Selfies! Selfies! Selfies!

Selfie!

Selfie

If I didn't have proof before, it is most evident now that this generation has become more and more self-absorbed when the new word for the year as ordained by Oxford the dictionary gods is “Selfie”.

SELFIE

Now that we are so advanced in our culture as to take our own head shots, I have discovered two major problems. The first, some people are not photogenic no matter how good the photographer. 

The second, narcissism is an epidemic.

Outside
Selfie

There are now rules and to do’s regarding selfies that many who practice the art should adhere to but like many things in life such as texting and driving, dating and drinking, or opening mouth and speaking, there are the unaware offenders that suffer from a lack of propriety.

You have types of Selfies:

• The “I-need-a-profile pic” selfie where a person is casually making a self photo, not really caring about the vanity of selfie posting. It’s a need and they fulfill it.
• The “Repeat Offender” who decides to continuously post a selfie every five minutes as if they think you may have forgotten what they look like. It’s the in your face…face

Hubby in my selfie

Nephew in my selfie

• The “Look who I’m with” selfie is the sharing of companionship. Innocently done, it is a bragging that I am with so and so or it’s a reminder to their social media onlookers that they in fact, do have friends. This is also a way to drop a name, in the old days we would mention our encounter with some celebrity or higher up, but now, name dropping is a selfie dropping.

LOOK who I am WITH!
Selfie

• The “Come-hither” selfie gives the allusion of sexual promiscuity and you could be the lucky person except it goes out to your community of social media friends and family such as Uncle Bob who really shouldn't see that or little Ted. These Selfies should be more a one to one basis like in texting.

• The “XXX” Selfie that is illegal in many states especially if posted by a minor and that’s all I got to say on that.

• The “I’ve been working out” selfie which always represents someone who spends a lot of their life focused on their bodies. You rarely see a size 12 mother with kids post a gym selfie and if you saw one, you would know why. Real women have curves, cellulite, and flab and they also have a life!

Am I guilty? 

Do I personally have a few selfies?  

HAVE YA' NOTICED?

But, my selfies must pass a few tests before posting---- such as…do they make me look better than real life? 

Do they show any unwanted body parts? 
What is behind me in the photo? 
Why am I taking this selfie, to show my new hair? 
My new attitude? 
Or my new self since the last selfie was pretty much the same thing!

If you are going to be a selfie generator, then by all means, take the time to explore how to do them well. 

Here are a few tips: 

If your arm is short, then you might need to add more make up because close ups are brutal!

The art of Selfies:

Angle of the shot. We all have a best side. Know yours. Take pics from a natural angle, straightforward or turn your head slightly. You really should not shoot from down low since chins and necks are not the best feature on anyone but Jay Leno. If you do the popular shot from high up, that’s ok, the view can make you slimmer and the lighting is sometimes better. 

I notice many selfie shots are taken in the car which does have natural lighting ----so just try not to be driving in traffic while stiking a pose!  Or the next pic you take maybe something from the Walking Dead.

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2.     Pose. Smiling is always a good way to represent yourself unless you are taking the come hither look which is more about poochy lips or dripping hamburgers. You can try the I- did-not-know-I-was-taking-a-photo of myself natural look.

3.     Lighting. Some lights are harsh. Yellow walls can bounce off and make yellow faces and strong lights on your hair color can show off roots, discolor or turn your nice shade of blonde into reddish brown. Natural lighting is good but you always have to work with the shadows.

4.     Location, location, location!  Like me, I am snooping into the background and if you have dishes piled up, laundry, a hoarder’s paradise in your background then you may give out more information about yourself than you want. Such as the “at the bar” shot when you are already in AA may give the appearance of falling off the wagon.

All selfies tell a story, it’s your story. What are your selfies saying about you? 

For example, are you the Kim Kardashian of selfies on your social media group? Have you done an inventory of your selfie postings for the last six months and come up with more than 50? Do you continuously post brag art? 

Is it all about you? 

Then, apparently, you fit in with the rest of the world.