Before the ever-popular selfie-style photograph…which arguably has a very high compositional failure rate…people did things the old fashioned way: they asked someone to take a photo for them. Japanese company Sunpole saw a glaring opportunity in world where smartphones outnumber people and created the first ‘official’ selfie smartphone stand.

Sunpole Camera Stand

Located throughout popular tourist spots in Fukisawa, Japan, the stands are fairly self-explanatory: a tall bistro table-like stand placed strategically at viewpoints for photoseekers to rest their smartphone or camera. The stands are capable of rotating 360 degrees (gotta put that panorama function to good use!) and are installed at a an ideal height for the average group photograph (assuming it’s not a visiting NBA team). The well-considered, simple camera rest design features not only a platform for a larger camera to rest, but also a slot to stabilize various sizes of smartphones. According to photographer and early Sunpole user John Sypal, who runs the blog Tokyo Camera Style, the stand not only presents a solution for holding a camera but also solves the social awkwardness of either asking for a photo or the pressure of having to take a picture.