The 11 best photos ever taken with a selfie stick

If you've spent any time in a crowded, touristy place this summer, you've probably encountered more than a few selfie sticks.

Selfie sticks are the telescopic tools you clip your phone onto to take better pictures of yourself.

They gained popularity (and notoriety) last year when TIME Magazine named the selfie stick one of the best inventions of the year. This summer, Disney World and Disney Land both banned selfie sticks. Other venues like New York's Museum of Modern Art, the Coachella and Lollapalooza music festivals, and Rome's Colosseum have banned them too.

Though most people just use selfie sticks - also known as monopods - to take pictures of themselves, others are using them in more daring, creative ways.

We decided to round up some of the best pictures taken with selfie sticks.