Self portraits?

[jano]

I've been working hard the last several months, both career-wise with 10-14 hours daily, as well as personal in trying to get in decent shape thanks to tips from another rff'er here.

This results in me being too worn out to get outside and go shooting, except the occasional photo club field trip. I'm sitting around, and thinking, pretty much everyone out there has done the self portrait. However, I've never been of even the remotely the vain sort: I dislike putting myself in front of the lens, and when I am there, it's solely for the purpose of having the memory with friends, family, and places I've visited. In fact, I rarely even look in the mirror, unless I'm trying to get that eyelash out of my eye or that contact lens back in.

But I'm kinda bored with photography at the moment, and thought I'd give something new like this a try, since I've shot just about everything else around the house. Only for my own personal education, to study form, lighting, or whatever else.

No idea where to start! What to do? Recommendations on films to try, developers, lighting setups, props? I recall there was a post on nudes, but hat thread read more like a cry for attention, and further the male nude form seems to be out of vogue since about the 1700's. What else can I do?

Thanks for your time! 🙂

Jano

PS: please don't post your self portraits, not interested in seeing tham, there are plenty of threads for that here and other photo sites. Simply looking for tips. Thanks for respecting that.

 

[rover]

Are you talking the desire to shoot the human form ala the ancient Greek Olympics or a challenge to stimulate your photography and get you going again?

If it is the latter, start small. Shoot those feet of yours that seem to be in the way of the TV when you are resting back on your recliner and let it grow from there. Or, go wide ala Al Kaplan, Bessa L and CV 15, you everywhere with everyone. Or, shoot threw the eyes of your dog, have the camera look up the leash instead of down, what if she was laying on her back and you were rubbing her belly? Does her bowl really look appetising? Just some ideas.

 

[Ash]

Go to the mirror right now. with a digicam or something.

stare at yourself.

smile, frown, pull faces, and generally try and make yourself look silly. take photo's of each pose. then try to do a 'vain' pose lookin sexy 😉

It's all about your ability to be comfortable in front of your own camera. I'm fine taking photo's of myself because I have all the control, I hate photo's others take of me.


Anyways once you are comfortable making a fool outta yourself, sit in the garden or on your favourite chair, think about a setting for your self portrait.

I prefer shallow depth of field, but sometimes the area around a person tells as much about them as the person themself.

Take a camera, try using natural light in the garden or from a window and set the camera up on a tripod (if you have a shutter release cable or delayed exposure). Sit or stand or lay down comfortably. take a few shots, different expressions etc etc.

Then try it with a plain backdrop or studio lighting. If you're using film then alternate between fast and slow film, different grains different feel.


Hope that helps.

 

[Nachkebia]

btw this can be a theme for monthly contest..

 

[Ash]

There's already a W/NW for self portraits

 

[BJ Bignell]

Ash has it right: If you're uncomfortable with the idea of taking your own picture, go to the mirror and make every silly, stupid, serious, and sexy face you can think of. Take pictures while you do this, and then have a good laugh over them. This will help you feel more in control.

I've done one or two self portraits as the opportunity strikes, but they are always the typical type where I'm holding the camera to my eye, so you can't really see the face. These are easy because you don't have to look at yourself directly, and you don't need eye contact. Just focus on the camera in the mirror, and try not to pull an overly stupid face as you pull the trigger. Works well in a full-length mirror, too.

 

[BJ Bignell]

Oh, and there used to be an excellent "toilet shots" thread where people were posting self-portraits taken in public facilities. Unfortunately, it seems to have gone the way of the dodo...

 

[Ash]

We'll have to resurrect that thread I think! That said, swindon public toilets are a little scary to walk into, let alone take a photo in. The most clean and well-maintained toilets actually have the urinals opposite the mirror (urinals within 4 feet of the sinks) so it might look a bit dodgy taking a photo there too!

 

[Nachkebia]

BJ Bignell : I just read little article about dodo`s in National Geographic 🙂

 

[jano]

Okay, great, thanks for the tips! I'll try the mirror shots with strange faces (idea sounds like fun), but I can forsee it might be difficult with limited space and awkwardness of doing closeups with rangefinders (I have a dslr, but I wanted to mess with film -- maybe I can borrow my dad's leica R4). Perhaps I can find a creative way around the limitations as well.

Rover: at some point, I was kind of thinking along the lines of the greek olympics as well, statues and forms, but that can wait as now I've got a place to start.

Jano

PS: me making a sexy face.. now I've gotta try this 😛

 

[jano]

Oh, yeah, I've seen the toilette shots thread, but that's not for me. Fun to read and look at the photos, but I loathe going into public bathrooms let alone taking photos in them! I'll just let others do that 😉

 

[pvdhaar]

Remember that a self portrait doesn't have to be a super sharp picture of your face in the mirror. You can also try to picture your character by combining props that tell something about who you are or what you do..

 

[ghost]

framing is very difficult, so either set up a tripod or get someone else to frame and hit the shutter button for you. another option is a digicam with a swiveling screen.

and remember, your extended arm is about .6-.7m.

 

[Todd.Hanz]

A "selfy" doesn't have to have your face, it could include only your hands or feet as suggested. I was bored a while back and shot these selfy's:



good luck,
Todd

 

[BJ Bignell]

Also, to give your self portrait a little something extra, wear a silly hat. If you haven't got a silly hat, try a sweatband: http://www.merch-bot.com/imagesDJANGO/products/lifestyle/large/hammer-sickle-headband-431.jpg

 

[jano]

Hmm.. I have a cowboy hat. 😀

And, of course, I don't have to include the face, good suggestion there.

The metaphorical self portrait could be a bit more challenging, I'll think there as well.

Jano