I see people take photos.
Lots of the people are taking pictures of themselves.
It is so common to see the self portraiters when you are out and about these days.
They seem to want to have pictures of themselves everywhere.
I think that partly they just like to use their gadgets.
They often share them and talk about them in groups, gathering round and looking at the little screens.
It is so easy to hold the technology and take your own photos in different places. VicCarrington talked recently about how she and her partner are pretty obsessed with this activity… and refuse help from kindly passers by who offer to take their photograph for them.
I am interested in the idea that we want to see ourseves positioned in spaces; the way we want to take control of the images. Berger talked of the ways in which women in particular view themselves as if through other’s eyes. This is becoming an obsession for everyone. But if we hold the camera it is as if we are taking control over other people’s gaze.
Putting the images on a website is taking one step further; viewing ourselves on the global stage. Look on Flickr and you will see so many self portraits. Under the tag ’self portrait’ or see the group ‘ of me’.There is something important going on which is to do with identity positioning.
I have never printed off photos taken by my digital camera.
I have 1,407 photos on Flickr. They have been viewed 29,856 times.
Wow.
(I have one self portrait.)
I love that picture as it is sort of detached, as if you are a tourist.
isnt taking self photos a sort of tourism - a sort of I was there but also, I am this person who was there, immediatley detaching oneself from the image?
I must go and read more John Berger.
he is very clever but sometimes a bit pretentious.
Comment by kate — August 15, 2006 @ 5:45 pm
Personally I like taking photos of myself to see how I match up to photos of other people.
What type of image do I project? Is it time for an image overhaul? These are the questions I wish to ask myself.
Comment by citybitch — August 17, 2006 @ 12:11 pm
I love the photo of the 2 of them on the ground! I think it is also interesting how if you are with another person and you are taking photographs of each other, then quite often a passer-by will offer to take a picture of both of you together. In terms of photo of me, I take self-portraits normally just when I can take a photo of my reflection taking the photo e.g. in a window that is reflecting the scene behind me. And I did start printing out some of my photos about 10 months ago - I stick a few on my wall each month in my office, and when I was in Australia in June/July I sent some over to the UK as postcards.
Comment by Sheila Webber — August 22, 2006 @ 3:40 pm