A selfie is a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and occasionally shared via social media.
I take about 100 selfies a week, however they are mostly just a joke: I use this to communicate with my friends. I only post about 1 photo over the space of around 1 and a half weeks on Instagram.
I think the reason as to why selfies have become so popular over time is because it is a trend that people followed, and some people would say that it allows people to express themselves through it.
Despite the positive aspects of selfies, there is also a downside; these are: -Someone could track your location and see where you are -Chance of unwanted criticism -Cyber bullying
I believe there are no rules to selfies, as it is a way of expressing yourself I ways which are creative, confident, etc.
What is a self portrait?
A self portrait is a portrait that an artist produces of themselves, and it is often shared publicly.
[National Portrait Gallery];
I find this portrait the most appealing because it was the first one to catch my eye; I love the vivid colour contrast and how it is presented. The background is vibrant, setting the mood and making the subject stand out.
I also like this self portrait as it uses the idea of triptychs to display the different angles that the woman is at, and it gives you an insight of how far self portraits and triptychs go back in history.
[Saatchi Gallery];
Vivian Maier Exhibition
Reflective Selfies:
This is my favourite photo, as it is reflected in an unusual surface: not just an ordinary mirror. I like the effect of the blurred look and how it doesn't display the real colour of the setting.
I think this photo resembles my image above because they share similar properties: it is reflected onto a window, there is only one colour all over, and a face is presented in the centre of the picture.
Self Portraiture In Photography:
Historically, artists used self portraitsas a kind of calling card, documenting their ability to capture a likeness and giving a sense of their capabilities. Also self portraits are convenient exercises because the model is always available and works for free.
The selfie phenomenon:
I believe the selfie has become so popular because people have showcased intimate moments in their lives and allowed other individuals to witness them. It gives you a chance to provide an expression to everybody, whether it is a positives expression or a negative impression.
View Finder Photos:
This is my favourite image because I find it most appealing in comparison with the other images. I find it most appealing as my arm represents leading lines heading towards the main focus of the picture, framed by the viewfinder. The main formal elements are shapes such as rectangles, circles and triangles. When I say 'triangles', I am looking at how the orange section and the wall of lockers create a triangular shape. The composition is interesting, as there Armstrong diagonal lines all across the image, adding to the effectiveness of the photo.
View Finder Re-take:
This is my favourite image:
I like this image the best because the viewfinder is not being held/ touched to show the subject- it is on a surface alone, capturing the subject without filling the screen. Also, it is most relevant to the idea of 'selfies' compared to the other photos.
Scanography:
Scanography is the idea of capturing a 'selfie' through the process of scanning, in which there is a light that scans whatever you want to scan, and slowly travels across the glass.
This scan didn't turn out as well as I thought, so I have a few things to improve on it. The first thing is the fact that I need to lower my face so it is visible and exposed to the scanner because the further away my face is, the less light there is because there is more space for the light to escape making it darker and less visible. Secondly, in creative terms, I could have moved faster, blurring the image indicating movement.