The selfie stick in action looks a little silly – even dangerous – from an onlooker’s perspective, but I’m told they’re helpful tools and can prevent inadvertently cropping off someone’s head when the photographer’s getting in on the action himself.
This is likely helpful with large groups of people in touristy vistas where the background is just as crucial to the shot.
I guess I’ve never thought twice of handing over cameras to perfect strangers to snap pics when I’m in a large group. Everyone’s less likely to get a telescopic stick to the face.
Sometimes if you want something done, you’ve got to do it yourselfie.
So maybe this odd trend is onto something after all.
Perhaps it’s less about ego and more about ease when you’re on the go.
And there’s another group shot that’s tricky to coordinate sans selfie stick. Let’s talk about the family Christmas photo.
Moreover, the family Christmas photo in which a member of said family also plays the photographer.
For every adorable family photo you see highlighting happy kiddos decked in Christmas best posing adorably by pets, relaxed parents and seasonal scenery, you know there’s a good chance the behind-the-scenes reel tells a different story. What complicates matters more is taking the photos oneself.
You remember those days from childhood Christmas card photo shoots. Everyone clustered on the couch, leaving an awkwardly tight spot for Dad, who’d prop a camera upon a tripod across the living room.
He’d set the timer and dart to his spot, smiling broadly, quietly praying no one would blink or sneeze in the next five seconds. Perhaps everyone would even smile and face the same direction. Oh, the pressure of self timers. Families hoped to snap a winning pic among approximately 24 film shots, knowing full well they had approximately 24 seconds before uncomfortable kiddos holding poses in starched shirts got cranky.
And here we worried about Frosty having a meltdown.
Each year, my family has a fun, creative time taking Christmas card photos. We’re fortunate that digital cameras allow us the luxury of taking endless outtakes in hopes of a champ snapshot.
But there’s an extremely limited frosted window pane of opportunity to get it right before our kiddos get restless.
Technology has improved, but it’s the self timers of antsy children that hasn’t changed through time. And taking Christmas photos with my kin becomes increasingly challenging as our tots are much more mobile than in their baby’s-first- Christmas days.
They’ve long outgrown their swaddling clothes.
Could we have just plucked a candid summer snapshot of our crew to use in greeting cards? Of course.
But something about the idea of seasonal props and lights seemed a fun opportunity for laughs and snapshots and making spirits bright. I’m not quite sure who’s laughing now, but getting everyone to pose for multiple self timer pictures last week was no easy task.
We were two tired parents, two cantankerous kiddos and a puppy dog (who was not in a pear tree, if you’re wondering). My hair had a windblown effect from dodging back and forth between tripod and tree.
Our happy-go-lucky children naturally decided they didn’t want to be just that, rapidly getting bored with poses and patience and itching to play trucks.
The kiddos eased up when we stopped with the self-timing and started taking candids of them with their props and pup.
Sure, we could have asked someone to take photos for us, but we grabbed a rare free morning moment to try for a photo op and hope it wouldn’t be a photo flop.
I guess self timing is everything. Behind the scenes, taking family photos and the daunting task of convincing young tots and animals to cooperate can certainly be frightful; but the end result can be so delightful.
We strive to continue the tradition because we still have friends and family who prefer cheerful tried-and-true holiday hard copies of loved ones on a fridge or in a frame rather than fleeting newsfeed social media photos. So for the foreseeable future, family Christmas photos it shall be.
And as for next year’s photo op, we’ll probably still opt for old-school self timers on a tripod over selfie stick use. They may be convenient for some, but I’m wary. With all the hustle and bustle of herding kiddos together for frazzled family poses, no good can possibly come from simultaneously waving an awkwardly long telescopic stick in the process.
We’ll just keep on with our Yuletide whirlwind tradition self timer-style and see what develops.
Because a whirlwind year is precisely what always leads up to our candid Christmas photo op each year, and so what better for a holly jolly photo finish than using a self timer merrily in the new old-fashioned way.
— Michelle Cote is the art director of the Journal Tribune. She enjoys cooking, baking, and living room dance-offs with her husband, two boys and a dog. She can be contacted at mcote@journaltribune.com.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
