Earsdropping: on the perfect selfie angle
While at my university gym, I overheard a conversation between two meticulous muscled men about the best mirror to take a photo of themselves in. Their precise planning of pics was focused on which mirror allows the light to hit their chest just right — with the only disappointing downside that the angelic angle of their basking bosom would also include people “pissing in the background” at the urinals just across the way.
In picturesque places like the Grand Canyon, there have been instances of injuries or losses of life in pursuit of the perfect photo placement. And on a lesser extreme, some people just look plain old silly holding a selfie stick as they advertise their own vanity with a pole projected above the crowds.
In Barcelona, I recently witnessed a succession of inception selfies — as individuals lined up down an alleyway to aim their shot just right in front of one of the city’s holiest hotspots.
Now with all of my level-headed wit and charm, I am still guilty of the occasional selfie, mostly out of convenience while traveling (millennials can’t even talk on the phone, let alone ask someone else to take a photo) or when my wife and I are apart and want to connect.
While many instances of self facing photos are self-effacing, as we critique our own blemishes and biological biases, sometimes the sharing of a selfie can be met with a critique. My mother-in-law — a loving woman who, as any mother, craves photos of their family — has been prone to providing feedback about the inclusion of our arms (an unintended selfie side-effect) in photos. And with two or more people taking a group selfie together assures no one will be satisfied by a single snap.
From muscled men and stick stick-outs to photos on the edge and group photo gripes, is there a better way to saliently satisfy this selfie sensation?
In an eager effort, I have offered to play paparazzi as I grouped a gaggle of bachelorettes for the perfect pose. I was equally a part of the experience as they cheered me on as much as I, them. There have been countless instances where I have volunteered my amateur snapping services to a family at a fountain or a couple at a cathedral. While sometimes met with a who are you, go away kind of look, it is often received with an enthusiastic acceptance and an offer to reciprocate.
What a joy it is to interact with others around us in service of the bigger, better picture. If you have a companion, let those Instagram boyfriends and girlfriends get down on one knee and pop the pic. Practice politeness and cultivate connection as you ask a fellow photo fiend nearby to help frame your best self. Let’s turn this selfie, into an us-ie — or a we-ieeeeeee. I’m still workshopping the name. It felt cute, might delete later.
