Selfie sticks seem fairly simple to use. Attach your phone, connect any required cables, extend the monopod, and snap a photo as you normally would with your smartphone.
Apparently, there is an art to it, though, if you are to believe this professional selfie-stick photographer. As part of its Shorts & Murmors series, The New Yorker has released a tongue-in-cheek video showing how one aspiring photographer is going around in hopes of changing how people capture themselves while traveling.
Throughout the three-minute short, we get a behind-the-scenes look at Marc Philippe Eskenazi as he interrupts selfie-taking people in New York City and inquires whether or not they would like a few pointers on how they can better take their self portrait.
To say his methods are unorthodox is a bit of an understatement. From shoeless antics as he rolls around on the streets of New York to wrapping himself like a monkey around people, selfie stick in hand, it is impressive he did not get a police escort or a healthy dose of pepper spray at any point in the video.
Ultimately, despite his best efforts, it appears as though the subjects were not impressed with his ‘professional’ work, with most of them saying the resulting photos were actually worse.
Whether you are a professional or not, keep on taking those self portraits, even with a selfie stick. After all, as Digital Trends shared on Wednesday, taking daily selfies can improve your overall mood and level of confidence.
If you don’t have a selfie stick and are in the market for one, you can dine a nice little round-up of our 10 favorites here.