thoughts on selfies

I used to think that taking self portraits was vain.

      I'd go to fashion blogs and marvel at the fact that they took so many of themselves.  

         When I got my DSLR this past November my photography life changed for the better.  My pictures improved and videos looked extremely good.  Another plus was that I was able to stand in front of the camera and still see myself with a flip out screen.  

           Now, through lots of soul searching and years of having little self confidence, I have changed my perspective on photographs of me.  And of taking them of myself.

       My view is now that I take photos when I am proud of the way I look, and I don't do it to brag, but I do it to smile at later and feel a little self pride.  This doesn't mean that I should post thousands of these selfies on the internet, and hardly any of them end up here or anyone will see them, but that I should keep them to look back upon later and laugh at or smile.  

           Another plus to doing these selfies is that I can learn how to work with light using a model who gets why they are doing it and doesn't get tired: me.  It works, and I can learn how to reflect the light just-so off my eyes, or which poses look good on people and which look ridiculous.  

               I do still believe that posting selfies on the internet just to brag or show off something they wore or where they have been or simply just show off themselves is vain, and I find it disgusting.  But if you have a purpose, such as showing people how to dress yourself or because you have a fashion blog I can deal.

         What are your thoughts on self portraits?