The Hideout

I’m often asked about how I manage to pull off decent self portraits. Well, the truth is… there is an actual process involved that requires both acceptance and patience. Although it isn’t too detailed, there is an absolute “method to my madness” and I’ll be honest here, sometimes I look at certain shots and laugh at myself thinking “No one ever has to know….!”

First, I want to point out how little self portraiture has to do with being looked at by others, and how much it has to do with the process of illustrating one’s own self in a way that he/she perceives his or her own self. A fine line but a very distinctive separation indeed; No two people see another person in the same light, and furthermore, as one continues to evolve, so does the self perception of that individual. It can change daily, by the hour really… its fascinating to think about it in that light, how our sense of worth and value can diminish in a matter of seconds. Imagine if we could illustrate each rise and fall of our moods on a daily basis!

Since 2004 when I took an interest in self portraiture, I’ve grown much more confident in who I am, I’ve seen the WORST possible angles and expressions, discovered things about the way I present myself, and have learned how important confidence is when it comes to being successful at most anything. By confident, I mean ‘secure in one’s self’ and not ‘arrogant and wanting the world to see how freaking awesome you are’ – totally different.

I decided to share my process of self portraiture with you, in hopes that it might encourage you to try this for yourself. After all, look back into history and you’ll find that most of the Great Artists experimented with self portraiture. Don’t be shy, it’s just another form of expression like any other.

What to wear, what general mood you want to get across, what lens would you like to use, and where you want the shoot to take place are the first things to consider. Wide angles focus more forgivingly and I tend to shoot with these for self portraiture. If you’re going to consider a portrait lens (85mm or longer) be sure to have an item with which to fix your focus point (and of course don’t forget to replace the item with your sexy self). I’ve been successful using a 50mm handheld for self headshots as well. It’s a little tricky but it can work. A 35mm is probably the best lens for handhelds, but I don’t own one and that is totally an educated guess I just know that handheld selfies with anything less than a 50mm are distorted and strange but if that’s what you’re going for then by all means, WORK IT!

DECIDED THEME FOR THIS SHOOT: 1970’s inspired fashion, mixed with a bit of romance and sultry confidence. Why you ask? Well, someone once told me they thought I was “from the 70’s” so I decided to pretend that it was true, hehee.

Alright people… TEST YOUR LIGHT in the environment. Try several different exposures and see how the camera is reacting to its surroundings before you move yourself into the frame.

Once you have decent exposure settings, you’re ready to start experimenting with composition and vantage point. And so begins…. trying out some poses. DO NOT FEAR – but you aren’t going to love every shot. Be prepared to HATE some of them, actually. You can either opt to use a remote, or the on-camera timer. I generally use a timer set to 20 seconds because I like the candidness it lends to the image, as if someone else were shooting it. I’m never totally ready when the shot fires off.

Determine what you like and/or don’t like about an image and determine how you’re going to fix it. I knew going into this shoot that I wanted my entire body to appear in the frame so the result of this shot says that I need to lower the angle of the camera, or move it to another side of the room.

I knew that I wanted a full-body shot, but that I wanted it to feel somewhat intimate.. or ‘relatable’ in the eyes of the viewer. This angle is a little too ‘peeping Tom-ish’ and not really bringing the viewer into my world. So a lower camera angle with me filling more of the frame is going to allow for that kind of feeling, I decided after comparison of the first two test shots.

As aforementioned… you’re not going to like all of your attempts. Period. Be willing to laugh at yourself and realize how ridiculous you can be when you’re trying to get a more serious shot. ITS OKAYYYYY! You’ll end up with something you like if you don’t get frustrated. Some days you just aren’t gonna get a good shot and its okay to put the camera away and wait until you’re mind is clear and focused again. Don’t get discouraged, it happens

So I’ve settled on this vantage point for sure, but I’m just a little too close to the camera because you can’t see my feet. So I’m gonna back it on uppppp.

YESSSSSS!  I’ve found the spot I’m going to stay in, but I’m not diggin the cheesy look on my face, and I’m over this squatting thing that I thought would show the flare in my jeans (to get the 70’s inspiration across). So after an extravaganza of poses that just weren’t working, I decided to try just sitting casually on the floor. Sitting is more inviting than a squat, don’t you think?

AHHHHHH. Plan worked. Looking into the camera is what made this shot work I think. Really pulls the viewer into the room. For processing this image I used a Moderna Lightroom Preset in Lightroom and then added further detail with my SpritZers ‘French Lavender’ action which is very subtle and romantic, lending just the right softness to the overall mood of the image.

SO YOU SEE, with a little bit of pre-planning, a little bit of patience, and a sturdy tripod, you’re pretty much good to go! Now don’t you wanna just run to your camera and say “Hey Camera, will you take my peeekshurrs?” If not then BOOOO at you and fooey on the time I wasted trying to inspire you. But I’m thinking you’re probably going to give it a shot. And when you do, please share a link in the comments below so we can see it!

IF YOU HAVE A FAVORITE SELF PORTRAIT YOU’D LIKE US TO CRITIQUE OR COMMENT ON, JOIN US AT THE FORUMS or show us in a comment below this post!

The tripod I use is made by SLIK (and I love it). Lens used in the images is the Sigma 15mm f/2.8. Shooting with a Nikon d300.