous upgrading of phone cameras, such as Xiaomi 12 Lite with its 108MP rear and 32MP front cameras and the Selfie Portrait Mode that it has developed for taking photos and videos, have made it possible for ordinary people to take extraordinary shots.

Let actress-singer Gabbi Garcia help you take those professional-looking selfies and feel as big a star as she is:

The "Masakit Ulo" Pose

• Lean on something. When taking a full-body mirror photo, your pose should add flattering angles to your body. So, start by standing straight, then lean on something, preferably a chair, a table or a wall, and stretch out your arms and butt out. At other times, try to lift one leg while posing similarly so there will be more body movement that makes your pose more exciting.
• Sit down and pose. While seated, find your angle for that mirror photo or portrait shot you plan on taking. Stretch out your body to make it look longer, especially if you are really a little short, so you create an illusion that you are taller than you really are. Point your toe, as well, to seal this illusion.
• Play with your hair. Still for that full-body mirror photo that you want to enhance, instead of keeping your hands awkwardly straight down your sides (which makes you look stiff), play with your hair. Or pull it gently. What Gabbi does when she is sporting a ponytail when she strikes this pose is to pull her hair to the side and stick her hips out in the same direction. It works all the time.
• Strike a “Masakit Ulo” pose. It is easy to do so. Just put a hand on the side of your head the way you would if your head aches. But put more style and movement into it by relaxing your hands so they look more natural. Push it a bit more by adding a subtle pout to look fierce. This pose should look great when you’re fully made up. If you are, you might want to emphasize your pretty face by also doing tight shots. If using a Xiaomi 12 Lite photo, for instance, you can use its Selfie Zoom feature to emphasize your glam makeup, Portrait Mode to make sure that your selfie is crystal clear, and AI Beautify settings to round out the look.
• Pose confidently. Try a mysterious look by covering your dace with your phone and showing only your full outfit. This is a favorite pose of online sellers who wish to focus people’s attention on the clothes that they are selling and not on themselves. When you pose confidently, you create flattering angles using your body.

RELATED: 'Encantadia' stars Kylie Padilla, Gabbi Garcia, Sanya Lopez to reunite for 2023 'mega serye'