A selfie is a self-portrait that we take of ourselves. It’s the ability to grab a camera at arm’s length, take numerous shots, and capture that very still moment of, well, our faces. But one thing no one ever talks about is the process of taking one and what goes on in our heads throughout the process, or why we even choose to take a selfie in the first place. And I wonder why?
For me taking a selfie is not the easiest thing. It takes me numerous times to find the right “one” and it’s also an overwhelming process. When taking a selfie, I’m thinking about where I am, what’s in the background, if the lighting is okay, if the camera is too close, or far away, whether I should position the camera at a certain angle, and if I look okay. And this is all before I push the button to take the actual photo.
But why do we take selfies to begin with? Selfies are a simple form of self-expression. They’re supposed to be an easy and casual thing to do. It’s saying: “Hey, I feel and look great today! Why not share it with the world?” I think it’s a fun and easy way to celebrate ourselves and be happy about the way we look— even though I must admit it’s a long process to take it and actually post it. I also can’t deny the fact that to a certain extent we care about the response it’ll get when we post it on our social channels. It’s hard not to when your social feed is constantly being bombarded with photos that are getting positive engagement. Why wouldn’t we want people to like our selfies and gives us that one extra like? Why wouldn’t we want that extra boost in confidence?
I believe we share the commonality that it can sometimes be hard to be happy with the first one we take because we might think it isn’t “pretty enough” or “good enough.” It’s funny to think about how a simple selfie can go through a bunch of edits and those who later view it will never actually know the time it took to get it in the first place. The behind the scenes of it all is never revealed.
That being said, I wanted to share the not so perfect side of the selfie. The side that is never told, but is so real. The dedication and work that is put into a selfie. In order to do so, I decided to reach out to some Style Gurus and ask them about their process of taking a selfie. How many times it takes for them to finally get one, and have them share with me one they would post and one that wouldn’t make the cut (myself included). This is the outcome.
Made the cut
Didn’t make the cut
“I normally don’t take that many selfies, mostly on Snapchat just for fun. I would say I use Snapchat for selfies every day, but only take actual selfies about once or twice a month. When I take a selfie, I usually have a pretty good idea in my head of what I want and hope it will look like, and I basically just go from there. Sometimes I’ll just take two photos and choose the one with better light, other times it can take up to 10 tries to get it right. The one that made the cut took me five tries, and I’m still not sure I love the one I ended up with. For me, it really depends on my mood. If I’m feeling good and positive, chances are I’ll like the photos more. If I’m having a bad day, or just all around feeling “blah” it’s a lot harder to get a photo I like of myself.”- @lapresqueparisienne
Made the cut
Didn’t make the cut
“It took me 52 times to find a photo that I liked. I’m not really the type to take a lot of selfies but whenever there’s good lighting, I’ll snap some shots. Usually, I take selfies once every two weeks. For this selfie I wanted to showcase the wall behind me and why not include myself in my all-black entire? I thought this was the perfect opportunity to take a selfie. I try to change up my selfies from mirror to front facing camera. The one that didn’t make the cut was because it didn’t catch my peace sign. I also didn’t think my turtleneck was on point in this picture.” –@cherileighco
Made the cut
Didn’t make the cut
“My thought process while snapping this selfie was literally that of a photographer. I normally take my selfies with a tripod and a Bluetooth remote just to make the shot look a little more professional. The entire time I was thinking: “Okay look down, now look up, okay now give a good smize, okay too much. Just pout your lips, now run your hands through your hair.” I never realized how hilarious that sounds, but hey man, you have to get that fire selfie whichever way you can. It took me 32 tries. “-@jazzminlauren
Made the cut
Didn’t make the cut
“I don’t take that many selfies, mostly because I don’t think I’m very good at it and tend to become very self conscious about them. It took me about 15 tries for this selfie and I’m still not sure if I would share at all. I tend to be my biggest critic and usually overthink the selfies I take, and after a while I start to hate them and grow tired of taking photos. I usually just give up. I wouldn’t share the second photo because I think the angle is weird and awkward. I’m just not a fan.”-@brisaamarr
So now the question for you is: How many times do you selfie? Share your truth in the comments below!
