" beware the selfie stick "

[Imageryone]

Borrowed this from OM user, but it made me wonder how many forum members can, like me, count images of themselves on one hand ? I never think to put myself in the frame do others feel the same?

[Simon Bee]

Re: " beware the selfie stick "

Borrowed this from OM user, but it made me wonder how many forum members can, like me, count images of themselves on one hand ? I never think to put myself in the frame do others feel the same?

I have over the last twenty years built up a photographic family 'record' , my two children from birth, multiple holidays etc etc. Several thousand images forming a wonderful timeline, upon recently reviewing the albums with my twenty year old daughter I was thrilled to see how enthralled she was with then. Then 'the penny dropped' and she said to me ..... "dad this is wonderful but I feel so sad too, there are hardly any of you"

The price of being the 'family photographer' ? ..... It's time I handed over the camera to my children so that 'they' have a photographic record of 'me' too

Kind regards, Simon

[MargaretR]

Re: " beware the selfie stick "

It's not that I never think to do it, it's more that I go to great lengths to avoid it! .. Hate being in front of the lens ....

[Naughty Nigel]

Re: " beware the selfie stick "

Selfie stick? Shouldn't that be selfish stick?

Selfish sticks seem to get stuck into all sorts of places that cameras shouldn't go, and the people who wield them rarely seem to care about others who they may be inconveniencing, or just spoiling their view.

I take you point about photographers being left out of the frame, but personally I don't mind!

[Bikie John]

Re: " beware the selfie stick "

Same here, and I like it that way. I am probably in more photos from the Pen F launch yesterday than in the past 5 years combined!

For a while I used to take mugshots of people in the department where I worked. One important lesson was that normal people don't like having their photos taken, and you can't trust those who do.

John

[Zuiko]

Re: " beware the selfie stick "

Back in the 1980s and 90s I wrote numerous articles for outdoor magazines and editors preferred pictures that included people. Since I usually went alone to research and take photographs for these ventures I had no choice but to use myself as a model, using a tripod and self-timer. To enable me to get a good distance from the camera I had a clockwork self-timer accessory that screwed into the cable release socket in the shutter button, which could then activate the built-in self-timer of the camera. As I was using film in those days, I would often do a trial run with a stop watch, to check I could make it to the desired position in the available time. Selfie sticks had not been invented (although monopods were quite popular at the time) but these would have been of no use for the type of self portraits I needed. It was just as well that I often worked early or late in the day, or at remote locations, because anyone observing my antics would have thought I was nuts!

[Naughty Nigel]

Re: " beware the selfie stick "

It must have been difficult to include yourself in the frame and to look natural John!

[Zuiko]

Re: " beware the selfie stick "

It must have been difficult to include yourself in the frame and to look natural John!

It's always difficult, if not impossible, for me to look natural - whether I'm having my photo taken or not!

[Graham_of_Rainham]

Re: " beware the selfie stick "

It's always difficult, if not impossible, for me to look natural - whether I'm having my photo taken or not!

Challenge accepted...

[OM USer]

Re: " beware the selfie stick "

I went up to the NRM to see the Flying Scotsman + others a few years ago (one of their 10 yearly gala shows) and on return with all these pictures was asked "where is the one of you in front of the engine?".

[David M]

Re: " beware the selfie stick "

There's been times an electric cattle prod would have been more useful than a selfish stick for the times someone has interrupted a shoot or disturbed the subject.

[shenstone]

Re: " beware the selfie stick "

We call them selfish sticks too.

I have literally had people reach over my shoulder and put a phone in front of my camera, and as for the number who have nearly tripped one of us up, I have lost count

[alfbranch]

Re: " beware the selfie stick "

I do not take many pictures of people and even less of myself.

[AMc]

Re: " beware the selfie stick "

Borrowed this from OM user, but it made me wonder how many forum members can, like me, count images of themselves on one hand ? I never think to put myself in the frame do others feel the same?

I have been guilty of hiding behind the camera for years - following in my father's footsteps who is absent from most of my childhood photos.
I've been making a concious effort to get in front of the camera, either by handing the camera over, using the flip back screen on the E-PL5, using the wonderful Olympus app on my iPhone and EM10 or very occasionally a handheld telescopic monopod thing.
I know most people dislike having their photo taken, me included - but the embarrassment and discomfort you feel today is wiped away when you look back through the years.

I bought the monopod thing before there were smartphone selfie sticks from 7dayshop - I rarely use it but there is a shot of our family at Disney in front of the castle and another of us in front of the replica of The Mayflower in torrential rain which couldn't have been got any other way.

Don't blame the tool, it's the user who is selfish - or not.
I've had plenty of photos spoilt by some berk with a DSLR and a sense of entitlement based on the length of his lens more than by a smartphone user - at least they tend to be quick

[Wee man]

Re: " beware the selfie stick "

Yes had this pointed lately by my daughter when going through photographs of our granddaughter. There are shots of every one holding the baby even distant relatives but only a few of me and those are camera phone shots!