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Oxford Dictionary named it “word of 2013”, but ‘selfie’ just earned another accolade.  Voted the most annoying word of 2013 along with ‘twerk’, ‘hashtag’ and ‘obamacare’, ‘selfie’ tops Lake Superior State University’s 2013 list of words to be banished from the Queen’s english for misuse, overuse and general uselessness!

People have taken pictures of themselves for almost as long as George Eastman’s company made film and cameras. Suddenly, with the advent of smartphones, snapping a ‘pic’ of one’s own image has acquired a vastly overused term that seems to pop up on almost every form of social media available to us….A self-snapped picture need not have a name all its own beyond ‘photograph.’ – Lawrence, LSSU.

The overuse of selfies by celebrities such as Justin Bieber, the Kardashians and other reality television show celebrities was an example of why this term gained notoriety in 2013.

But what about travelers?  Are we too guilty of cultural narcissism?  Or are ‘selfies’ just a really convenient way of documenting our travels?  You can be the judge!  One thing is for certain though: no matter how ridiculous we look, or how poor the photo quality, taking ‘selfies’ is a craze which is here to stay!

Here are some of the best travel selfies from 2013, submitted by travelers both young and old!

Selfies from Around the World!

 

Ben West

Ben West of the Red Rucksack in Rio, Brazil.

Steffo Jahnsin.

Stephanie R Johnson at the Temple of Zeus

Megan of Meganotravels outside Rome's Collosseum.

Megan of Meganotravels inside Rome’s Colosseum.

Jeff and Marina of Latitude 34 with a Chang in Maya Bay in Phi Phi, Thailand.

Jeff and Marina of Latitude 34 with a Chang in Maya Bay in Phi Phi, Thailand.

Malakai James Young.  Grand Canyon, USA!

Malakai James Young. Grand Canyon, USA.  The four year old takes better selfies than I do!!

Barrie Roulston of Fortune and Glory, Kid.  Pyramids of Meroe in Sudan.

Barrie Roulston of Fortune and Glory, Kid. Pyramids of Meroe in Sudan.

Sharon and Ray Young.  Eiffel Tower, France.

Sharon and Ray Young. Eiffel Tower, France.

Megsy and

Tommo & Megsy of the Five Dollar Travellers. Danxia Land Formations in western China.

Josh and Liz from Peanuts

Josh and Liz from Peanuts or Pretzels.  Dingle Peninsula, Ireland.

Eugene from Traverse In Converse. Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland.

Eugene from Traverse In Converse. Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland.

Serengeti National Park, Tanzania!

Serengeti National Park, Tanzania! Mapping Megan

Jodi Ettenberg of Legal Nomads.  Friending a Wallaby in Adelaide, Australia.

Jodi Ettenberg of Legal Nomads. Up close and personal with a Wallaby in Adelaide, Australia.

Bethaney of Go Click Travel and family. Petronas Towers in Malaysia.

Bethaney of Go Click Travel and family. Petronas Towers in Malaysia.

Carole Meyers of Travel with Carole.  Cliffs of Moher, Ireland.

Carole Meyers of Travel with Carole. Cliffs of Moher, Ireland.

Patti Bath and her Grandmother outside Anne of Green Gable's house on Prince Edward Island in Canada.

Patti Bath of Will Work for Travel and her Grandmother outside Anne of Green Gable’s house on Prince Edward Island in Canada.

Sharon & Ray Young at the Trevi Fountain, Rome.

Sharon & Ray Young at the Trevi Fountain, Rome.

Cathy Goldner of Solo Travelers Alliance.  A Cemetary in Ireland.

Cathy Goldner of Solo Travelers Alliance. Irish Cemetery.

Jess from A Passion and a Passport.  Diving selfie from Belize!

Jess from A Passion and a Passport. Diving selfie from Belize!

Raul from ilivetotravel.  A jeep ride through Wadi Rum in Jordan.

Raul from ilivetotravel. A jeep ride through Wadi Rum in Jordan.

Adelina Wong from Pack Me To! Parliament building in British Columbia, Canada.

Adelina Wong from Pack Me To! Parliament building in British Columbia, Canada.

Antonette of we12travel. Independence Pass, Colorado.

Antonette of we12travel. Independence Pass, Colorado.

A

Annabel from Annabel & Alice.  Statue of Liberty, New York City.

Lance & Laura of The Travel Addicts.  Prague Castle, Czech Republic.

Lance & Laura of The Travel Addicts. Prague Castle, Czech Republic.

Teresa of Independent Travel Help. Charles Bridge, Czech Republic.

Teresa of Independent Travel Help. Charles Bridge, Czech Republic.

Bex from Leaving Cairo.   Acropolis in Athens, Greece.  Love that you can see her shadow in this one!

Bex from Leaving Cairo. Acropolis in Athens, Greece. Love that you can see her shadow in this one!

Angie Raab of Research The Life.  Paris.

Angie Raab of Research The Life. Paris.

Nienke of The Travel Tester.  West Ireland.

Nienke of The Travel Tester. West Ireland.

Sofie from Wonderful Wanderings. Santa Monica Pier, California.

Sofie from Wonderful Wanderings. Santa Monica Pier, California.

Yvonne of Under the Yew Tree.  Scuba diving in Bocas del Toro.

Yvonne of Under the Yew Tree. Scuba diving in Bocas del Toro.

Drew Goldberg from the Hungry Partier outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok.

Drew of the Hungry Partier outside the Grand Palace in Bangkok.

Of course, you can always have someone else take the picture for you – just make sure it looks like you can run faster then them if they take off with your camera!!

Generally, when targeting someone to take my photo I try to avoid people traveling alone (it’s harder for two people to get away with your camera than one), and try to ask someone who already has a camera out.

Also, from experience, the fancier someone else’s camera looks, the more likely you are to get a better shot.  Try to have your camera already zoomed to an appropriate level before handing it over, because let’s be honest…strangers are generally hopeless at taking a correctly framed shot. Although these turned out ok!

Shara of SKJ Travel.

Shara of SKJ Travel. Uganda (a few missing letters!)

Marta from Gap Year Travel Journal.  Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

Marta from Gap Year Travel Journal. Marina Bay Sands, Singapore.

Jodi from Alpine Resort Canada.

Jodi from Alpine Resort Canada.  Ha Long Bay, Vietnam.

Natina Harris outside the end of Route 66, USA.

Natina Harris outside the end of Route 66, USA.

Kristy Millar

Kristie Millar at the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy.

Aleah of Solitary Wanderer.  Santori, Greece.

Aleah of Solitary Wanderer. Santori, Greece.

Check out more traveler selfies from around the world.

 About Megan Claire

Megan is an Australian Journalist who has been travelling and blogging around the world for the last 7 years to inspire others to embark on their own worldwide adventure!  Her husband Mike is an American travel photographer, and together they have made the world their home.

Follow their journey on FacebookGoogle+ and Twitter.

    46 Comments

  1. Ahahaha! This is such a fun post Megan! Glad to be included in all our cliche glory. Laughed a lot looking through these. Can’t wait to see what the most hated of this year will be. Cheers and see you on the road!

    • Always love a good selfie!! Thanks for being part of the post – seriously love your photo submission!

  2. Thanks for including us in your selfie mug shot collection! Some great shots in here.

    • Lol had never thought of it as a mug shot collection – it totally is!! Thanks for being part of the post!

  3. Such a fun idea for a post! Thanks for including us :-)

    • I enjoyed putting it together! I love collaborations :) Thanks for a great submission!

  4. Really fun post, Meg! The great thing about selfies is that everyone always looks so happy in them.

    • Thanks Jo! Glad you enjoyed it. So true! – I don’t think I’ve ever seen a selfie with someone frowning!!

  5. Thanks so much for including me Meg! And it’s great to see so many selfies from around the world – some great inclusions there, with links to people’s sites I will be sure to check out :0)

    • Of course! Thanks for the great submission – I seriously love that you can see the shadow of you taking the pic!!

  6. So many cool selfies!
    Proves that you can actually get something else besides you own head on a selfie:D

    Jodi’s stays my favorite!

    • Someone actually mentioned that to me – they were concerned my post wouldn’t work because you can only ever see people’s heads … I guess we’re a more talented bunch than we thought!! :D

  7. I had never mastered the art of taking a good selfie with a mobile phone, hence, I have always asked other people to take my photo, or used the timer myself. Thanks for including mine here in Santorini!

    • I have to buy and start using a timer! Would solve so many of lifes problems lol! Although I do have a very big addiction to taking selfies!!

  8. It seems like everyone has perfected the art of the selfie. I’m still trying to figure it out! Most of mine are hit and miss. Thanks for including my shot!

    • I was impressed by everyones submissions! Managed to get the backdrop in there and without cutting off their heads! I guess after a few hundred or so you get it down to a fine art lol!

  9. This is like the happiest post ever! :) Leaves me literally smiling. Setting up self-timer shots either for just me or me and friends is seriously one of my favorite things to do. :)

    • This was one of the funnest posts I’ve put together! Took a lot longer than my normal posts, but it was so much fun!! I need to start figuring out the whole timer thing :D

  10. Such a fun post!

    • Thanks Lori! Glad you enjoyed it!

  11. GREAT idea! Wish I had thought of it!! :)

    • Thought it was a fun idea! Collaborations always turn out really well!

  12. So coolll….:-)

    • Glad you enjoyed the piece! Have a wonderful new year!

  13. My best and only good selfie for my backpacking trip through Europe. Cheers!

    • Thanks for submitting! Have an awesome weekend!

  14. what FUN! I love the one with her Grandma

    • That’s one of my favorites too!!

  15. Nice collection! You might find these interesting:

    • Great Collection Albert! Thanks for sharing :)

  16. I like it. Selfies can be silly, but there is nothing wrong with documenting your travels with an up-close shot of your own face in it.

    • Selfies are the best :D Totally agree!

  17. What a great post! I love the idea and all of the contributions are great fun.

    • Thanks Vicky! Glad you enjoyed it – this is my favorite collaboration to date!

  18. I love travel selfies! Sometimes they are the only way to ‘show you were really there”. I’m not too sure how necessary incessant head shots are. But a photo is a photo and sometimes we can take a better picture of ourselves than someone else can. LOL

    • It’s true – seems to be a case of “pictures or it didn’t happen” a lot of the time now!

      Totally agree with you on us taking better pictures too – lol I think I could probably put together a pretty amusing photo essay of horrible shots taken by other people! I’m always shocked when a stranger takes a good photo for us lol

  19. WOW what a FUN post! Loving all of these- and you’re right- everyone and their mothers take selfies, haha! If only my arm was longer I could get more in the shot, haha. I have perfected the art of asking others though, and you’re right- those with fancier cameras usually produce the best shots for ya! Thanks for including my selfie!

    • Glad you enjoyed it! lol don’t worry I know – I feel your pain; I wish I had longer arms too!

      Thanks for a great and unique submission!

  20. Almost makes me want to start taking selfies… almost ;)

    • Give into peer pressure :D

  21. Aah love this! Seems like a lot of travelers have some serious selfie skills. I need to get on it!

    • Don’t worry – for every great selfie I have, I have 100 bad ones! Lol getting a good shot ends up being a game of probabilities :P

  22. Oh ! What a nice blog site .

    • Thank You :) Glad you’re enjoying it.

  23. Best blog for selfie lover. keep it up.

    • Glad you enjoyed the post :)

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