Why are we looking at ourselves in photographs?

[William Kahn]

<p>How about this: Along with the Monday Nature, Wednesday Nikon and Thursday Canon threads, we could have a Saturday Self-portrait thread, a creative challenge to come up with something unique every week. And, please, no nudes...</p>

[thomas_k.]

<p>Interesting. Apparently we look for many different things in photos of our-selfs. From "mirror" question: "how do I look today?", to more profound "who am I today?" and as Tim has shown "who can I be today?" Thank you.</p>

[cyanatic]

<blockquote>

<p ><a href="/photodb/user?user_id=19592">Jeff Spirer</a><a href="/member-status-icons"><img title="Moderator" src="/v3graphics/member-status-icons/mod.gif" alt="" /><img title="Subscriber" src="/v3graphics/member-status-icons/sub10plus.gif" alt="" /><img title="Frequent poster" src="/v3graphics/member-status-icons/3rolls.gif" alt="" /></a>, Jun 23, 2013; 06:31 p.m.</p>

 

<p>I think my favorite is <a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/190017378" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this Walker Evans self-portrait.</a></p>

 

</blockquote>

 

<p>Ha! Love that, Jeff. I've never come across that before.</p>

 

[Landrum Kelly]

<p>I take pictures of myself because no one else wants to.</p>

<p>--Lannie</p>

[GBarrington]

<p>Google+ has an interesting group called "Bathroom Selfies" which are people taking self portraits of themselves in the bathroom. I guess the idea is when you are alone in the bathroom you are at your most vulnerable and displaying the 'real' you. Assuming we have "real" selves separate from our 'social' selves, I guess (not 100% sure)</p>

<p>Some are taken with a phone camera, some with expensive cameras and lighting. Some are quite good and some are excreable, if you don't mind the pun. Some are taken while people are actually doing something expected in there and some are fanciful poses. Some people seem addicted to the process and have submitted several shots.</p>

<p>It's worth a look, I think</p>

 

[azlatic]

<p>I started snapping selfies because I want my daughter to have images of me after I'm six feet under. I spent years hiding behind my camera, and always being the missing man (okay, woman) in family portraits. Then my friends started losing parents and lamenting having no photographs of their mothers and it hit home. I just want my daughter to be able to easily remember me.<br>

It's not vanity or narcissism. Vanity was <em>not</em> having my picture taken because I was 20 pounds too heavy and my hair was in that in-between growing out stage and I didn't sleep well last night so I have dark circles under my eyes.<br>

It's straight up documentation. <em>I was here.</em> Extra weight and bad hair and dark circles and all. My kid doesn't care about that stuff now, and she won't in 50 years when I'm gone. But she will cherish photographs showing how we can both cross our eyes and how we always had room for frozen custard.</p>