Rachael Padilla

Art of the Selfie

Added 2023-01-07 01:10:02 +0000 UTC

Years ago, with my first digital camera in hand, I started taking photos. A whole new world opened up for me once I didn't have to worry about the expense of film, or worse, the expense of getting photos developed. I began to photograph everything. The sunset, the birds in the backyard, wildlife, kids at family events. Then one day it became glaringly obvious that I was missing in the digital record of every day life that I was meticulously documenting.

It was then that I began to turn the camera on myself. With my digital camera, I was able to set a timer and strike a pose. Or, insert myself into the life I was documenting. My favorite poses of people were always the natural ones. Not the photos carefully planned with artificial default smiles. That's how I aimed to capture others, and ultimately myself.

I didn't realize at the time what a valuable tool the art of the selfie would become. I now use selfies (for lack of a better word), to promote my work and to allow those interested in my work to take a look at the artist behind it.

But the most valuable thing that selfie art has brought to the table is the ability to capture the notions and moods within myself that I long to paint.