Verified answer

EXACTLY! I'm so annyoyed and completely fed up with all the meaningless "kewl pics" on MySpace. And I don't know why they post them here. If you've seen one MySpace picture, you've seen them all. They all look the same. Horrible, pixelated, grainy, underexposed pictures of themselves. Some emo kid takes a horrible pixelated snapshot of himself or herself, then they edit it to death on their computer and have the nerve to call it "photography."

Isn't it sad? This is what photography is degrading into. Some people don't like it when I say this, but the truth is that I think a lot of this is because of point and shoot digital cameras becoming popular. People are forgetting how to use a camera. With film, you have to take more time and be more careful with your pictures and get the right exposure, the right lighting and composition, etc. But with cheap point and shoot digital cameras, the emo \ MySpace kids think that an underexposed, grainy picture is just normal. As proof, look at how many questions you see here, where they ask "how do you fix a blurry picture?"

Or actually, they post it like this: "how do u fix a blurry pic?" because they can't spell either.

Then you add the narcissism, and you get a hundred horrible pictures of themselves. A bunch of horrible pictures of some emo kid in front of a bathroom mirror with the camera tilted, or the camera held at arm's length above them. Usually because they don't even know how to set the self-timer on their camera, or because somehow they think those pictures look cool. oops...I mean "kewl." You gotta write and spell like them too.

One of these days, those of us who are into real photography might just have to give up and join them. Let's all take "kewl pics for MySpace." You have to say it in a whiney teenage emo kid\ valley girl voice too...."kewl pics for myspaaaaace."

I'm on MySpace, but I use it for networking and to keep in touch with my friends. The only picture I even have of myself is just for my profile. Everything else is mostly landscape photos I've taken. I don't take "kewl pics." In fact, I despise that term "pics" because of the fact that it reminds me of the typical MySpace pictures. I only take real pictures or PHOTOGRAPHS. I also love shooting in black and white film, and I develop the film and pictures myself at home. I have a blast with it...definitely a lot more fun than standing in front of a bathroom mirror and taking horrible snapshots of myself.

Okay, I'm finished with my rant. Thanks for giving the chance to get this off my chest :)

EDIT: LOL...Thanks, SappyGoLucky! I call it like I see it! :)

The simple answer is that a lens, fixed is best but zoom often more practical, but generally such lenses have a way of using a different aperture (F number.) which helps you to improve your picture be being more able to chose where is the most important area is by focusing on that point which is the point of making the picture. The wider the aperture the more light is let in but the focus is more sensitive and so is where you look at in the picture first ! Hope i`m not giving too many secrets away but a good portrait often is one where a wide aperture has been used for although the full face may not be crystal sharp this does not really matter as long as the eyes are really sharp for its those `bright` eyes that make a portrait. Peter

Yes, they are. Most MySpace Cadets point it away from themselves, too. They aim it right at a mirror!

How 'bout getting one of those light-weight monopod thing-a-ma-jigs that is designed to hold your own camera out about 2 feet in front of you so you can take your own picture? They say to get it right by trial and error, but I guess placing a mirror on the other side of the room so you can view the LCD would help.

And don't forget to follow this vaulable advice:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oS1lOiD7PdA

Myspace profile pictures are a good way to differentiate the intelligent from the non-intelligent. Generally the stereotypical pictures are from dimmer lights. They don't realize how ridiculous and narcissistic they look.

The worst case I ever witnessed was of some homeschooled kid who added me on myspace. 4 pages of all myspace angled pictures of him alone. Both hilarious and disturbing.

LOL It's so annoying and makes me think they're so stupid (or should I say be more sure of the fact that they are stupid). MySpace is pointless anyway if you wann talk to your friends how 'bout the classic Instant messanger: FACE TO FACVE CONVERSATION!!! They need to get lives (some of the aern't that bad).

They shouldn't even put pics of them selves on MySpace because it's quite dangerous to do so. I have ONE picture of myself on myspace, but I'm wearing a kinda funny hat on it with my head tilited dowm, so you can't see my face.

My sister has like 50 (exxageration) pics of herself on myspace and most of them are tilited to the side are something and she just does it with her cell phone and

e-mails it to the computer. She sits on muyspace all day and her friends actually aern't really friends but are actually kind of hazing her.

I don't know what to say next but that's definately NOT all I can say

I can deal with the egotistical MySpacers.....but what I can't deal with is the mirror shots with the inevitable flash glare destroying the whole picture! That irks me to no end!

EDIT: Gateway..........AMEN BROTHER!!! I love you and I'd like to have some of your babies LOL!

Oops....got a little carried away. All the common sense in the room got me too horny.

Haha!

I tried that once and it didn't look good at all (I did use the Canon 16-35 mm f 2.8 L at 16 mm about a foot away)--my whole face looks bigger than it normally does!!!!!!!!

No, they need it to face them so they can practice doing fish lips while looking at the reflection in the lens. (a fish-eye lens would be a definite advantage in this situation)

Maybe they need to put mirrors on the BACK of the cameras, then they will have them facing the right way at least ?

I agree, and I hate to say it but half my friends have pictures just like that, or worse.

And for the people saying mind your business or don't run other peoples life, you need to realize that once you posted those "pics" on a SOCIAL NETWORKING site it became everyone's business on that site that can see them.

Well, human beings are vain creatures. They like to see pictures of themselves. If a human sees a mirror, don't think for one sec that they won't stop to check themselves out.

OMG!!!! thank you so much for asking this question. i literally stopped using my facebook account because i was tired of people always asking me to look at their stupid pictures (or tagging me in aforementioned pictures). the sheer narcissism is sickening. this i why i hate social websites.

speaking of this topic, did the new DELL commercial annoy anyone else? it was basically this dude taking a gazillion pics of himself and his gf...i hate that commercial with a passion.

this is like one of my biggest pet peeves. i am glad i am not the only one.