Since its first release in 2004, Facebook became a revolutionary social media platform. Facebook gained almost a thousand users on its first day. Now, Facebook has over 2 billion active users.
Most people use Facebook to get in touch with their friends and loved ones. Other Facebook users use it to advertise their businesses. If you’re a first-time user, Facebook may ask you to add a profile picture.
Profile pictures help your friends and family find you easier. In this article, we show you how to take a profile picture. Add an awesome profile picture to your Facebook account today!
How to Change Your Profile Picture on Facebook
Profile pictures help other users identify you from other Facebook users with similar names. Do you already have a picture you want to add? Follow these steps to change your profile picture on Facebook.
- Log in to your Facebook account.
- Navigate and click on your current profile picture on the top right-hand corner of Facebook.
- Hover your mouse icon over your profile picture and click Update. If you’re using the new version of Facebook, click on the camera icon.
- Add a photo from your device’s files or choose a frame.
- If desired, crop your photo.
When you’re done, click Save to finalize your new profile picture. For the best quality profile picture, use a 320 x 320 image. Not sure how to take the best profile picture for Facebook? Follow our guide below for how to take a profile picture with Facebook.
Find the Right Lighting
Good portrait photos have good lighting. Before you choose your lighting, understand the different kinds of quality. There are two kinds: hard light and soft light.
Hard light consists of sharp shadows and high contrasts. Hard light pictures often have increased textures. If you want to add drama to your image, use hard light.
Soft light portraits have soft or almost no shadows. Soft light pictures have low contrast and texture. This choice of lighting in photography is the most flattering.
Keep these in mind when taking a picture for your Facebook profile. Find the lighting you want and snap away. You may also use directional light or adjust your camera’s lighting settings.
Clear Your Background
Keep your background in mind when taking pictures for your Facebook profile. Avoid taking pictures with busy backgrounds as they may distract viewers from the subject. Find a background that emphasizes you and does blend in with your clothing.
Consider using soft backgrounds for close up portraits. Use soft backgrounds if you want to emphasize your facial features. If you want to play it safe, look for solid color backgrounds.
Show Your Face
Your friends will be able to identify you from other Facebook users with your profile picture. When choosing a profile picture, make sure to choose one that shows your face. Profiles without proper portraits tend to look suspicious or fake.
Avoid using group photos for profile pictures. Group photos may confuse other Facebook users. Always use your portraits without friends or family.
Find the Right Angle
If you want to take a flattering profile picture for your Facebook, you need to know your angle. Most photographers tell their subjects to bring their chin lower. This angle allows their cheekbones to capture good lighting.
For a slimmer look, face your body 45 degrees away from the camera. If you want to look taller in a full-body picture, angle your camera lower and stick out one leg. For a basic portrait, keep your camera at eye level.
Smile for the Photo
People who smile in their profile pictures come off as more friendly and approachable. Do you feel awkward smiling for the camera? Here are a few tips to smile more naturally.
Try relaxing your facial muscles before taking a picture. Think about something that makes you happy. You can even ask your photographer to tell a joke to make you laugh.
Edit Your Photo
If you want to enhance your photo further, consider editing your picture. A great app for mobile photo-editing is Adobe Lightroom. Lightroom is a free app available on both Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Here are some of the basics of using Adobe Lightroom to edit your pictures.
Crop, Rotate and Straighten
To improve the composition of your pictures, use Lightroom’s crop tool and straighten tool. Lightroom allows you to crop your pictures freely or at a fixed aspect ratio. Straighten your images by using the Lightroom’s rotate dial.
Use Lightroom Presets
If you’re a beginner editor, you can use some of Lightroom’s presets. From the Adjustments menu, select Presets to apply a filter to your photo. There are three Preset categories: Creative, Color, and Black and White.
Adjust Light
If your lighting is too harsh or too diffused, you can use Lightroom to improve it. Next to the Presets button, you will find the Light tab. This will open a menu of sliders for adjusting exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, and more.
Adjust Color
On the Color tab, you can use the given sliders to make your image look warmer or cooler. You can also increase the saturation and brightness of certain colors using this tab. To increase the vividity of muted colors, use the Vibrance slider. Press and hold on the picture to preview your changes from the original image. Use Lightroom’s undo and redo button if you’re unsure about your last edit. When you’re done, use Lightroom export for Facebook
