Are you a Selfie Master? The art of the selfie.


By now, I’m sure you’ve heard of ‘selfies.’

Selfies are simply pictures you take (and post) of yourself.

What started off as a way of capturing yourself in the moment, in the absence of someone else to take the picture for you, has transformed into a global phenomenon.

It’s so serious that selfies now have their own Olympic Games (of sorts).

The Selfie Olympics started this week and they are over the top.

Peep #SelfieOlympics on Twitter if you want to keep up with them.

Folks everywhere are taking selfies.

But there are folks out there, who have mastered – MASTERED – taking selfies.

Veritable Selfie Masters.

What makes them masters?

One glance at their Facebook, Twitter or Instagram feeds, and you’ll know that they take taking pictures of themselves seriously.

You know when you’ve encountered a Master.

Their pictures contain the tells.

Look for the eyes.

Sometimes wide-eyed. Sometimes, narrow slits. Sometimes opened just so.

But always with a ‘come hither’ expression, regardless of width.

Check the mouth.

Sometimes smiling. Sometimes serious. Sometimes with puckered lips.

But, somehow, always inviting.

Peep the pose.

Sometimes with their head thrown back. Sometimes bent slightly forward (with generous cleavage). Sometimes in repose.

But always beckoning you closer.

It takes work to master the selfie.

It doesn’t just happen by accident.

You’ve got to be committed.

Learning to hold your camera or camera phone just so takes practice.

Getting that smile that looks genuine, and not rehearsed, requires dedication.

Keeping your outstretched arm from being in the shot, and appearing to have had the picture taken by someone else, is high art.

Selfies are an art form.

There, I’ve said it.

Selfies are an art form.

Think about it.

Do you look good in every photo you take of yourself?

Be honest.

No. You don’t.

Know why?

You’re not a master.

Admit it.

You aren’t committed.

I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t take a good selfie to save my life.

No matter what I try, my forehead is always too big, or shiny or enveloped in shadow.

Don't stare at the top of my forehead. You may go blind.

Don’t stare at the top of my forehead. You may go blind.

Even with my best efforts, my hairline is too scruffy, unkempt or appears too far back on my head.

Am I mad because my hairline appears to be receding?

Am I mad because my hairline appears to be receding?

If I’m conscientious or not, my clothes look disheveled, ill-fitting or dirty.

Why do I have a picture in my 'man-jammies'? Anyone?

Why do I have a picture in my ‘man-jammies’? Anyone?

Generally, when it comes to selfies, I end up looking a hot mess.

It’s not like I don’t try to take a good picture.

Shit, if I’m really honest, I take dozens – dozens of shots, trying to get just the right angle or perspective.

I rarely succeed.

I end up looking like a cow in a fisheye lense.

But that’s just me.

Alas, I am not a Selfie Master.

Perhaps one day, I will have mastered the art of the selfie, and will join their storied ranks.

For now, I’ll just suffer through self-photographing mediocrity.

What about you?

Are you a Selfie Master?

218 Comments

Filed under Uncategorized

218 responses to “Are you a Selfie Master? The art of the selfie.

  1. Loved this! I’m definitely not a master at all. No matter what, I’ll end up doing the “take 20 selfies, hate them all, delete and be sad” thing lol. Maybe one day I’ll get it right!

    Like

  2. raveensethi

    This blog is very interesting and relevant,holding relevance to this generation. Overall,a good read! Well done

    Like

  3. Haha hilarious this made me chuckle! It takes me 10 selfies to get to the right one!!

    Like

  4. Denise [But First, Live!]

    LOL! i suck at selfies!!!! hahahhaha!
    love this post – Thanks! 😉

    Like

    • Denise, welcome to the club. Many of us are notoriously poor selfie takers. Sure, we may get a good one off every once in a blue moon. But for the most part, our selfies are a subtle form of self torture. We know we won’t take a good picture, but we go for it anyway. Glad you liked it!

      Like

  5. I just about died when I saw that picture of you in the onesie! Lol. Entertaining article.

    Like

    • Why thank you Miss Cloudy! Mind you, that pose in my onesie is as manly as it gets. So I can’t for the life of me figure out why folks find it so funny. When I look at it, I see Super Nigerian Man, no?

      Like

  6. iamamiraa

    Reblogged this on Hey, I'm Amiraa and commented:
    This is made me LOL😂

    Like

  7. iamamiraa

    This actually made me chuckle 😂😂

    Like

  8. No, a pro, I am not, and don’t think I’ll ever be, I must admit I tried and gave up when my finger kept getting in the shot.

    Like

  9. This is hilarious 😀 😀

    Like

  10. I think selfies are kool, only problem I have is that people only want to show the good pics, if your true to your selfie, take the good, bad, and the crooked eye ones.

    Like

    • That’s the thing Silent. Not everyone is confident about themselves enough to post the good, bad and ugly. By and large, we’re seeing only the curated, perfectly coiffed, flattering ones. The few that get by folks’ filters end up on Selfie Fail blogs, where the not-so-attuned are immortalized forever for their selfie faux pas.

      Like

  11. Shiny forehead – I’ve had selfie lessons from my teens but I still look like I come from Medieval times. Funny post. Perhaps we will evolve longer arms in the future.

    Like

  12. This was hilarious. Probably because I can relate. Nice light hearted post. Admittedly, i have yet to join the selfie movement. But I can acknowledge its existence, and boy is it real.
    So much so, camera apps come equipped with ‘filters’ on phone’s so one can add effects to his/her images. We now live in a world of Cellphone (Self phone) photographers. Imagine that.
    In the end, I’ll leave the selfies to the professionals.

    Mr. SoBo
    “Smart Men Rock”

    Like

  13. yukirozen

    I have to “tweak” my photos xD haha as I always manage to find some “ugh” photos, and never seem to find the one that can make itself call a “decent selfie” xD hahaha… omg… you’re so right… “pure unadultered vanity”

    Like

  14. Hahaha. Great read.

    Like

  15. Reblogged this on zacculbertson and commented:
    “Selfies are an art form”
    Might have just laughed out loud. Perfectly said.
    I do not encourage selfies but some people think they are necessary everyday but as long as the front of our phones have a camera allowing us to take them, sadly they will be taken. Throwback Thursdays will forever be popular, the end.

    Like

  16. For me a ‘selfie’ is an image of one self portrayed to others this portrayal is very superficial particularly in our youth, as we really do not know ourselves. As the years pass we begin to understand our own depth and as we do, we generally become less willing to share such a superficial image of ourselves with others. We would prefer people not to view us as empty generic shells in a generic pose especially after going through the life experiences we have been going through, we would prefer to be recognised for our own unique characteristics. These can not be so easily captured from a self held angled camera lens, even by a selfie master. To be honest there are so many other things in life that we can try to master, which will in turn enhance our lives and the lives of others, I don’t think we should worry too much about mastering the selfie. I enjoyed reading your thought provoking post and your attempts at ‘selfies’ was particularly brave and highly amusing. Good luck if you continue in the pursuit of an exceptional ‘selfie’. Jasmine.

    Like

  17. What an amazing, witty post! I can tell you that I most certainly am not a selfie master!

    Like

  18. One of my sis-in-laws posts selfies on Facebook like it’s her jOB, so this post definitely made me laugh! The worst ones in my opinion…the duck face pose! Ack

    Like

  19. magnolia566

    It IS pure unadulterated vanity. I watch teenagers take pictures of themselves all day long, and all they want is for people to comment on them. They don’t realize that NOBODY cares about their pictures, because everyone they know is also too busy taking pictures and waiting for comments to give a damn.

    Like

  20. Hey Shuku (I love that name) I great selfies. I don;t claim to be anything but your average Selfic idol, with nothing more than exactly the self-conscious problems you describe so well, so I try to do something with them afterwards – my “self-portraits” (just little upmarket there) Check ’em out on Xraypics.wordpress.com. I’d love to hear your comments – the more brutal the better. Cheers, Tony

    Like

  21. So funny! I love people who don’t take themselves too seriously, so I totally appreciate your man-jammies. Haha!

    Like

  22. I think you did okay with your onesie selfie! I too ONE selfie at the end of 2013 and it turned out pretty good (for me, I too suffer from the massive forehead syndrome) and no one spotted it for what it was. Go on, tell me I’m a master…http://warmginger.com/2014/01/01/goodbye-to-my-selfie/

    Like

  23. I am a selfie master. I am such a selfie master that I downloaded the app “Facetune” to my iPhone so I could fix my facial issues in the event that I have one *lol* You can fix your forehead if you wanted to. I never noticed the shine or the shadow until you pointed it out 🙂
    This blog was a fun read. I love your thermals. I suspect they have a trap door in the back. If the link below works, it’s of the last selfie I took of 2013..

    Like

  24. This Side of Paradise

    There are no words to express how much I enjoyed this but I’ll try. Funny. Well-written. Insightful. And damn clever.

    Like

  25. This post is great! I’m ugly as hell in selfies. About given up on ’em and I’ll never, ever be a master!

    You’ve gained a new follower!

    Like

  26. PRINCE MARCH MRAZ

    Reblogged this on 코리아카지노 우리카지노 ▶ JOWA9.COM ◀ 다모아카지노 월드카지노 썬시티카지노 에이플러스카지노 윈스카지노 정선카지노 태양성카지노 강원랜드카지노 핼로우카지노 헬로우카지노 핼로카지노 헬로카지노 바카라카지노 and commented:
    코리아카지노 우리카지노 ▶ JOWA9.COM ◀ 다모아카지노 월드카지노 썬시티카지노 에이플러스카지노 윈스카지노 정선카지노 태양성카지노 강원랜드카지노 핼로우카지노 헬로우카지노 핼로카지노 헬로카지노 바카라카지노

    Like

  27. <—– reigning Queen of the "selfie"! Great Blog!

    Like

  28. On the odd occasion that I have attempted a selfie, it has been disastrous – can never get rid of that tell-tale arm, and can’t quite tilt my head naturally!! Loved the article x

    Like

  29. hahaha loved your post! I’m from the selfie generation but I wouldn’t be caught dead taking one myself, it’s highly degrading (in my opinion) I love being photographed though, I’m just not a fan of doing it myself or in the mirror.. It seems so pathetic.

    Like

    • Kay, thank you so much. I’m glad that you enjoyed it. Now how do you really feel about selfies? Don’t hold back (tee-hee). I probably wouldn’t go so far as to say that selfies are ‘pathetic’. Sometimes it’s really a function of utility. There is no one around and you want to capture the moment. And I’m not talking about the compulsive selfie-taker, but the occasional snapper. I’m sure you don’t think that ALL selfies are pathetic. Right?

      Like

      • Well, by selfies I refer to the pics that people usually take at home, pouting into the camera, or even worse, in their bathroom mirrors (shudder)
        I saw a real cool pic of a guy recently who took a picture of himself minutes after surviving a plane crash. I’ll admit, those kinda selfies are cool, one’s that capture a special moment or tell a story but definitely not the type that I aforementioned.

        Like

  30. Reblogged this on CabbageTalk and commented:
    I love this post.

    Like

  31. Hilarious! I am SOOOO not a selfie master! I usually end up looking very un-glamorous and somehow I capture myself from all the worst angles. Too much chin! No cheeks! Did not know I had that much forehead! And where did my hair go??! I am glad to know that I am not the only one…and I loved the man-jammies! Very courageous of you to share!

    Like

    • GeorgeAnn, few of us (of a certain age) can truly lay claim to mastery of selfies. It is (apparently) a skill that the younger generation is quite adept at. Capturing those angles that make our foreheads, chins and hairlines seem attractive is second nature to these kids. I fear we must suffer the mediocrity of our selfies with dignity. And thanks for the compliments. Apparently these jammies are a hit!

      Like

  32. Reblogged this on Joyce s Place and commented:
    I love it. Photographing has always been a passion of mine. I just aim, look at the little circle and try not to close my eyes before the flash. 😉

    Like

  33. I love it! definitely a re-share…

    Like

  34. lol this was hilarious and very interesting read. I am falling in the ‘selfie’ category…but I think that the ‘selfies’ give us regular people a chance to control how we look on camera,that is, if we master it like you said! lol…the point is, it’s just feeling like you’re in control!

    Like

  35. saramcknight

    I once asked a professional portrait photographer if he worried his line of work would soon be replaced by selfies. He said ‘never, he was too good at his job’. I took the picture he had just taken of me, and put it next to my iPhone, with a recent ‘selfie’. My picture was undeniably better. He’ll be out of a job soon.

    Like

  36. I absolutely love this! It is hilarious! My students take 100+ selfies a day and post them everywhere! I think to me a master you must be under the age of 18!

    Like

  37. I always thought that the greatest of selfies were those with the element of hilarity! Along with the other people here, I am appreciating the man-jammies.

    Like

  38. almosttgrown

    these days when I take a selfie its often with my new bestie – my textbooks and study materials — if you haven’t guessed yet, I am currently in the middle of exam period so theres not much time to be taking selfies every two minutes in a new location … read all about my triumphs and falls at http://www.almosttgrown.wordpress.com

    Like

  39. Ava M

    Fun post! I have taken the art of sefies to a new imaginative level and create new characters, that of course look nothing like the real me.

    Like

  40. Loved this post! Found it hilarious! I am no Master Selfie myself. I reckon the hardest selfie to master is the selfie in the mirror. I just can’t hold my phone in a glamarous way. Oh well, I’ll keep practising 🙂

    Like

  41. Reblogged this on xristinamaria and commented:
    here are the reasons why i’ll never be a selfie master. not that i intend to be 🙂

    Like

  42. melanieorvis

    I am a loud and very proud “selfie” taker. My instagram is full of selfies, and i am the furtherest thing from ashamed of it. #selfielife

    Like

  43. This made my day, haha, love your style of writing!

    Like

  44. Reblogged this on polarbear87's Blog and commented:
    Hilarious

    Like

  45. You have a pic in your man jammies’ because they are awesome!

    -a non selfie master

    Like

  46. I feel I have “mastered” the Selfie, if I must say so myself!! Lots of my training came from America’s Next Top Model. You have to learn your angles, and make them work for you! When taking a head shot it’s better to raise the camera instead of head-on. I’m not sure how to do the full body mirror shots, but most times I just find someone to take those for me! However, they never seem to capture everything that I am trying to fit in the lens. Very nice post!!

    Like

  47. Pingback: Are you a Selfie Master? The art of the selfie. | dtfuller414

  48. HA HA HAlarious! Thanks for the post! Most important thanks for the onesy!

    Like

  49. I never have been a selfie. 2014 I’m definitely practicing. I need a pick for my LinkedIn page. Thanks for making smile.

    Mr.MakingUsmile

    Like

  50. Reblogged this on susq2200 and commented:
    ctfu why his whole headline showing tho he got that lebron type line

    Like

  51. mizdeeza

    LMAO! Found myself laughing throughout. Selfies with a webcam or a phone camera are the worst…instant low self-esteem!!! HAHAHA! Congratulations on being freshly pressed. 🙂

    Like

    • Thanks MizDeeza! I’m loving the FP love I’ve received over the past two days. Very inspiring. I’m pleased that this post made you laugh, because I’m definitely going for lighthearted fun at the expense of the selfie-obsessed!

      Like

  52. I would take a selfie, but I do not want to scare the internet. I might be declared an alien from space and dissected.

    Like

  53. Ur forehead somehow invited me to tell u that ur very intellectual n a lateral thinker.u focus on things that only interest u and feeling and emotions don’t play much a role in ur thinking process:) a lovely hilarious post I must say👍👍

    Like

  54. I look beautiful selfie or not…..thax for d info though, I think it’s a teenager craze and a self obsessed disorder😂

    Like

    • Here, here! I think that the whole selfie movement (as we’re currently seeing it) is a phenomenon of the younger generation, although plenty of folks from my generation are caught up in posting repetitive images of themselves (go figure). I’m not sure I would call it a disorder, especially since it emanates from social media, which didn’t necessarily exist (in its present form) a few years ago. There was no Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or many of these photo/video sharing media for people to get all caught up in. It may, in fact, be the symptoms of a deeper issue, but the jury’s still out for me.

      Like

  55. OMG this is so amazing. I sure had a good laugh – thank you for that! Keep blogging and mastering the art of taking selfies. Love!!!!

    Like

  56. Kay

    I ❤ the jammies….There I said it, lol. Great post though, totally agree, I am also NOT a master of the selfie…

    Like

  57. Congrats on getting selected for Freshly Pressed! I love the pajamas too. Good piece.

    Like

  58. You have a nice forehead my friend, take a look at mine, it’s huge! And you know what – I like it!

    Like

  59. Donna Cordova

    Hi Stephen, your post is just very timely, no I’m not a selfie master. I often take few shots and when I see my ugly face on the camera, I delete it right away. Something is not just right. And damn! I haven’t post any selfie on my facebook or twitter. I always ended up putting my camera on a timer or have someone take a shot afar from me, but holding my camera in just a few distance? ugghhh, its always a failure! I have to master and begin to like my self more.

    Like

    • Donna thanks for the comments. Selfies, by their very nature, require that you love yourself, first and foremost. The whole point of the selfie is self-promotion, so you’ve got to be uber comfortable with yourself. You are not ugly, so don’t ever put that energy out there. None of us are supermodels (except supermodels) so the standard of beauty starts from within. As I have said, not everyone can master the selfie, so if you look better to yourself in other people’s pictures, stick to that. Selfies are soooooooo over-rated anyway!

      Like

      • Donna Cordova

        Thanks Stephen! You really inspire me and challenged me in so many ways. You are very positive! I might post my first selfie pose and blog it in my wordpress. And hope you dont mind me mentioning your post to inspire also my audience.

        Like

  60. based on the pointers you’ve listed above, no, i’ll never be a selfie master. should my world fall apart now? 😉 that said, i had fun reading your post. high five for being freshly pressed. and keep on mastering selfies 😉 and please do us a favor, blog about it!

    Like

  61. I love your post, and those red jammies. I am horrible at selfies. Maybe someday there will be classes for better selfies. I would take a selfies 101 class. lol. I am glad check FP! You have a great blog.

    Like

    • Aww Marie! You’ve got me blushing! Thank you so much for your read and comments. I’m definitely doing a follow up on selfies so check back often – or follow so you’ll get the updates automatically.

      Like

  62. Hot mess is not a bad look for you man! I for one, am tired of the reign of selfies. Its okay sometimes, but mostly the pouty lips and the slitted eyes and the come-and-get-me look seems seriously overdone. But maybe that’s just me trying to be okay with the fact that I’m NOT a selfie master.
    Cheers to you!

    Like

  63. This is really funny. I hate selfies. I have indulged a couple of times and the only decent one is the pic I use for my avatar. I won’t be changing it for a long time. Great post.

    Like

  64. I kinda belong to the selfie generation but I never tried it. 😀

    Like

    • Benza, I’ve peeped a few of the photos others have taken of you, and it’s clear that they’re talented. When you’ve got minion to do your bidding, selfies are unnecessary!

      Like

  65. lincolndorie

    Reblogged this on Its all one big world and commented:
    Selfies I really don’t understand why anyone would to this, what happened to taking pictures of you and your friends with a good ‘ole camera. I guess I have never thought that taking my picture is that much fun and honestly will do anything to not be a in a picture. Can we call these people vain? I know someone who has over 40,000 selfies and just makes no sense. Stamp out the Selfie Movement!

    Like

    • Lincoln, selfies are definitely a recent phenomenon and clearly not everyone is into it. I’m with you that selfies are a form of vanity that we many never fully comprehend. But it is here to stay so we’d better get used to it!

      Like

  66. Bwoy, what is that red outfit? 😉

    Like

  67. After several months gaps, I just recently resumed reading Freshly Pressed. I’m so glad I came in time for this post. Totally made me laugh out loud, true story.

    Like

  68. If no one likes your selfie, then you immediately take it off and forget it ever happened haha. I agree that social media should not be such an important factor in our lives. I wasn’t really speaking from my point of view, but some of my friends invest way too much into the approval they get from others via social media. I’ve even had friends come to me and demand I like their selfie! I prefer to get my approval from things that actually matter such as grades, sports performance, etc. Thanks for responding to my comment 🙂

    Like

  69. dstill449

    Maybe one day you’ll master the selfie!!

    Like

  70. Woah Bro,
    That was awesome I totally agree with all of the points made in the post. I will check back to your blog and maybe you can check out mine as well?
    http://caturnerblog.wordpress.com/
    There’s the link, check it out and I will check out here again. You just earned a follower!

    Like

  71. Pogue

    I love the man jammies!

    Like

  72. Haha this made me laugh!
    Great post – not a selfie taker, and proud! (Although I do have a few lurking around) but mostly that’s because I’m camera shy when others are around and I need good profile pics! Or as good as I can get.)

    Nice onsie by the way… 😉

    Like

    • Chelsea thanks for the love! I think lots of folks initially take selfies to have a flick to add to some online profile. But then (as one would expect) you can’t get a good one the first time and so you take another…and another…and before you know it you’re on your way to selfie-dom!

      Like

  73. Hilarious and so true.. some people make a career of selfies.. one reason I closed up shop last year on “the book of faces”, a new selfie would pop up in my timeline every 30 minutes.. oi vey..
    any selfies you see of me on the web, I will deny as a selfie..lol
    congrats on FP!

    Like

    • Six degrees, thanks for the love! You’re the second professional photographer with an ‘informed’ perspective on selfies. They’re definitely annoying when you get repetitive posters all up in your stream/timeline. It’s like “Do you think I’ve forgotten how you look? Why the steady stream of images of your face?” I’ve taken to unfollowing cats who are chronic selfie posters so that I’m not a part of their fandom. Ridiculous!

      Like

  74. This has made my whole damn day.

    Like

  75. This is hilarious, as the younger generation I can relate to this mastery! Thanks for the laugh!

    Like

  76. Thank you! Your blog made me laugh…excellent…

    Like

  77. My hand is held UP high..I’m a selfie master! Or least the ones that I show/send to people are marvelous(I delete my crappy ones with a quickness)..Loved this write & lmfao..And that took guts to post the pic of the man-jammies..Rocking that red! I used to have a pair of those jams with footies attached! (yucky green color, but jeez they were comfy..) 2 thumbs UP on your write..Write ON

    Like

  78. This made me laugh 🙂

    Like

  79. Ahh holding the camera phone long enough.. Now that is where i am failing. But that onesie should now put you up there with selfie elites. Judging from your selfies, i reckon you mastered the art 😃

    Like

    • See CapsuleCreations, I am going to have to respectfully disagree. I think my man-jammies has me in company with selfie-fails. It’s not flattering. Or is it just me?

      Like

      • Not at all! Don’t be so harsh on your self. The fact that you managed to capture a full length selfie, warrants extra brownie points 😜

        Like

      • The selfie in the mirror is one of the oldest tricks in the book (made easier by the fact that I’ve got a full length joint in my kitchen). But notwithstanding my demur, I’ll take those brownie points, thank you very much!

        Like

  80. Can I just how much this blog gave me life! LOL! This was awesome. I agree, some selfies just DONT come out right. Though I must say, your selfie in the onsie was ON POINT lol. At any rate, great blog, you just gained a new follower. Feel free to check out mine as well!

    Like

  81. As a fifteen year old girl, I was interested to see what your opinion on the selfie was. This may sound extremely stupid, but the point of taking selfies is to give yourself a confidence boost. If people “like” your selfies, then it’s seen as an approval of what you look like. The ultimate honor is to be someone’s “Woman Crush Wednesday” or “Man Candy Monday”, which means they tell everyone that follows them how attractive you are. There’s even an entire day dedicated to the selfie, #selfiesunday. I guess they could be considered as vain, sometimes when your having a shitty day, it helps to have a hundred or so people tell you that your’e pretty. I think that if you can consider yourself to be “Selfie Master”, then you’ve gone too far. As far as vines go, those are just for people who want their six seconds of fame, and 99% of the people considered “Vine Famous” are one hit wonders that got lucky.

    Like

    • Katie, thank you so much for reading my little post. And thank you for providing an informed perspective on selfies. To be honest, I wasn’t up on the whole world of selfies. I didn’t know that folks were crushing on each other, so I’m really grateful for your insight. I hear you about using selfies to give your day a boost. But what happens when you post a selfie and no one likes it? Does your day continue to be shitty? Social media shouldn’t hold that much sway in your life and you should definitely look for offline means of getting out of a funk. But do you.

      Like

  82. I am definitely NOT a Selfie Master. I am not opposed to the idea of selfies within limitation, I just cannot seem to take a nice picture of myself. If you ever figure out how to become a Master, let me know!

    Like

  83. I’m pretty much a pro! #NoShame #FriendsCantDeal lol. 😉

    Like

  84. You don’t look like a mess. I love the red PJs!

    Like

  85. Midwestern Plant Girl

    Love the ‘Man-Jammies!!!’
    Congrats on gettin’ pressed!

    Like

  86. thatnavaword

    i THINK im good at selfies as i always say, no one takes a good photo of me, but me. lol.. because i get to practice and pose and retry and retry until i get that one pic that will suffice. It’s like two different people when i compare a selfie to a picture someone else took of me.

    Like

  87. As a MASTER selfie, (only because I truly do take better photos of myself than others are able to) I limit my posting of them to a minimum! I have never taken the full body shot in the bathroom mirror – I draw a limit there. I have to add for anyone who posts pictures at all, either selfies or otherwise, please for the love of all things holy, be sure your background is clean! I enjoyed reading your post!

    Like

    • Alright Miss Words! Your gangster is quite high if you take better pictures of you than others do. I was just commenting that the best pictures of folks have traditionally been taken by other people, and here you go challenging that assumption! But handle your scandal! I’m going to have to do a follow up post called “The 10 Selfie Commandments” to help the misguided. I saw a selfie fail the other day of a brother who took a selfie facing away from the bathroom mirror. Why was his crusty behind on full display behind him. And he clearly missed it because he posted it!

      Like

      • I will cowrite that one with you! And ackkk ackkk (me clearing my froak) check out my selfies via my FB page… look me up… Purrfect_eyes@hotmail.com or Florenza Denise Lee 🙂

        Yes, we need to educate the public about taking dirty shots! A nasty background will quickly change a money shot to a what the what in a minute

        Like

      • Flo (I hope you don’t mind me taking liberties with your name) let’s do it! I’ll write 10 and you write 10, and we’ll pick the top 10 from our collective list to co-publish! I’m sure we’ll have dupes, but if not, we can figure out which ones are on the A list.

        I peeped your profile, and yes, you are The Queen of Selfies, hands down. I see you’re not shy with that tatted shoulder out!

        Like

      • Deal! And YES, I love my ink; took me 43 years to get the first, and seven years later, I am still hooked! Starting my list of top 10 no-gos now…

        Like

  88. I take fine photos of others, just not of myself. I need schooling!

    Like

  89. This was hilarious, thanks for writing and congrats on freshly pressed! There are so many things that need to come together for a selfie and it was fun to see you touch on them. I am definitely not a mistress of the selfie, but I have hope for the future.

    Like

    • Thanks A.L.! I am humbled by the compliments I’ve received since getting ‘Freshly Pressed’ and this topic is definitely close to a lot of people’s hearts – LOL! Keep practicing, you’ll master it.

      Like

  90. Minaa B

    “Selfies are pure unadulterated vanity” hahaaa love it!. I probably have moved from beginning to mediocre on the level of selfie achievements. So sad!

    Like

  91. You are darling and so funny and I will be smiling all day! Thank you. And I don’t do selfies. I just post too many photos of my cute cats. On the other hand the teens in my life are selfie masters – I think it is some evolutionary modification.

    Like

  92. I don’t understand this ‘selfie’ tag/movement. I see it a lot nowadays but what’s the difference between that and people having taken photos of themselves for themselves and/or others for decades? That said I’ve never really understood that massive amount of people taking pics of themselves in a mirror with a camera for the past what, 5 or so years? Most commercially available cameras have had timers on them since the 70’s and even more so with the digital revolution which is why it surprised me to see so many mirror pics. Before phones had swivel cameras it made sense for people with only camera enabled phones but not cameras to take pics like that but still tons of people were using cameras in that curious way. I asked a few and most said they hadn’t realized their was a timer…

    I’ve always taken my own photos since I don’t like being in front of a camera person, I find it embarrassing though when someone asks me to take pics of them I’m ok with that and they obviously are too. Which brings me to my next point – my selfies have gotten better over the years because I’ve learned more about photography and which is why others trust me to take pics of them but with all this ‘selfie’ barrage what is the difference between being a selfie photo taker and a photographer, whether amateur, hobbyist or pro? ‘Selfie’ seems like a negative tag/label but many of us into photography have never seen taking our own photos that way; less labour, less time, more control and less arguing over details etc. That said I’m no selfie master and have blogged about and shown parts I wasn’t happy with.

    As for the posing – can’t always look normal doing normal things and hey people are supposed to pose and be fun or cool for the camera:-). Natural, surprised and everyday shots are fine too and can capture special moments very nicely but both have their limitations and advantages.

    Like

    • Dapper Dolly,

      Thanks for the read and the comments! You’re right. The selfie craze isn’t really a craze per se, since folks have been doing it for time immemorial. The difference is social media, and the platform its provided for people to share their obsession with themselves. I’m still grappling with people taking (and posting) countless pictures of themselves.

      Go figure! Kudos to professional photographers who know how to make us look good all the time!

      SC

      Like

      • Ah I think I see an understanding on the horizon 🙂 It’s quantity over quality? Akin to people with point and shoot cameras on automatic who take 1000-2000 photos on holiday but only ever need or want/keep approx 50-100? Or taking 30 shots to get 1-2 ones and that’s of a still setting rather capturing movement in a sequence hence having to take more to counteract the inevitable blur that doesn’t always look good. With the vanity/addictive qualities thrown in for good measure. Well a certain amount can’t be helped and in a way it seems thousands of selfies (the candid and not photoshoot ones) have taken the place of video cameras for capturing moments.

        Like

      • Dapper Dolly,

        You’re getting there. Selfies are pure unadulterated vanity. The multiple shots allow you to have a wide breadth of shits to select from. Although (as you correctly note) only a few of which will ultimately make the cut.

        And were it that simple, we’d be done. But there are also “Vines” – short six-second videos, that are becoming a virulent as selfies. Vines are to videography what selfies are to photography.

        We live in a brave new world.

        SC

        Like

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s