The countdown is the hard part. Your body tenses up and the photo shows it. These habits help.
Move, then settle
Instead of freezing, walk to your spot and take a breath out as the final seconds run. Photos taken as you settle often look more relaxed than posed ones.
Use a burst
Many iPhones can take several photos in a row. Change your pose slightly between them, or just keep moving a little. Pick the best one afterwards.
Give your hands a job
Hold a coffee, adjust a sleeve, touch your hair or put a hand in a pocket. A task stops hands looking awkward.
Mark your spot
Put a piece of tape or a shoe on the floor where you should stand, so you land in the same place every time.
Check and repeat
Take a test shot, look at the framing, adjust once, then take the real set. Do not keep adjusting forever.
A Hand Signal feature to start hands-free is in testing in our app. It is not released yet.