Here’s How To Take A Jaw-Dropping Butt Selfie

This past weekend, my friend and I shared a hotel room on our trip to Boston. One night, while she was in the shower, I tried to figure out how to send a glorious belfie (butt selfie) to a guy. Much to my surprise, it was no easy feat. Even though I consider myself a fairly flexible person, the logistics of taking butt selfies stumped me at first. Snapping booty pics took me on a journey.

First, I tried bending my arm as far back as it would go to grab a side photo. Next, I tried an over-the-shoulder aerial shot. I even tried to balance the phone between my thighs, and while that did result in a spectacular vag photo, it wasn’t the butt selfie of my dreams.

By the time my friend walked out of the shower, I was out of breath and sore from bending over backward to get a decent pic of my booty. She found it hysterical, I did not. See, getting a photo of your butt is hard.

After a whole lot of trial and error, I learned some basics about how to take booty pics that I'd be remiss not to share with you all today. Here’s what to do next time you’re trying to take a jaw-dropping belfie.

Set the mood.

As professional boudoir photographers Irina Mednik of French Kiss Boudoir Photography, Elizabeth Beskin of 5th Avenue Digital, and Evgenia Ribinik of Evgenia Ribinik Boudoir Photography told Self, creating a hot atmosphere can help you get in the right frame of mind to snap perfect pics. Try putting together a moodboard of photos that inspire you, turn on some sensual music, touch up your hair or makeup, and relax with a glass of wine.

Consider your lighting and location.

While it’s totally understandable if you need to take your booty pics in your bedroom or bathroom, away from the prying eyes of your roommates or family, take advantage of other locations if they’re available to you. Ribinik recommends posing in a window-filled room with lots of natural light for a soft, pretty effect. One thing to avoid? Harsh artificial lighting, which can create harsh colors and shadows.

Use mirrors to your advantage.

Take a cue from Kim Kardashian, the queen of all things booty, and use a full-length mirror to capture your derrière. Either do an over-the-shoulder smolder like Kimmy, or keep your face out of it and just snap a close-up shot of your curves. (Remember, even if you trust the person you’re sending these photos to, cropping out your face and any identifying marks like tattoos, piercings, or scars is always the safest option. Nothing is hotter than feeling totally secure in your privacy.)

Another option is to turn to the side, then angle your hips until you find a pose you like and snap away until you find an angle you like.

Experiment with angles, using a self-timer if needed.

Shooting from a low angle makes your butt look larger and rounder than it might otherwise.

Not sure what to do with your hands? Try resting them on your hips or waist, or lifting your cheeks to show them off.

If you want to highlight your upper body too, try getting down on all fours. Leaning on your elbows in front of the camera puts your lips and chest on display, and arching your back will pop your booty.

Consider wearing undies.

If you’d rather not send a photo of your butt as naked as the day you were born, a pair of undies can highlight your body while providing a little more coverage. Plus, cute underthings are just plain hot.

Recruit a friend.

When my friend got out of the shower, she offered to help me take the booty pic, angling the phone so it seemed like it was just me behind the camera. Nothing is a truer test of friendship than taking a hot selfie together. No friends like belfie friends, am I right?

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated by Elite Daily’s staff.