USA TODAY’s Jefferson Graham talked to Brian Solis for his piece, “Talking Tech: The art of the selfie — some tips.”

You’ve seen folks doing it all summer long: taking those silly pictures of themselves directly into the smart phone. They’re called “selfies.” Some tips to get your best shot.

Brian Solis, an analyst with the Altimeter Group, says teens and young adults look to the selfie as an “evolution” of visual chat. “They communicate not through text, but imagery of themselves. The visuals capture and communicate their state of mind.”

Where does the selfie go from here? “It’s just going to become more pervasive,” says Solis.

His reasoning: The selfie and the feedback it generates turn the ordinary Web surfer into a mini-celebrity.

“Once you put yourself out there with the live emoticon, to show your expression, and you get rewarded with likes and comments, you start to need more of that type of reaction, and therefore you share more often.”