Today’s post is part of dPS’s Self Portrait Challenge – learn more about what it is, how you can be involved and how you can get a free gift for participating here.

After seeing all of the amazing shots that everyone submitted for the first self-portrait challenge, I was really looking forward to the lighting challenge, and all of you should be very proud of yourselves, because you submitted some really excellent work! It was great to see everyone trying lighting that is a little bit out of the norm (for example, SarahBob’s flash-in-the-mouth technique was a new one on me) and also using some classic lighting setups for your self-portraits.

Here are my 3 picks for the second challenge:

Miguel

If you look closely, you can actually see the reflection of the lighter in his glasses, which adds a whole new element of interest to the shot. The aperture here is f/4, so I’m assuming that the lighter was the only light source, which is a genius idea, and gives the shot a mysterious feeling. This is a great example of using a different approach to lighting that involves an every day object that we may not immediately think of as a light source.

Tina

Doing laundry has never looked so fun! The thing that really strikes me about this image is the shadows from the fabric hanging on the line, and how they add to the composition of the photo by framing Tina. She also did a masterful job of using her pose to coordinate with the lines of the shadows and fabric. In some cases, such as this one, you may find that posing yourself in order to fit the lighting of a situation can be visually interesting and different, rather than trying to force the light to do what you want.

Nachiket

This is a beautiful example of using light to tell a story because we cannot help but wonder what is on the other side of the blinds. There is something to be said for minimal use of light – it can create a dramatic effect by eliminating certain elements that may become distracting, and helps the viewer focus on the story at hand.

Once again, you all did a fabulous job with this challenge! Lighting is arguably the most important element of any type of photography, but with self-portraiture, especially, it can help you reveal something about yourself, or even tell a short story that you have concocted in your imagination.

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