Selfies have grown from quirky self-portraits to obsession for many. Manufacturers are constantly increasing the capabilities of the front cameras found on our mobile phones to cater to the selfie lovers. It is a common sight to spot people extending their arm to click a picture, whether it is a nice restaurant or a tourist attraction. The selfie obsession among travellers has gone to a level that it has started to pose problems as people cross the line and try to click selfies at vulnerable and unsafe spots.

There have been various incidents of injuries and even life loss all over the world because of this. That is why Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation decided to launch a social mass awareness campaign to minimise this. They are trying to spread awareness regarding selfies near beaches, forts, valley cliffs and other such spots in the state. To achieve the same, MTDC has directed the collectors in state to filter out dangerous tourist spots and display warning notices there. Along with that, they have also been directed to distinguish safe areas that are suitable for clicking selfies at the tourist spots.

MTDC also plans to take this campaign online and actively promote this using its social media accounts including Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. The social media promotions would highlight messages about selfie related accidents and use some punch lines like ‘Let this selfie not be your last selfie’ to deter travellers from shooting selfies at the risky spots.

How effective do you think this initiative by MTDC will be in deterring the travellers from putting themselves at risk while clicking selfies?

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Selfies emerged as a huge trend in photography and now it is almost impossible to visit a tourist destination and not find people extending their arms to click photos. Mobile phone manufacturers are happily squeezing in high resolution cameras on the front and you can also find accessories like selfie sticks for selfie happy travellers. The trend is further fuelled by the increase in number of people travelling solo or in small groups.

A photo sample from Localgrapher in London

Meet Matej Slezak, founder of Localgrapher, a Czech startup that has decided to campaign against tourist selfies with its offering. They offer skilled photographers at your destination in different plans so that you can have high quality photographs to document your travel properly.

Matej Slezak says, “What is the future of vacation photography? We believe that selfies might be sufficient for some but not for the others. Our customers are the ones who want to keep their memories personalised and also with respect to the place.”

According to Localgrapher, selfies are just a trend that will fade away and people won’t be proud to show the same photos to their family in a decade or two. They are usually low quality photos that aren’t worth putting on the living room wall. At this point Localgrapher has over sixty photographers from over fifty cities on their platform. They are constantly adding new partners at locations ranging from the top destinations to beautiful small cities. Going ahead they plan to add more small destinations that attract tourists from all over the world.

As the photographer is a local, he or she can also serve as a reliable guide who can recommend attractions and places of interest in the city. Matej Slezak, the founder of this startup is an experienced photographer himself and started Localgrapher when he noticed a demand for such service after was contacted by multiple tourists for photo sessions.

“We believe that our service provided by professional vacation photographers is next big thing in travel industry. We plan to expand Localgrapher to 20-30 cities in the India and South-East Asia within next few months.” says Matej.

People who are not very comfortable in front of camera or aren’t very good at posing don’t really need to worry as the photographers highly emphasise spontaneous and natural pictures. You can book a photographer through their website and receive the gallery online in a couple of days. They have got different packages that vary in duration and regions covered at a destination.

We came across other services earlier which offer a photographer, who will provide you with Instagram ready pictures every morning, as part of group tour packages. Localgrapher can also join hands with various tour providers to further boost the services. You can find them on their website here.

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