shots magazine 'How To' edition | Page 22

T H E H O W T O I S S U E how to take a selfie facts of life 1. people hate having their photograph taken. 2. people love taking photos of themselves. 3. people are shit at taking photos of themselves. As a photographer, I live in strange times. People are more engaged in photography than ever; everyone has a camera in their pocket. Meanwhile, as an industry, audiences are getting savvier by the day. And you are all meeting that challenge in wonderfully creative ways. #please leave your ego at the door. #photography is about capturing memories, not selling yourself. #throw out everything that everyone or, selfies are crap but they don’t need to be by Rankin Yet, selfies are our great reducer. They are an anomaly, a glitch in the system. Somehow we got lost. And now we need to catch up. It’s time to upgrade the system. Filter out the crap. Step away from the sea of homogeneity. This inalienable, unexplainable phenomenon of the modern world can stand for individualism and expressionism. It just needs a reboot. Turn it off and on again. But I guess that isn’t why you’re reading this. You’re after a tip or two. So, for what it’s worth, here goes: disclaimer I should get one thing straight up front: I hate selfies. sorry guys. that’s not to say I’m not embracing this challenge, though. else is doing: turn the phone sideways, use interesting light, take a photo of your toe. #still stumped? use a soft light, hold the camera above your head and look through the camera, not at it. #don’t be afraid to show your personality. be honest and candid. I’ll put my money where my mouth is. Why’s it so small, you ask? What is this, fucking Spinal Tap? Here’s me. Well, look at it! #fuglynotselfie This morning. {NB: If all else fails: buy a photo booth, whack a wind machine The same as every morning in it, sit back and enjoy the flight. That’s what I did.} #noretouching I love a good rant. Design by King Henry London