I recently interviewed fashion photographer Udo Spreitzenbarth for Resource magazine's Winter 2014 issue. The piece was all about his collaboration with Tyra Banks for the 15 project. The article is an in-depth look at the project, with great tidbits from the key players involved, insight into working with Tyra, and some great info about Tyra herself. I took the time to ask Udo about the proliferation of selfies and if he had any advice as a photographer. His tips for the perfect selfie:

1. Face the light. If the light is behind you, the automatic meter in the camera phone will take the reading from the background and your face will be too dark. Also avoid a light source straight from above, such as the sun or an overhead light, since it creates deep shadows under your eyes.

2. Stretch your arm out as long as you can away from your face. The longer the distance, the better the chances the picture will turn out in focus.

3. When taking a picture of yourself in front of a mirror, have your eyes look at the reflection of the camera. This will give you the appearance of your eyes looking into the lens.

4. Be creative with the use of reflections. Such as windows, water, sunglasses, etc.

5. Selection is important. It’s hard to get the best “selfie” on the first try. Sometimes, taking three to five pictures will give you more options so that you can select one with a better cropping or angle.