What makes a self portrait?

[wannabehorsephotographer]

I saw an interesting discussion over an image on Flickr that got me thinking...What does constitute a self portrait. Personally, I think that if the photographer determines everything: shutter speed, location, when they press the button, etc. then it is a self portrait even if someone else hits the shutter (what's different from a remote trigger?).

On the other hand, I had my mother-in-law take Christmas pictures for me that I don't claim as self portraits. I set all the settings, and picked the location, poses, edited the images, etc. But since we were doing more candid shots I thought her interpretation came into play too much. She chose to move around to follow the movement, capture a child's attention, and decide when the moment was to click the shutter.

What do you consider a self portrait? Do you have to press the shutter. If so, then do remote shots count?

Just curious of other's opinions...

[fletch]

Its a photo you took of yourself. Beyond that I think it is whatever you are happy with.

I would say if you used a person like a remote (Press the button... Now!) thats OK but if the hold the camera to compose the shot that is not. In that scenario you were their auto mode!

[Marmalade]

Disclaimer - this is just my opinion not a statement of facts.

I think that if you make all the settings and hit the trigger (remote or on the camera) - Self portrait.

If you make all the settings and have someone hold the camera or have the camera on a tripod, ...etc.... and they just press the button - Self portrait (all be it a little bit of cheating) Admittedly I have done this before when my remote battery died. I see it as a live, breathing, and rather large remote.

For your scenario where you put in all the settings in and your mother-in-law then proceeded to follow the motion and took the shots. I think that the type or idea of the picture has changed and now becomes your mother-in-laws "vision" of the picture and not your own.

Since SP's are the next assignment I am curious to see what every one else thinks about this topic.

there was a thread on this just a bit ago, i think it was decided that if you are the one to set the camera (placement, settings, etc) and just need someone to trip the shutter for you, your still the photographer, and therefore it is a self portrait.....this also goes along with remotes, you set up the camera and its settings a use a remote (still self portrait). if you give the camera to someone (without setting it to the modes and things you want) and tell them to take some pics of you, they are then the photographer and you are the suject (no longer a self portrait)...hope i wasnt babbling!

[Mr Guy]

I agree. People can make amazing voice activated remotes.

[AnnetteJ]

How much of yourself constitutes a self portrait? Obviously it doesn't have to be the whole body, but does it have to have the face for instance? Does it have to be recognizable? Can your shadow count? Just your feet as you stand in water? I wouldn't suggest an accidental inclusion of part of your finger would be a self portrait, but maybe a deliberate macro of your fingerprint could be.

[Palladius]

IMO..... You're the photographer if the photograph is a representation of your vision of the scene. If you set up the camera to capture a certain scene, the mechanics of how exactly it's captured doesn't matter, so long as you arranged for it to be the case.

So, if your mother-in-law decides what to shoot, and what to capture, then she is the photographer. On the other hand, if you carefully set up your camera and flash and waterproof box and motion-sensitive trigger in a remote mountain pass in Kashmir and capture a rare sighting of a snow leopard then that was all you, even if you were 200km away when the shutter went.

Also, I'd say it's a self-portrait if you're the photographer and the subject... even if it is just your little finger, if that's the subject of the photo, and it's you, and you're the photographer, then it's a self-portrait.... might not be a very good self-portrait, though!

[AnnetteJ]

Originally Posted by Palladius

Also, I'd say it's a self-portrait if you're the photographer and the subject... even if it is just your little finger, if that's the subject of the photo, and it's you, and you're the photographer, then it's a self-portrait.... might not be a very good self-portrait, though!

OK, that makes sense, if you or part of you are/is the subject it is a self portrait, if part of you is in it but is not the subject then it probably can't be called a self portrait. Thanks for clarifying.