Is taking Selfies one of your hobbies?

I have recently signed up to become a registered service provider for my Image Consultancy business and was told to create a portfolio which requires a selection of photos of myself looking chic and stylish to be placed on my profile page. Uhmmmmm....I have literally stopped taking photos of myself since I turned 30 and I certainly don't have a stock of selfies ready to be disposed of! Now this is going to be tough...



Apart from a few close-up shots I had taken for my avatar (profile picture) to go on my social media accounts, I hardly take selfies. I love taking photos, not of myself but beautiful landscapes during my travels, my products in inventory, and shots I took whenever I go to a worthy event. Why is it that I am abhorrent to taking selfies when others have thousands of shots stored in their phones and posted freely on FB?



It is obvious that selfies are used as self representations, especially when we can now edit and correct the images projected, and displaying on FB and other social media platforms marks the importance and status of the person represented. Self portraits are a way to figure out who we are. The reason behind posting our selfies publicly is to see how others see us, as if seeking approval from another source. Hence, the impact that others have on our self-value has significantly increased. It is a way of projecting our identities onto others who then endorse this identity we want to be identified with. That's kind of sick in my opinion.



On a daily basis, I use Polyvore to create outfit combinations to post on FB and Twitter, and I don't put my face on any of those. I believe that my creations are enough to promote my brand and my identity of a certain style and a photo of myself is just unnecessary, if not narcissistic and vain. I can see how posting selfies can in a way improve self-esteem and increase self-confidence while at the same time making people feel more self-conscious about their appearances when comparison is unavoidable. To me, there is nothing wrong or sinister about taking selfies and posting for the world to see as long as we use it as a tool to document an event/ milestone or taking mementos of a great life. Showing off your new look after a visit to the surgery might not be a good idea! I believe face photos / selfies are equally important when it comes to marketing campaigns as your customers / clients would like to have a glimpse of who they are really dealing with. I will only use selfies to share the news about a new product or service, as well as in promotion campaign for my bushiness.



So what is your take on selfies?