If you’re using a laptop you’ll have web camera software installed. There’s a small button built into the top of the laptop frame, just above your screen.
You can use your start menu to find the webcam by looking under accessories. There will be an icon of a photo on the menu that pops up. Click this. Next a small screen will open up and you can see a live streaming picture of yourself.
The lighting is very important in regards to how kindly the photo will portray you. Be sure to have strong lighting, that comes from above the computer and shines on your face. This will avoid casting shadows, which can be very harsh, aging, and even look dark and even “sinister.”
I carry my laptop in and set it down where the overhead lighting will be good.
Adjust your pose to suit and click the button to take a snapshot. The photos will appear automatically in Picasa. If you have a different software they should appear too but you can also go to the webcam folder and import them.
Use the editing software to crop them as needed and add lighting if needed. But, when you add lighting during editing the photo becomes more grainy and the resolution is not as good. Then save it wherever you wish. It’s ready for you to upload to Facebook, Twitter, or your website.