Online self-portraits show us at our best

Like ordinary people, stars enjoy taking photos of themselves to remember happy moments. IMAGINECHINA

WHEN Japanese scientists invented the self-timer function on cameras in 1978, they never could have imagined just how popular it would be 30 years later.

Currently, millions of young Chinese use the feature to take photos of themselves and post them online for the world to see. Websites such as Tianya and Tudou offer channels specifically set apart for self-portraits. However, according to experts, these sites offer more than just pretty faces. They also reflect a budding era of narcissism in modern society. "We all want to exhibit our true and best side to others, to attain praise, acceptance and recognition," said Zhu Zhuohong, a psychology therapist at the 301 Hospital in Beijing.

This is why, explained Zhu, some young people will post pictures of themselves alongside comments like "Am I a beautiful girl?" or "If you think I am beautiful, give me support". "We are curious about how others look at us," Zhu said.

The root of all this is narcissism, the love of the self. "Social psychology teaches that everyone is a narcissist, to varying degrees," Zhu said.

Camera crazy

In recent years, this self-love has been helped by advances in technology, said Ye Lideng, a technical engineer at Canon's Guangzhou branch. The era of cheap digital cameras, cellphone cameras and the availability of the Internet has driven the popularity of the self-portrait.

"The availability of free places for photo-sharing encourages young people to take photos of themselves," said Ye. From social-networking sites like Facebook to self-portrait channels, today's young people are being asked to show their faces.

To some degree, everyone posts their photo in the hope of getting noticed. "I am an ordinary girl. I am introverted and not beautiful, so I do not have many friends. But I still wanted more chances to communicate with others," said Cao Ying, a freshman at Tianjing Technology University.

After posting some pictures of herself on the forum, the 19-year-old said she began to feel less anonymous: "Someone said I am very cute, and some said that I have a stylish dress sense. I was so happy."

However, self-portraits posted online don't always reflect the real person's physical flaws. Some people are so concerned about looking good that they use photo editing programs like Photoshop to erase the bad bits.

Look good, feel great

"People want to look beautiful," said Jiang Yun, a consultant at the Beijing Psychology Consulting Center. "Images showing good-looking people will attract more attention and give [the self-portrait subjects] great gratification."

For the most part, young Chinese seem not to be bothered by the fact that some self-portraits may be "doctored". "If you're just posting the photos to share with others, I don't think it matters if you use software to make them look better," said Bai Chenxi, a senior at Guangzhou Ocean University. "I don't feel like I'm being cheated, because the Internet is a virtual world. But if you use the photo to make friends, that is certainly cheating."

Sharing on the Web

http://www.tianya.cn

The "True Self" section on Tianya.cn offers space for self-portraits.

http://www.xici.net/b624234/home.asp

The "Multimedia SMS" section on xici.net is reserved for photos taken by cellphones.

www.tudou.com

Tudou.com site wants your homemade videos.

How to take the perfect self-portrait

21st Century talked with Taiwan singer Xi En and photographer Huang Qingjun, of the China Photographers Association, about the secrets of taking a flattering self-portrait:

Xi En

If you want your face to look thinner, take photos of your silhouette and bend your head down a little bit.

If you want your eyes to look bigger, hold the camera over your head and look up. This not only widens your eyes, but also gives you a pointed chin.

If the left side of your face is more beautiful than the right, hold the camera with your left hand and turn your cheek to the right. If the right side of your face looks better, do the opposite.

You can try to pucker up [your lips] to look cute, but don't overdo it.

Turning up your thumb and putting it in front of your body is a more popular gesture than making a "V" sign.

Huang Qingjun

If you take photos together with friends and use the flash, make sure the two people with the whitest skin are on opposite sides. Put those with the darkest skin in the middle. This helps to spread the color evenly.

Never hold the camera too low. If the camera is on a level below your head, do not stare at it if you want to look natural.

I suggest that you use natural sunlight, or an orange light, which will give the picture a warmer appearance.

---------------------------------------

self-timer 自排装置

self-portrait 自拍照

narcissism 自恋

budding 萌芽的

therapist 治疗专家

introverted 内向的

anonymous 无名的

flaw 缺点

doctor 修改

gratification 满意

pucker up 噘起