I spent an incredible amount of time this weekend looking at prom pictures and one thing kept springing up in my mind. That big question is this, why do people take pictures of themselves ALL THE TIME? Take a look at a few of these. I had to alter them to protect myself the innocent.
Okay, I can understand that sometimes you might want to do this. If it’s a “special” time and you really need to capture that moment or you’ll just die and nobody is around to take it for you but COME ON PEOPLE. We can see that arm!!
That picture on the left up there has me about speechless. It’s the most unflattering shot I can imagine. That big ol arm “just there” like that. Not only this but I’ll bet you there were 20 or more shots like this. It’s obviously a party. Obviously there are other people around. Why not give your phone or camera to someone else to take for you? So you can look “somewhat” normal. So not everything is kind of tilted around. I just don’t get it. These photo’s aren’t good. Are these people not seeing them the way the rest of us do?
One more thing as long as I’m at it is why do young people seem to think in shot after shot that we need to see all the way down their throat?
Believe me, I see a LOT of these. And people, boys do it too. It’s not just the girls.
Okay, I’m sorry if I hurt anyones feelings. If you’ve done this, please, I’m sorry. I just do want you to know though, we really can see your arm no matter what you do.
Anyone else have anything?
Us Girls..Our Views 
THE FACT IS PEOPLE LIKE TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED AND SEEN BY ALL . WHEN WE SEE A GROUP PHOTO OF A FUNCTION IN WHICH WE ALSO APPEAR THE FIRST THING WE DO IS TO SEARCH OURSELVES IN IT. EVERYBODY LIKES A BIT OF PUBLICITY.
Big A is sooooo guilty of this! Practically every pic she takes of her friends. lol. I hate the cell phone camera in the mirror shot!
JOY!!!!!I SOOO agree with all you said!!I have just about had it with these stupid pictures!!Yes the arms bug me but worse the dang pictures with their tongues wagging out of their mouths!!!!!!!Picture after picture of the same flippin thing!Oy vey!Im just hoping eventually these “children” will grow up.Ok,so I ranted here a little but its something thats been annoying the heck out of me lately-sorry!And yes,just hand the camera to a friend so we dont see “The Arm”!
You make me LMAO!!!!! We are so alike.
Its hilarious isnt it?I love it!
The really sad thing is, with all but the most basic digital cameras (I don’t know about phone cameras, mine’s a dinosaur and I never use it), there’s a telephoto setting.
It’s not difficult to zoom in just a little, so you eliminate The Arm. I don’t have as big a problem with people doing it this way. You can see the shoulder cocked forward, but The Arm doesn’t take up the whole photo.
I ‘m totally guilty of doing this with my friends or with my boyfriend (trust me… i never take one of just me). I can totally see how it looks silly, but sometimes there’s noone else around to take the picture for us… or we’re just being silly and have fun taking the pictures 🙂 But then again.. those pictures are usually just for me and my friends and we dont really show them to the whole world 🙂
I’m half joking Lucy but the amount of the shots like this that young people I know who do this boggles my mind. What you do with your girlfriends isn’t what I’m talking about. You’re playing.
I was talking about this to my friend who’s also my hair care lady and she and her husband got new phones and were taking pics of each other trying to figure them out and her head was cut off in all his photo’s. We were laughing hysterically. Sometimes it’s funny but they don’t put 50 of them on Facebook. LOL!!
Yeah I totally agree about not posting 50 of them on fb. I especially find it fascinating when most of someone’s profile pictures on fb are one’s the person took themselves.
oh, you have hit a nerve…. when did it become fashionable to look as idiotic as humanly possible in a photograph? Do these girls (yes, and boys) not LOOK at the pictures of themselves??? almost makes me want to make a sequel to “pants on the ground”…. “tongue outcha mouth, tongue outcha mouth, lookin like a FOOL wit’cher tongue outcher mouth!!”
I guess it’s one of those generational things that has just shoved me into the Geezer Category, because I just don’t get it.
I look at some people’s facebook pages, and the number of photos on there simply staggers me! There will be THOUSANDS of pictures – and every one of them is of the FB Owner! They’re all self-shots!
It’s very narcissistic, I think – a sign, I guess, of these modern times. And they call mine the “me” generation. sheesh.
Yes, the tongue thing – very inventive.
I don’t go around taking photos of myself. I don’t consider myself photogenic at all. I hate posing for pictures. But I do love it when someone miraculously takes a good picture of me. Just once in a while, you know?
My favorite pet peeve regarding photos – I have this friend who insists on taking a photo of every new thing we see or do, and the photo must have one (or all) of us in it. Myself, I’d kinda like to have a photo of the beautiful nature scene or the amazing ancient architecture. Putting my sunburnt self in the photo is not necessary! But she says, you can always buy postcards if you want a photo of how it looks without you in it. Taking a photo is to prove you were there, so you have to be in it. Whatever. If any poor unsuspecting soul is passing by, she’ll grab him and force him to take our group picture. You can never have too many group pictures, apparently. Drives me up the wall.
I do agree, Joy, why do they think they look “cool” with their tongue out of their mouth. But trust me, it is an International thing. They do this in Europe all the time too. When I worked at the bank in Amsterdam, so many young girls thought it was cool that, when they went out, to dress as if they needed another job, and when they show me their pictures of those nights out, they all looked the same, tongue out of their mouth, but almost always in a provocative way, thinking they are sexy!! Now way, Jose!
As long as we’re talking photo pet-peeves…
What is it with people who want to take your picture WHILE YOU’RE EATING???? Ok, I get it. We’re having a nice dinner together, maybe celebrating a holiday, or we haven’t seen one another in a while. But can’t we take the picture BEFORE the food is served? Or before we sit down at the table, even? Or, ok, if you MUST have the food on the table, PLEASE tell me that you’re taking the picture!! I can’t tell you how many pictures there are floating around out there where this person (yes, I’m thinking of a particular one) has taken the picture without telling us, and we all have our mouths full.
This is the same person who won’t take a candid anywhere else, and must have everyone posed and smiling stiffly before she’ll click the shutter.
I’m sure I’ll be back with more. This new picture “trend” drives me up a wall!
What about this. People who cover their faces and ruin the whole shot. I have a side of the family (Froom’s) who would all put their hands in front of their faces the minute you snapped the shot. This was back in the day that you paid for your film and having it developed and you’d pay all that money and get your pics back and you couldn’t see anyone’s face.
Another…..people who stick their fingers in their nose or make a silly face, sticking tongue out, grabbing body parts the minute you snap. EVERY SINGLE TIME. My mom used to do that.
My husband and his friend had a “tradition” during high school… every time his friends mother took a picture of them – every, single time – one of the guys would flip off the camera. They thought this was tremendous fun, but now? I can’t find a single picture of these two guys together where one of them isn’t flipping off the camera. I think they even did it in our wedding photos.
I think you’ve hit on a thing, though… maybe it’s the digital thing. There’s no charge for taking a thousand pictures, so go ahead and mess up 999 of them. It is getting tiring, though. There’s even a website dedicated to those idiots… apparently, they’re now called “Photo Bombers”.
Ah Joy,so true about them covering their faces.I dont know exactly who did it”back in the day”,that I cant remember but I have a few in my immediate family who do that(ya know who you are,lol)Yup,hard to get a nice shot.They are beautiful people,not sure why they do that.Thankful for digital as you said so we dont pay to develop them!
Oh Joy, you’re so funny! You know Sue and I do this all the time when we go out!! I take pictures like that all the time with Hunter. In order for me to be in a picture, I have to take it myself too. You’re right it is a little silly if you can see the person’s whole arm in the picture. I also love just taking random photos seeing if I can catch people off guard. That always gets Sue 🙂
LOL My first thoughts when i read this post of Joys was JENNY!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL
But Jenny, in your defense, you don’t put 50 of them like that on Facebook. When you girls are Coyote Ugly-ing, someone else takes the photo’s!! LOL!!
As I was browsing my Facebook this morning, I came across some more “tongue” shots and the kids were in a car!!! One in the drivers seat. What are these kids thinking?? I should also mention, she’s not really a “kid” anymore which makes it much worse.
I’ve seen the driving pics, too. I know one person who does that all the time. When I asked her about it, she said she was bored.
Bored. While she was driving her car at 70 mph down an expressway.
I’m most annoyed at this person right now anyway so seeing those behind the wheel shots pissed me right off. What’s she thinking???
She wasn’t. Not about driving anyway. That’s the problem.
Not to get all philosophical, here, but this is the problem with “kids today”. Unless it directly involves them, rightthisminute, they don’t care. Which is true of every generation, but it seems like it’s worse with this one. Maybe because we can see it so blatantly – as they document every second of it and post it on FB.
You are notorious for getting the most unflattering FUNNY pictures!!!! Always beware of the camera when Jenny is around!
I think it’s hilarious catching people off guard- as long as I’m not in that picture looking goofy!! lol Nikki & Sue are great at looking caught off guard. hehhe
LOL Jenny!!!!
Oh. OH!!! Here’s another one!!! (Told you this picture thing drives me absolutely ’round the bend)
Doing things to the friend who got so drunk he passed out, and then photographing it. I’ve seen more pictures of unconscious college kids with their faces sharpied up, stuff dumped on them, duct-taped to them, and worse. What kind of a friend are you that you would do this to someone? I get that the person shouldn’t have drunk himself stupid. But then to kick a guy while he’s down? You consider yourself a “good friend” when you do that to someone? Wow.
We won’t even discuss the photos of people being sick or doing other questionable things while they’re drunk. Why would you put that stuff on a network site where everyone can see you? THIS is your proudest moment? really?
Oh, I wasn’t even thinking about the Facebook phenomenon. I mean, obviously there’s a lot of narcissism out there, but that kinda goes without saying when you’re talking about teens with an audience. But dude. For your main picture, it should be something proper and professional. Those photos show up all over the place. I was looking for child care a couple times on online sites, and most of the candidates have a photo linked from Facebook or wherever. And about half of them are ditzy, “sexy” (in someone’s opinion), or drunken. Duh, what if your prospective employer looks you up while perusing your resume? I’m not impressed. I agree that this is a generational thing and I guess that means there will be few individuals in the younger generation who I’ll trust alone with my kids or working in my office.
Did another one get lost? Now I know how you guys were feeling a couple weeks ago . . . .
It went to spam, I got it out for ya!
I LOVE THIS POST JOY!!!!!! This drives me nuts! What really irritates me is the puckering of the lips or the side pucker…does anyone know what I’m talking about?
I’ve taken pictures of myself, but only because I had to show my best friend my hair. I do take pictures with Bailey and I, I try to keep my arm out of it! I see these girls take 50 shots of the same kind of picture. I don’t get it! Obviously they are confident, they’d have to be and that’s great but come on!!!!!
OH!! OH, Nikki… I know EXACTLY what you’re talking about…
the, “Look how sexy I am” pucker! OMG, I don’t think those people know how STUPID they look!!!
And then… AND THEN!!! They take the stupid pucker-picture over to Picnik and EMPHASIZE the lips and add text like, “To sexy!!1!” (yes, with “too” misspelled and the 1 in place of the exclamation mark) GAAAAKKKKK!!!!
Oh, I know that “look how sexy I am” look. I practice it often in the mirror!
Dadgum, Joy… you sure hit a hot one with this topic!
LOL!!!! The funniest part was going on FB this morning and seeing 2 more people doing this. The same girl but another nephew from his prom!!!!!!
LOL With all the social media maybe because the kids are taking their own pictures for their face book or Avatar or all the social media maybe that’s how they think a person should take a picture and that the arm is actually invisible to the naked eye.
Ahhhh Youth then they will get old and come to their senses and then they wont want their picture taken much. Ah the cycle of life.
The trick to taking a photo of yourself is to have a guy with really long arms do it – he can at least bend his arms in such a way that they don’t show up in the photo.
OK this post has me cracking up!!!!
Amen to all of the above!
i realize i am a day late and dollar short on this post but I must say i have a stack of pics from our wedding of people doing just this…I dont THINK i have one of Laura and her arm…I could be wrong.
That’s funny dina. Better late than never.