New research finds that one in three Brits never takes selfies and that pets are much more photographed than partners…
(Image credit: Rachael Sharpe)
One in three Brits never take selfies (35%) making it one of the least popular subjects of photography, according to a new survey by online smartphone retailer Mobiles.co.uk. The research has however highlighted that while the British obsession with selfies may be dwindling, our passion for pets certainly is not, with pets being our most photographed subject at 41.7%, with partners way down below at 31.1%.
While pets came in on top, holidays were Brits next most photographed subject at 38.7%, followed by children at 37.6%. Following partners were selfies at a surprisingly meagre 23.5% and finally food at 16.9%.
Selfie style
The survey gives a telling insight into the selfie habits of Brits, including how many photos it takes to get the right shot. Predictably, millennials remain the biggest selfie-snappers with almost one in (43.5%) using their smartphones to take self-portraits. However, Gen Z are taking fewer selfies than the generation before them, with only one in three (29%) saying they take selfies.
Smartphone users who do take selfies, said they take between 1-5 photos, with two in five Brits (39.6%) getting the shot they wanted within this range. However, one in 20 people (4.3%) take between 16-20 shots to get that elusive insta-worthy shot – they’ll no doubt be wanting the best selfie camera.
Perhaps one of the most surprising findings of the survey was that despite the popularity of social media and influencer culture, only four in every 100 people 3.7%) said that they edit all of their images before posting them online (3.7%). A quarter of people surveyed saying they just share their photos with no editing.
Selfie evolution
Front-facing cameras have been a part of mobile phone culture for around for 18 years, with Sony producing one of the first ‘selfie cameras’ on the Z1010. Although this research shows people may be generally taking fewer selfies, the front-facing camera is still an important and often-used part of the best camera phones, and recent trends such as micro-vlogging and short-form videos which use the technology are indeed the natural evolution of the selfie.
Front-facing cameras now include great features such as Apple’s QuickTake and Samsung’s Live Focus Video. Apple’s QuickTake lets users record short videos with ease – in holding down the shutter button the phone automatically starts recording and will stop recording when the finger is lifted. Samsung’s Live Focus Video feature lets you sharpen the focus on your target while blurring the background, creating a more professional looking video quality.
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Rachael is a British journalist with 18 years experience in the publishing industry. Since working on www.digitalcameraworld.com, she’s been freelancing, and contributing to some of the world’s best-loved websites and magazines including T3.com and TechRadar.com and has also had a book, iPad for Photographers, published. She's currently acting as editor of 5GRadar.com - a website specializing in the latest cellular technology.
