The Selfie
Introduction
What is a selfie?
A selfie is a photograph that one has taken of themselves, usually taken with a smartphone. One of the most common photograph's shared on social media is a selfie.
Why have selfies become so popular?
I think that the reason why selfies have become so popular is because of the invention of the smart phone. If the invention of the smart phone did not take place we would not be able to take a selfie as a selfie is taken via the front camera. I also think that another reason that selfies have become so popular is because we as a society enjoy being in control of every aspect of our lives, so why not control the picture we appear in by taking them ourselves? Another reason why I think selfies have become so popular is because we like to document our lives and share it with our family’s and our friends. There is another reason for why selfies are so popular and not only for the younger generation, but also older generations as well. I think that often people grow from their social interactions with others and form an image of themselves based on how they believe others perceive them. When people post selfies, they often monitor the amount of likes and comments they get on each photo. Also, the sort of pictures that attract more attention tend to have faces in them, so what better than to post than a selfie?
Is there negatives to taking and sharing of selfies?
I think there is almost definitely negatives to taking and sharing of selfies. Although I think taking selfies can be a really fun and easy way to express ourselves, I think it can also really effect our self esteem, especially if the selfie you share via social media does not get the response you wanted. I also think seeing other people's selfie's often causes people to compare themselves, often to unrealistic models who have either edited the photo or have had many surgical procedures.
Altered selfies
Self-portraits
Why do artists make self-portraits
Artists used self-portraits as a kind of calling card, attesting to their ability to capture a likeness and giving a sense of their capabilities.
What is the definitin of a self-portrait?
a picture, photograph, or piece of writing that you make of or about yourself
Vivian Maier
Vivian Maier was an American street Photographer whose work was not given recognition until her death. She worked for about fourty years as a nanny, while she persued her photography. Her photographs were mainly of everyday life and usually included people. Vivian did not actually want the recognition that he deserved she more took photograohs to hold on tight to her memories.
A rare quote from Vivian Maier, taken from a recording:
“We have to make room for other people. It's a wheel – you get on, you go to the end, and someone else has the same opportunity to go to the end, and so on, and somebody else takes their place."
I think this quote really revealed her outlook on life.
“We have to make room for other people. It's a wheel – you get on, you go to the end, and someone else has the same opportunity to go to the end, and so on, and somebody else takes their place."
I think this quote really revealed her outlook on life.
Vivian Maier's portfolio
I have chosen these nine images as I think they summarise Vivian Maier's work very well, I think a similar pattern in these nine images is that they are all based around everyday life which I personally really like and to me it makes the photographs super interesting. Another reason why I chose these photographs is because I think they all hold so much character and have just been taken in such an interesting way.
Some photographs I have taken inspired by Vivian Maier
Using Vivian Maier's work as inspiration, I created 17 photographs. I edited them in black and white as all of Vivian's photographs are in black and white. Many of my photographs include reflections or everyday objects.
A genre of 'the selfie'
I chose these images to base my photos of because I think they are the most interesting, and they really caught my eye. I also think they are quite different to the usual selfie you think of.