The invention of digital technology in photography brought with it a handful of fun and exciting new ways to visually capture our daily lives. We have tiny cameras in our phones, in our cars, up in the air, on the heads of athletes, the bodies of law enforcement, and so on. Photography is everywhere.
Among all these new ways to capture life, one new trend stands out as the most popular: the manner in which we capture images of ourselves in our daily lives: the selfie.
The selfie is a self-portrait, usually made with a camera, to record a spontaneous moment in time. It can also be used to record and share ourselves in our most plain and boring moments. The ease of camera phone self-portraits allows a person to photograph themselves without the interference or influence of another person in the room. With the invention of the selfie-stick, a hand-held mini-boom designed to hold the phone steady, the tripod is no longer necessary for self portraits. There are dozens of gadgets to hold your cell phone steady to take razor sharp selfies in the dark.
As with anything the selfie can be taken to the extreme and it has caused people to do risky things to capture their selfies, putting themselves and others in danger and even causing death.
The popularity of this type of photograph has helped launch of careers of globally recognized celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, someone who has gone on to help others in the world. As well it has brought into the light the lives of those who normally find themselves alone. It has enabled shy persons to share with the world the joys, confidences and achievements that previously only they knew. And the small size of the phone camera allows us to take self portraits in places and situations never before attempted. The selfie has become an important form of visual communication and critical to the psychological well-being of many. The selfie has found its permanent place in human life and this trend is here to stay.
Text and photos copyright Gloria Hopkins. All Rights Reserved.
Gloria Hopkins Art 