A Guide to Shooting Self-Portraits for Those Who Are Afraid to Try

[Saralonde]

Last year I finished 365 days of continuous self-portraits. Although this is not unusual - a lot of photographers have done it - I found it a wonderful challenge that taught me a lot. Since completing it, I've had a number people ask me for tips and I'd like to encourage everyone to try it. After all, you will never find a more willing subject than yourself!

For your first attempt, try one that is easy: a mirror shot.
Get your reflection in focus and be aware of the background to make sure it is not distracting. Make sure you have enough light; an on camera flash will probably not work well here. You can get a little more creative with this idea by finding other reflective surfaces to use.

Next, try a shot without the reflective crutch. A tripod will be immensely helpful for this, but you can improvise with tables, beanbags, whatever is handy and will hold your camera still. The self-timer on your camera will be really helpful for this. If you have a wireless remote, even better. The remote will keep you from running back and forth to constantly take each shot. Set your camera for a narrow aperture to get more of you in focus. Wide open apertures can make wonderful self-portraits, but until you get comfortable with focusing, narrow will be more helpful at keeping things in focus. You may find yourself doing a lot of trial and error shots to begin with. It's not necessarily a bad thing. You will start finding out what works and what doesn't and soon you will find what steps you can eliminate.

One of the most difficult things to figure out is how to focus on yourself. You can set up a shot using something as a stand-in (a chair, a lamp, a lightstand, a teddy bear), set your timer and then take your stand-ins place. It can work, but not necessarily efficiently. Eventually, for close-ups, I would just chose the focal point I wanted on my camera, stand in front of the lens using my wireless remote, and push the button halfway, moving my body until my lens focused on me. There are other techniques such as using a flashlight in a dark room to get the camera's autofocus to focus on the thing it "sees", what your flashlight is highlighting.

If you are not comfortable in front of the camera (one of the reasons most of us are photographers), remember that you can act as foolish as you like. No one needs to see the outtakes but you. Try dancing, singing or listening to music to loosen up. Make silly faces, use a prop. As for smiling? Wulf said something once when we were all thinking about doing self portraits,

"Try chuckling to your self as you take the picture - I found it gives a more natural looking smile than actually trying to smile."

Oddly enough, it works.

Equipment you might need? Get a point and shoot camera and you're set. But if you have a DSLR and the aforementioned tripod and remote, you might want to add a 50mm lens. I used all my lenses at one time or another (except the 100mm macro, I didn't want to get THAT close), but the nifty fifty was my workhorse, giving me sharp headshots and dealing with often insufficient lighting.

Remember that self-portraits are not just facial shots. A shot of your hand playing a piano keyboard, your feet with swim fins, or your nose sniffing a flower can tell a great deal about you. Take silly shots, and ones that serious. Record important events and everyday ones. Analyze your images and decide what worked, what didn't and use what you learned.

Once you get the basics down, start getting creative. Try wide angle close-ups, ghetto lighting, high ISO, natural lighting, and, yes, intentionally out of focus shots. Go into your editing program and see what you can do to enhance the image. Cropping often saves a shot that didn't quite come out the way you hoped. A wonderful by-product of doing so many self-portraits was that my editing skills improved quite a bit, as well as my knowledge of lighting and camera settings.

So try some self-portraits and post them here on the forum or be brave and try a threesixtyfive or a fiftytwo. Stick with it and you will be surprised at how much you learn!

[Lakitu]

Thanks for the great advice. I'm sure it will give a lot of people (like me) the push they need to start such a daunting project as threesixtyfive or fiftytwo.

[RussHeath]

Very nice guide, Saralonde. I've watched your 365 on flickr, and you made some amazing images over the course of the year! While I don't think I'll ever have the time and patience to pursue a daily photo project, I do occasionally take SPs with my wife and the tips you've provided will come in quite handy.

[lputman]

What a great write-up Saralonde! I'm certain I would never accomplish a 365 of self-portraits, but I might be able to convince myself to do at least monthly or semi-monthly one. Hmmm, food for thought!

[Xposurepro]

I couldn't do a 365 self-portrait .. I would end up forgetting all the time until I was already in bed then have to get back up and get out a camera and think out a shot then on day 365 something would malfunction, I wouldn't be able to grab a shot and the whole year will have been for nothing.

[hugy789]

Nice tutorial, seems like everyone is saying this but i could never do 365 but 52 does sound inviting, i think im gonna set up a yahoo and flickr acount

[KodiakStar]

52 is a lot of fun!

Another thing that helps, is using your count-down timer if you do not have a remote shutter control

[Saralonde]

Believe me, I never thought I could do it either, but after awhile it becomes a part of your day, like brushing your teeth. And yes, there were one or two (or three!) times I jumped out of bed or took it at 11:59PM.

Anyone else have any ideas to add? I'd love to hear them!

[SandeeWig]

Saralonde, you are my 365/self-portrait HEROINE!!! So creative and original!!

I've been thinking about doing the 52 but have just not made it a priority despite the fact that I usually take at least one snap of me a week. My fear is that every week the picture will look exactly the same as the week before.

[Saralonde]

Originally Posted by SandeeWig

Saralonde, you are my 365/self-portrait HEROINE!!! So creative and original!!

I've been thinking about doing the 52 but have just not made it a priority despite the fact that I usually take at least one snap of me a week. My fear is that every week the picture will look exactly the same as the week before.

No it won't. My first 365 was an incredibly bad shot of my feet . I may not have been great by the end, but I certainly improved over that one .

You will start thinking about the shot you want to take as the week goes by, and you will find some creativity you didn't know existed. That's why forcing yourself into a 365 or a 52 is a good photographic challenge.