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Selfies, or photos of ourselves, have not only become part of our everyday life, entertainment and a form of Internet communication, but also give us the opportunity to choose the right style, change self-esteem and even lifestyle.
“In the future, everyone will get their 15 minutes of fame,” Andy Warhol, who said this in the 60s, could not have imagined that this would happen on the Internet. As the first selfie museum opens in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, psychoanalyst Serge Tisseron reminds us that “human nature itself dictates that we want to show ourselves.” There are now about 1,8 billion photos on the Internet every day, five times more than three years ago. And among them we see more than 35 million selfies that change our attitude to beauty. It is they who make us think first of all about photogenicity.
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- Love yourself and your reflection
Reality varnishers
Is it possible to call the best photo the one where you look like yourself? “Not at all,” says psychoanalyst Fabienne Kraemer. Photography is the impression we want to make on others. Therefore, you instinctively want to embellish it so that everyone admires and praises. Before publishing a successful photo, we carefully study it, retouch it, process it with filters that seem to become competitors of cosmetics. However, after such photo games, their own “unfiltered” appearance seems not beautiful enough. “Internet beauty is a constant fraud,” continues Fabien Kremer, “for the sake of a hundred “likes”, people create a fake world around themselves, flaunting only those moments of their personal lives that are worthy of someone else’s gaze. And all in order to escape from everyday life and splurge. There are a lot of photos in the feed, so most subscribers give “likes” automatically, without peering into the details that we pored over. They evaluate the big picture, the situation, the plot, and not the turn of the head, the line of the nose and the wrinkle on the forehead. But we still suffer over each photo, as if it determines the future.
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- Social networks: what your profile photos say
public domain
Although there is a rational grain in such captiousness. Indeed, unlike face-to-face communication, where relationships depend on the personal interaction of two people, photos on social networks become public domain. It can be liked and discussed not only by our friends and acquaintances, but also by complete strangers. And this cumulative opinion, expressed by a faceless number under the photo, significantly affects our self-esteem. “Innovations that are important to our self-perception, whether it’s a new haircut, dress or lipstick color, are automatically tested on social networks. And in the event that the community evaluates them positively enough, we integrate them into our own image, ”confirms psychologist Yann Leroux. He does not see anything wrong with this, as well as the fact that many people tend to embellish not only their photos, but also life, snatching the best moments from it or frankly lying.
In the end, playing with your own “I” is an interesting and useful activity that allows you to reconsider a lot in real life, hidden from prying eyes, which is now increasingly called IRL (English in real life). By controlling the success or failure of individual photos, we gradually understand which image of ours will be favorably received by this very IRL, and we try to “tune” ourselves in a given direction. This applies not only to appearance, but also to sports, behavior, food and social circle. So even if the photo embellishes reality, it ultimately helps us find the right path to harmony with ourselves.
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Tips for the Perfect Selfie
Correct light Lighting from above or below distorts the features, makes them look fat and ages. Therefore, try to keep the light indirect and natural. During the day, go to the window, in the evening, place the light source at face level.
Perfect angle Rotate your body three-quarters towards the camera and shift your weight onto your left or right foot. This will give the effect of physical spontaneity: you will not seem constrained. Tilt your head slightly to the side to give the impression of gentleness and benevolence. Lower your chin a little, straighten your shoulders and smile.
Eye Makeup A brown pencil on the upper and lower lash lines will give expressiveness to the look, and white shadows in the inner corner will open the eyes. The final touch is lengthening mascara.
Look Direct your gaze to the center of the lens, into the eyes of those who evaluate the photo. And think of something joyful to make your eyes sparkle. They will speak for you.
strobing Using foundation, give the face a tan shade, and highlight its central part – the nose, cheekbones, middle of the forehead and chin – with a radiant highlighter. This effect, called strobing or light lifting, is at the peak of popularity today, and for photography it is completely indispensable.
Matte Remember the difference between radiant and shiny skin. The first looks elegant, the second does not please anyone. Therefore, if you have oily skin, do not neglect the matting base or powder. And before you take a picture, blot the risk areas with a special napkin. It will absorb excess skin secretion, but it will not “shift” the foundation and highlighter.
lips Today, many brands have increased the number of shades of red lipstick: only she can make a smile in a photo attractive and sexy. But beige and pastel shades are taboo when taking selfies.