How to Take a Perfect Selfie|Photograph

 

Image credit: Creative market

We, the millennial/postmillennial are obsessed with instant photography called selfie which is often described as a method for instant gratification, often altruistic and self-loving. It is a truth, whether you like it or not you have at least clicked a selfie with a cell phone. 

Photography has become a quotidian and in this age of social media, we have so many platforms to share those images to our friends, family, acquaintances, or perhaps fans/followers like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, etc. And for some this has become a profession. But for many of us, these have also become a habit and not just for time pass.

Here the message is not necessarily to tell you the most scientific way or the most professional way to click a photograph but to bring awareness from a novice amateur photographer about the do and don’ts in order to keep yourself safe from legal trouble or social media trolls and abuses. I am sharing this as selfie culture has become a menace for many in public space and in society. 

We are religiously hooked to our mobile phones, games, and social media often detached from the society we live in. The irresistible urged to click one's image or group image at any point in time has become a social trend to which people of all ages are also not immune. 

So, instead of getting some basic information on photography from a random person or site on the internet, I believe a person whom you know and can relate to somehow will be more effective in sending out these messages. 

We can’t be callous or be a menace to our society due to such a trend ushered in by science and technology. Instead, we have to be more cautious and more civilized than our predecessors in every sense of the term.

Yes, the easiest way to do something anytime, at any place is to fish out a mobile phone and click a selfie or an image. This social trend is often associated with a celebration of life as “You Live Only Once” (YOLO). And to this effect, we have also seen and heard of many selfie-takers risking their life and even being killed.

Here are some basic photography rules:

1. Click as much as photographs in one go and choose the best one.

2. Don’t hold your camera facing the sun. Beware of the light source.

3. Don’t move/shake while clicking the image. It is always good to hold the camera/phone with both hands for better stability.

4. Whenever you want to take a photograph of others/unknown to you, seek their permission.

5. If you have taken candid image/s inform the person of the image/s you took. Respect their privacy.

6. Whenever you click a selfie, make sure you are free from people who don’t like their image to be taken. There are many conservative societies where photography is a no-no. Respect their choice and culture.

7. If you are not an official photographer at the event, don’t go clicking images everywhere. Take what you wanted respectfully and don’t stand in the way of the official photographer. You may end up spoiling the entire event.

8. If you want to take child/ren photography, seek permission from the parents. You should not upload any images without the parent’s authorization. Don’t put the child/ren at risk.

9. If you got an image from the internet or any source, don’t just upload it on social media if you are not aware of the source. Intellectual property rights are very strict these days. If you are using other photography it is always a good choice to quote their sources or give credit.

For your information, I made a documentary that was edited by my cousin where he included certain western music which I am not aware of. I uploaded the same on YouTube and the video was immediately taken down. But after some changes, the video was uploaded again. You must have heard of Dhinchak Pooja whose “Meine Selfie Leliya” song which rocks the nation in 2017. And this weird song also faced copyright infringement so it was removed from YouTube.

10. Obscene image/s or joke/s detrimental to others should be avoided and in recent news, the happy go lucky type of people have been caught by the law enforcing authority for uploading image/s and video/s.

Be aware of your social environment. Don’t take unnecessary risks. Click and use the image/video and social media wisely. Stay safe and share the message.

Now, stop reading take your selfie.