Engagement-Ring Selfie 101: How to Take the Perfect Photo

The bling with rays seen round the world just hit your finger. And those sparkling beams refracting like the sun itself have reduced you to a trance-like state, mesmerized by their power to the point of possibly forgetting why they're there in the first place. There's only one thing to do in this moment: immortalize all that glistening glory. But snapping the obligatory ring pic is so expected, right? Not if you know a few tricks to capture it in the best light possible. Before clicking away, make sure your mani is on point (think neutral shades like pale pink and flesh tones so your digits won't compete) than follow these tips from the photo pros.

Find the Right Light

Maximized bling potential (even if your ring is more like a stud than a rock) is a matter of lighting. "Find even lighting," says Kaysha Van Der Heyden of Kaysha Weiner Photographer. "Think overcast skies, shade, or window light without harsh shadows. These are always very flattering forms of light," she says. And keep the light to a single source, says James Berglie of Be Photography. "Don't blend indoor and outdoor lighting, which can create a yellow/orange cast on the photo; instead, opt for one light source." Turning off indoor lights and shooting near a window will help, he says.

To make your ring really pop, keep the background simple and pretty. "Select a background that is uniform and not distracting," says Berglie. Our eyes are instantly drawn to the brightest part of any photo, so shoot on darker backgrounds to bring the ring into focus, he says.

Holding the ring straight on (as you'd look at it on your hand) is a no fail (albeit expected) photo op, says Van Der Heyden. If you want to get more creative, photograph the side details of the setting, or any unique characteristics of the design, she says. To get more emotion in the photo, Berglie suggests "bringing your hand up to your face and hiding that huge smile on your face behind the ring." Or hold your fiancé's hand for a unique angle. Just remember to keep your hands soft. "A soft, relaxed hand photographs much better than a rigid one," says Bergile. Snapping the ring by itself is another unexpected alternative, he says. And give it some context. For example, if the proposal happened at your favorite bar, you might shoot the ring right on the bar top

Not all Instagram filters are created equal in the world of ring pics. "If you are going to have your hand in the shot, avoid filters that change your skin tone too much," says Berglie. If your original image doesn't have much contrast between dark and light Juno will really darken those darker aspects of the photo and bring the attention to the brighter aspects, i.e. your ring. If your original image has too much contrast, Valencia will smooth it out a bit. Lark is another great option to make that ring pop, says Van Der Heyden. You can also take down the intensity of the filter by at least 10 to 20 percent for a more natural look, she says.