SELFIES IN THE MODERN ERASterling Clark & Jacob Mehr

HISTORY OF THE SELFIEOxford Dictionary’s 2013 word of the year defines a selfie as “a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website.”

Self-portraits were a common form of exploration by photographers during the early years of photography. While there were many Self-portraits during the early years of photography, Robert Cornelius’ self-portrait taken in 1839 is considered the first ever Selfie.

TECHNOLOGICAL GROWTH AND ITS IMPACT ON THE SELFIE

The invention of the front facing camera was a new beginning to the

selfie.

The emergence of social media permits anyone with a camera to photograph themselves and make it accessible to

the masses. In a celebrity obsessed culture, social media combined with the

selfie allows everyone to form an intimate relationship and access into

these peoples lives, reinforcing the fact that celebrities too, are real living people who do everyday things

THE SELFIENARCISSISTIC OR EMPOWERING?During the selfie taking process the person taking the picture controls every aspect of the photograph being taken and can essentially paint their own picture of themselves, whether it be true depiction or not. People angle the photograph, choose the scene, and maneuver their body in a way that they considered to be most appealing. It is then in their power to decide to share this moment with the masses on social media.

IN CONCLUSIONThe debate today is whether or not the art of the selfie is actually even considered to be an art form. Even though the selfie may serve no purpose other than to show off oneself, I believe it to be a sincere form of self expression. The process to take the photograph still follows the same steps of planning, preparation, and execution that any other art piece undergoes.

SOURCEShttp://www.esquire.com/blogs/culture/selfies-arent-art

http://www.vulture.com/2014/01/history-of-the-selfie.html

http://jezebel.com/selfies-arent-empowering-theyre-a-cry-for-help-1468965365

http://www.thegloss.com/2013/11/21/beauty/jezebel-feminist-selfies/

http://publicdomainreview.org/collections/robert-cornelius-self-portrait-the-first-ever-selfie-1839/