The Art of Selfie and The Selfie Obsession by Lora Christelle Lim - When you log into your Facebook or Instagram or Twitter account, you are flooded with your friends' postings of Selfies. This could be enjoyable or annoying for some. Personally, I enjoy watching Selfies posted by beautiful people as they share their dress outfit of the day (OOTD) or when they show the various countries that they travel to or which restaurants they are dining at. The increase in Selfies has helped to increase the transmitting of information and knowledge. Talk about Stalking others on Social Media.
The Selfie helps to feed our voyeuristic nature. The convenience of taking photos of oneself has never been easier due to almost everyone owning a good mobile phone with a camera attached to it. Gone are the days where a digital camera is required to take good photographs. According to BBC news, the word "Selfie" has been named the word of 2013 by Oxford Dictionaries. So what is a Selfie???
SELFIE = A photograph of oneself typically taken with one's own mobile phone or webcam and uploaded onto a social media website.
The main reason for the increase in Selfies is the need for "Attention". Attention is power! Everyone enjoys and loves attention whether you choose to deny it or not. The honest and blatant truth of some selfies is the need to share with others how you look, how you are feeling, what you are doing or which place are you at? After all, everyone wants to lead an interesting life and be the envy of others. Some people post Selfies as a way to re-affirm their identity or beauty by receiving "Likes" on Facebook or increasing their number of followers on Instagram or Twitter. It's almost like a popularity war online. On the other hand, there are others who post Selfies when they are down to gain sympathy from others. Personally, I post Selfies on my Facebook mostly for entertainment sake especially when I'm bored.
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| Ellen's Selfie - http://livingtheamericanscreamdotcom.files.wordpress.com |
A Selfie is a powerful tool of expression that is controlled and manipulated by the creator himself. Narcissism is no longer a crime in today's modern society. Ellen DeGeneres's OSCARS Selfie is a huge marketing success for Samsung where a Samsung mobile phone was used. It has been dubbed as the "Biggest Selfie in History" with its star studded actors such as Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Kevin Spacey, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper etc. included in the photo. The photo itself has more than 2.7 million tweets! It is also deemed as a "Super Selfie" and the "Selfie of all Selfies"!
Celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, Beyonce, Rihanna etc. has exploited the powerful tool of Selfies on their Instagram accounts to gain popularity. Even US President Barack Obama and Pope Francis has caught on the Selfie craze. Taking a Selfie helps to draw/bond people together and even help to break awkward silences and can be a useful form of entertainment. I am a strong believer in taking photos to capture memories for keepsake. Photos are indeed extremely important to keep our precious memories throughout our entire lifetime!
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| www.telegraph.co.uk |
If you have not mastered the Art of Selfie, it's time to brush up your skills! For beginners, look into the mirror and check whether you have a better side or good angle for photo-taking. Most girls have realized that taking photos where the camera is placed at a higher angle helps to make your face slimmer and eyes bigger. If you are not a photoshop whiz, the biggest advantage to improve your photos would be the use of photo-enhancing mobile phone applications such as Photowonder, Pic Collage, Photo Editor etc. which are free to download from the App Store. My favorite is Photowonder and I confess I only use and have this app on my iPhone 5. It is simple to use!
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| PHOTOWONDER App |
Bottom line: What's the point of taking photographs if you don't share it with others? If you argue that you take photographs only to enjoy it alone, then you must have a really sad and miserable life. Photos are a great way to capture life moments and by sharing it with others, happiness is shared among all :)
Below are 8 types of Selfies on my Facebook account. Funny comments included! Love it or hate it.
1. Car Selfies - I love all my beautiful cars :) I also love driving around Sydney on a beautiful day :)
3. Fashion Selfies - Do you like my outfit and accessories? OOTD = Outfit of the Day
4. Pet Selfies - I have a beautiful dog & bunny that I love. Is your pet as beautiful as mine? Spread the love!
5. Group Selfies - I have beautiful friends and I enjoy spending time with them :) The one who takes this type of Selfie usually has the longest arms!
6. Mirror Selfies - Such a huge mirror, ideal to take a Selfie to show what I'm doing! This is especially common when at the hairdresser to show before and after. A good way to pass time & entertain oneself.
7. Chef Selfies - Who says I can't cook? Have you seen me cook up a storm in the kitchen with my pink apron on?
8. Nail Selfies - I just had an amazing manicure. Don't you love my new nail color?
P.S: Whether you love it or hate it, Selfies are here to stay for good!
♥ Lora Christelle Lim ♥
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