Self Portrait Ideas

Photography Tips  •  Portrait Photography

Kai is on a mission to put an end to those cheesy “MySpace” self portraits that are usually taken in bathroom mirrors with his witty video tutorial on taking self portraits that don’t stink—no pun intended. He covers a few different scenarios in the seven-minute tutorial and offers up plenty of solid advice alongside a healthy dose of humor. Even if you’re not interested in self-portraiture, this video is worth your time purely for its comedic factor. Enjoy it here:

And if you would like to get on the path to better self portraits, here are a few things Kai suggests to get you started:

• Avoid taking the cliched bathroom mirror portrait. There are clever ways to use a mirror in self-portraiture, but posing in front of your bathroom mirror is not one of them.
• Learn how to use your camera’s self-timer—this is critical.
• Always pay attention to your surroundings, as these elements will become the background to your portrait.
• Don’t over pose. We’ve all heard it before: act natural and be yourself. Remember that just because it’s a self portrait, it doesn’t mean that you have to have your face in the camera smiling as large as you can. It’s okay to be an indirect subject, as well.

“Photograph how you really feel in the context of the environment you’re in.”

• Don’t forget about the lighting. Make sure you take your photograph in lighting that keeps shadows from becoming overbearing and also properly illuminates the scene.

Capture how you feel in the environment you are in.

No more excuses! Get out there and take a self portrait the right way, even if it’s just for using on social networking websites.