The Ethnographic Selfie—When the Lens Is on Your Own Culture: A Keynote Address

Abstract

This paper combines two elements with which we in this field are familiar: selfies and ethnography. They might seem unrelated, but both deal with doc­ umentation, presentation, and representation—processes with which ethno­ musicologists are acquainted. The recent popular phenomenon of people taking selfies is almost a way of life. Practically everyone who owns a smart­ phone has taken at least one. While it looks relatively easy to do, taking a selfie is tricky because one needs to position the phone at a perfect angle and per­ spective in order to show the selfie taker and the surroundings in the best pos­ sible way. For many people, me included, taking a good selfie is more easily said than done (see fig. 1). I have taken countless selfies with head and body in disproportion, distorted face, grotesque expressions, and parts of myself not even in the photo. Someone once instructed me that the phone needs to be held slightly higher than the head but tilted at an angle. It is also necessary to control the timing of pushing the shutter and remember which button to push. I have tried all these tips, but most of the time the results are barely ac­ ceptable. At least in theory, a good selfie simply requires finesse, skill, and ex­ perience, but in practice it is a different matter. The playful and spontaneous act of selfie­ taking actually requires more skills and forethought than it seems.