So in my many travels back and forth from Shanghai to Nanjing I saw quite an assortment of people – everyone from smelly old guys with dirty, long fingernails to screaming children behind me kicking my seat. But I couldn’t help but notice one young woman waiting to board the train who spent about 15 minutes taking pictures of herself with her camera phone.
Now, at first I thought, “Oh she’s just doing it because she’s excited she’s going to the take the new train.” But the longer I tried to not-so-noticeably stare at the probably 30-something, professional-looking women the longer I realized, “Nope, she just really likes taking pictures herself.”
I don’t know if it’s a Chinese thing, an Asian thing or an-everyone-but-me thing, but I don’t really like taking “solo shots,” as us sorority girls used to call them. I mean, if I’m at a particularly neat place with a particularly photo-worthy landscape then sure, I’d love to have a picture of me there by myself to document the experience. But taking head shots while you’re waiting for the train to Nanjing? Come on.
It’s not like this doesn’t happen all the time either. The other day while I was eating lunch I saw this guy and girl pair (they looked like coworkers) where the girl was taking a picture of the guy with a half-eaten plate of food in front of him. This was not a special restaurant, and it was during lunch. What was the photo opp? The only picture I’ve had taken with food in front of me was back in college when we were going for pizza at 2 in the morning and probably wouldn’t remember the picture (or the pizza) the next day.
The tip of the iceberg came the other day when I was at this new teaching job and one of the students was talking about the picture BOOK she had made that were all pictures of herself. I’m not talking about a portrait to hang on the mantel or a few pictures to give to friends and family or to use with her resume. I’m talking about an entire book with nothing but pictures of herself posing in most likely gaudy dresses with silly backgrounds.
I guess I shouldn’t judge, after all it is reminiscent of when my mom made me and brother have our pictures taken at Olan Mills when we were little. And then there’s also Glamour Shots, where (usually) little girls would get all dolled up in grown-up make-up and put on fancy outfits to have their picture made. However, I never had them made, never wanted to have them made and would judge someone over the age of 13 who went to have them made.
I wonder if I’m alone on this? Do other people like having “solo shots” at any random occasion? Or is it just the Chinese (and maybe even all Asians)? I mean, I guess I am judging. I really value interesting photographs that are “in the moment” or bring about feelings of "Oh I remember that time." But, in my opinion, head shots at the Shanghai train station just doesn’t make the cut.
2 comments:
this is true, they love to take pictures of themselves. probably as an asian thing in general. I know my korean friend's fb, her photo gallery mainly consists of 98% upfront head shots and sometimes full body shots of her or very little with friends. i get bored because that's all i see in her photos is her face! mainly her face with her "peace" signs in it lol.
Yeah. I think it's all Asians too! My college friends love to take "Asian tourist pics" where we wouldn't smile and we'd throw up peace signs. We thought we were funny.
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