Boo and the Selfie

If you’d asked me ten years ago what a selfie was I’d of probably giggled (forgive me I was a teenager) and said it sounded like something a boy did! Fast forward a decade and we all know what it is, heck I even posed for one with my Mum yesterday as we tested out the camera on her new Samsung Note!

I am in no way waging war on the mighty selfie, you only have to check out my Instagram – go on I dare you – to see I’m no stranger to the forward facing camera. What can I say I even use it as make shift mirror when I’m out and about.

Since the dawn of the Boo, selfies (well at least sober ones) have come to mean something completely new – I’m well practised in getting the best shot of both of us, knowing which is our better sides and also the tell tell sign when Boo is about to strop and karate kick the phone out of my hand; and I have to admit she’s pretty cooperative and will usually strike a pose with 3-4 takes which is rather handy when it’s raining or I’m holding up dinner for the best shot.

Something that I hadn’t banked on is Boo mastering the art of a selfie so darn early – she’s barely two and a half and this evening when I was having a quick tidying session of my photos I came across 25 perfectly synced snaps form before Christmas of Boo – nothing weird with that at all, I’ve been known to take over 100 snaps in one day- yet what was different was that they were all selfies, and good ones at that. By that I mean she had posed for each and every one in her appealing half pout half gurn, something that as a family we find gorgeous and hilarious at the same time!

But I can’t help thinking: am I setting her up for a life of always having to pose? Never being care free and oblivious to the camera? Some of the best snaps of me as a child like others is when I didn’t know I was having my picture taken, carefree happiness caught on good old 35mm.

Perhaps my naïvety like physical film should be relegated to yesteryear, because lets face it Boo’s party piece this season is pouting on demand, and whether there’s a selfie involved or not that sounds like a pretty good look to carry off if your name is Boo