This week the selfie made a comeback, thanks to President Obama, mystery smiling blonde/Denmark's Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and David Cameron (who looks a little like he invited himself into this selfie, don't you think?) taking a sneaky selfie at Mandela's memorial service. We thought that it was time for the selfie to give way to the belfie but we still haven't quite worked out the correct selfie etiquette, and posting flatteringly angled photos of ourselves on Instagram #nofilter, is proving too addictive. Turn AWAY from the camera? Are you mad? Instead perhaps we need to focus on when to selfie and when not to selfie, that is the question...
1. Mid-labour. Extra points if you can catch the baby crowning. #yuck #tmi #hateselfies F1Kate
2. The right time to take a selfie is when you have an iconic building/monument in the background. Everyone has a photo of the Eiffel Tower but not one with your grinning mug in front of it! It's almost like being an explorer who has reached the peak of some unconquered mountain. Sod the fact that the pyramids have been discovered - it's the first and probably only time you'll be in front of them - selfie it up I say and enjoy! Squeamish Nicola
3. I think Ed Miliband has it right. The time to take a selfie is when you are with a celebrity. Or if there are no celebrities about what are you eating? Soup? Take a selfie. No food? No problem! How are you feeling? Take a selfie! New lipstick? Selfie! There is no situation you can't find a hashtag for. It is very, very important all these things are documented. You're an archivist, a bloody archivist every time you selfie. Squeamish Kate
4. When's the best time to take a selfie? When your teacher is about to give birth in class, obviously. Nothing less will do. Squeamish Louise
5. Maybe I’m just a grumpy old man but in my opinion there is never an acceptable time to take a "selfie" (also is self-portrait really that difficult to say?). I just don't see the appeal of a poorly composed photo taken at a slight angle. They aren't flattering and usually the object you are photographing would look much better without an over-exposed, red-eyed, slightly out of focus mug-shot taking up half the picture. If you have to be in the shot just get a third party to hold the camera and take a picture for you. Even if they are a bit cack-handed they'll have a better chance of framing the photo correctly. If there isn't a third person present then use a camera tripod and the timer function. And use an SLR and not a sodding telephone to take the picture, for goodness sake! Gareth
2. The right time to take a selfie is when you have an iconic building/monument in the background. Everyone has a photo of the Eiffel Tower but not one with your grinning mug in front of it! It's almost like being an explorer who has reached the peak of some unconquered mountain. Sod the fact that the pyramids have been discovered - it's the first and probably only time you'll be in front of them - selfie it up I say and enjoy! Squeamish Nicola
3. I think Ed Miliband has it right. The time to take a selfie is when you are with a celebrity. Or if there are no celebrities about what are you eating? Soup? Take a selfie. No food? No problem! How are you feeling? Take a selfie! New lipstick? Selfie! There is no situation you can't find a hashtag for. It is very, very important all these things are documented. You're an archivist, a bloody archivist every time you selfie. Squeamish Kate
4. When's the best time to take a selfie? When your teacher is about to give birth in class, obviously. Nothing less will do. Squeamish Louise
5. Maybe I’m just a grumpy old man but in my opinion there is never an acceptable time to take a "selfie" (also is self-portrait really that difficult to say?). I just don't see the appeal of a poorly composed photo taken at a slight angle. They aren't flattering and usually the object you are photographing would look much better without an over-exposed, red-eyed, slightly out of focus mug-shot taking up half the picture. If you have to be in the shot just get a third party to hold the camera and take a picture for you. Even if they are a bit cack-handed they'll have a better chance of framing the photo correctly. If there isn't a third person present then use a camera tripod and the timer function. And use an SLR and not a sodding telephone to take the picture, for goodness sake! Gareth
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