The what is a selfie photo question used to be a question only being asked by a people who were not acutely tuned into the online world of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and other social networks.
Now the selfie photo question has become: who doesn't take selfie photos?
Whether this is good or bad thing is a topic for another article. For now, it's suffice to say selfies are here to stay, at least for a while. So, what is a selfie photo?
The Oxford Dictionaries declared "selfie" as the official word of 2013, because of its meteoric rise in use.
Here are a couple of selfie definitions to consider and have a little fun with:
1. A photograph taken of yourself used to brag about where you've been, whether it's the beach, the Grand Canyon, or at the MLB World Series.
2. A picture taken by you with your favorite celebrity, or perhaps a bunch of celebrities. It's your chance to brag about who you've spent time with.
As it turns out celebrities and bloggers have been taking selfie portraits for quite some time. Perhaps that's why they have so become mainstream with an increasingly larger segment of the general population.
3. A creative self portrait that doesn't reveal your identity
We could label this type of portrait as the Shy Selfie or Secret Selfie. This is a way to explore your creative self through photography without broadcasting your secret identity to internet surfers.
4. The definition of selfie as described by urbandictionary.com: An act carried out by girls aged 12-21, usually taken of oneself by posing. If the act is carried out by a man, he is usually seen as gay. I can't even comment on the absurdity of this one.
5. The typical definition of selfie: a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and shared via social media.
Now that we've got an understanding of several of the definitions of selfies, let's turn to what naturally follows. Let's face it. We've all seen some pretty bad selfie portraits. How can we change that? Take charge and be proactive in getting better.
Why not grab a few techniques to improve your images? Try these 5 tips for stepping up your game with your selfie photography.
What You Need to Know About Selfie Sticks. Which are the best and what features are important for you to know about.
Selfie vs. Self Portrait. There really is a big difference between the two, or is there anymore? Yes, and which one you should be taking.
Monopods. They can be used for your self portraits as well as your photography of wildlife and sports photography.
I hope you enjoyed this light-hearted look at what is a selfie portrait. Please share it with a friend using one of the share buttons. My own personal selfie practice: it's usually only for the sake of sharing a photography related tip or relevant information for the readers of the Better Digital Photography Tips website.
I must confess it to be a bit of fun to take pictures of my wife and I and certain venues and share them in a limited way to social media. Uh oh, am I getting dragged into the narcissistic culture?
Shoot more selfie photos. Shoot better selfie photos.
ABOUT BRUCE LOVELACE
Bruce is the publisher of this website. He is the author of the book "Improve Your Photography Instantly." Read more on Bruce on his Bio Page. He's been known as The Traveling Photographer ever since 1994. Read more about this website.
View some of Bruce's photos on Instagram. Visit the Facebook Page. Watch him on YouTube. Bruce runs photo workshops for kids and adults, and provides one-on-one photography coaching.
Digital Photography Education Location on Google My Business
Back to Digital Photography Tips Start Page