Why I take selfies

First of all, let me just say…I take amazing pictures. Not Ansel Adams amazing, but “wow that’s a great Facebook photo” amazing. It helps that I edit and apply filters to almost every photo I take, but I like to think that I have an eye for what does and doesn’t look good.

Sadly, I’m discovering that most people are not like me. It pains me that the pictures I take of other people are so much better than the pictures they take of me. Case in point: last Thursday, I took an amazing group photo, and then asked somebody to switch places with me and take the photo with me in it.

The picture with me in it had a pole blocking part of my face and body, which could have been avoided if the photographer had positioned themselves correctly, or simply asked themselves, “Hmm, I wonder if I should have this large useless object block part of a person’s face in this photo?”

Because of this, I have learned to master the art of the selfie with my now-discontinued Sony NEX-5T. If a picture turns out poorly, I have only myself (and my really old camera) to blame, and not the aesthetically challenged person I asked to take my photo.

It’s quite a leap from where I was just over a year ago, when I didn’t even know how to take selfies. Nowadays, I try to take a selfie with friends whenever the fancy strikes me, and it’s been really fun to capture these frozen moments in time without wondering how the picture will turn out.

In closing, below are some amazing selfies I’ve taken recently.

From the stadium court at AVP San Francisco this past weekend.

More from AVP San Francisco.

Larger group selfie from a backyard BBQ at a friend’s place.

Meeting up with a friend after the end of a long work week.