Selfies for P.net members? A bold step forward?

<p>In a recent thread here ( http://www.photo.net/casual-conversations-forum/00c5Lf?unified_p=1 ) it was noted that a lot of us (meaning the dedicated P.net gallery) don't post many "selfies".</p>

<p>There was speculation about why this may be so.</p>

<p>I suggest that since some of us are older, there are many possible explanations including:</p>

<ul>

<li>we actually can't recognize who the old guy in the picture actually is</li>

<li>we don't much care for the way we look these days</li>

<li>we are bashful</li>

<li>get off my lawn!</li>

</ul>

<p>So I decided I would take a 'selfie' right on the spot and post it before I forgot who that old guy was, so</p>

<div></div>

<p>I also have a question about my new T-shirt in the picture. (bought from http://www.despair.com/social-media-venn-diagram.html )<br>

<br /> I can't get any response to it at all, as today at the gym.<br /> Why?</p>

<ul>

<li>no one knows what a Venn Diagram is or how to read it</li>

<li>they are offended because they use social media</li>

<li>it's just not funny</li>

<li>or "other"</li>

</ul><div></div>

<p>We can't remember what we look like and don't recognize ourselves in the picture when we see it!</p>

<p>[bTW, as the more astute may recognize, the real question here was about the T-shirt, but we no longer have the Off-Topic Forum for this sort of thing, so I had to find a way to connect to image making, right?]</p>

<p>I think the Venn diagram is a revelation for someone (me) with absolutely no personal experience of social media. It confirms my suspicions.</p>

<p>I like the t-shirt. It says what some of us only think and yes I use some of those social media, so I fit in there somewhere. Also your desktop makes me feel better about myself. :-) </p>

<p>I think the facebook and twitter are reversed, and you may need to work on your white balance.</p>

<p>The two or three self portraits (I wouldn't consider them selfies) I have are nudes, so they wouldn't be welcome on PN as an accompaniment to my bio, since nudes have to go into forums that can be filtered out. [Obviously, I can't post them here either, as JDM has done. They're relegated to my portfolio, in keeping with PN guidelines]</p>

<p>(It's interesting that the site allows us to filter out nudes so we don't have to see them if we don't want to, but not off topic discussions.)</p>

<p>Obviously I'm not uncomfortable with how I look as a non-20-year-old and I'm not shy about my aging self either. As a matter of fact, though not always so literally and blatantly, a lot of my work hinges on how I and others look and remain visible as we age.</p>

<p>I think of selfies like I do tattoos, piercings, music, video games, and the use of phrases like "no worries" and "hella." They're generational and I like each generation having its own means of expression. I actually like a lot of tattoos and piercings that I see and like hearing younger folks talk but don't need to participate. Some of my parents' friends, back in the 60s and 70s, grew their hair longer than was typical for that age group. Rarely did it work and it mostly just looked kinda weird.</p>

<p>I don't do selfies because I already have a lot of shots of my Dad...</p>

<p>JDM: I take serious exception to your reference to Venn diagrams. For years I have been considered an expert in Boolean Geometry . . . uh, Boolean Calculus . . . uh, Boolean . . .</p>

<p>What are those three cameras to your left?</p>

<p>Never mind the cameras. Tell us about your lil' wooden fren! :-) </p>

<p>I usually check out P-Net first thing in the morning. I don't even look at myself in the mirror that early and I'm sure no one else wants to see a baggy eyed, jowl faced, pot gut, old fart before breakfast......so I won't subject them to a photo of myself. </p>

<p>By stroke of sublime serendipity, I just happened to snap a passport photo yesterday. I tried to look as DMV as possible but think I confused it with Department of to Serve and Protect.</p>

<p>If I can't articulate it verbally, I certainly won't emblazon it across my chest. Go Steelers (and Sox).</p><div></div>

<p>While not directly applicable, actress/comedian Syd Wilder offers a number of great tips on how to make selfies:<br>

<a href="

- 3:07</p>

This should be renamed to the cool T-shirt thread! Go Steelers!

<p>Selfies are done by young, pretty people! (You're looking lovely, there, Phil and JDM!) Having sustained a progressive diminution of aesthetic merit through the relentless passage of time, I've found it quite easy to put off making that selfie I need for my bio page. </p>

<p>Regarding the Venn, I have a theory I could express in a Venn diagram (categories including old folks, kids, social media consumers, people who took copious notes in Logic class, etc.), but the diagram might prove offensive to those who wouldn't understand it. (My hunch is somewhere between the lines, shallowly buried in a bit of irony.)</p>

<p>I usually test new equipment or techniques on myself before subjecting any victims to abuse. Here I discovered my Alcubierre Rotisserie Drive isn't quite ready for prime time. Side effects may include projectile vomiting.</p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/17569662-lg.jpg" alt="LR4-GRD4-0022054.JPG" width="600" height="600" border="0" /></p>

<p>The 3 cameras next to the monitor are two Praktica L series and a rebadged Praktica nova. Others in the shot are a Canon 20D, 50D, and 5Dii. On the right of the monitor is a Soviet Start camera in its leather case.<br /> <br /> Both the Prakticas and my "lil' wooden fren" are featured in an earlier post ( http://www.photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00c3wF ).</p>

<p>As it happens, I just took this today. It's far away, my face is partially obstructed, and I'm out-of-focus . . . perfect!</p>

<p><img src="http://studio460.com/images/me2.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p> </p>

<p>There are lots of days I feel out of focus, too.</p>

<p>Thank you for noticing Sarah. Looking lovely comes naturally, but being so good looking can be a real challenge, as I'm sure many here realize. (smilee thingee)</p>

<p>What does Lex' shirt say?</p>

It's a t-shirt from photographyreview.com, a gift to early members of that

site. I participated there for awhile umpteen years ago before migrating

to photo.net. Nifty shirt, has a graphic of a guy using a TLR.

 

Good website, really good community director (Photo-John), but overall the site was a bit too gear-obsessed even before the digital

domination. And at the time I was mainly involved in b&w film and the

darkroom. Photo.net was a better fit for my interests.

<p>In umpteen years you haven't grown, Lex. It still fits ya!</p>