There are several reasons why we may want to make a self-portrait. You realize that you have photos from all over the world but you never go out, you need a model, you want to put into practice the photography tricks that you read in the blog or in our book Portraits, you do not want to spoil your beauty Or your grace?Or do you want to immortalize an important moment in your life and you don’t have anyone to represent you?I’m sure something similar has happened to you yet, and if not?from time to time, sooner or later, you’ll find yourself in one of the above situations.
That’s why today I write this article with tricks and tips, to facilitate this task, which is not as simple as it seems, but also not impossible.
- In principle you have two ways to represent yourself.
- A “here I catch you here I kill you” or something more tanned.
- The first option is when we stand in front of a mirror and take a camera in hand (please.
- In this case.
- Run away from the bathroom mirrors and not use flash).
- Or when we were on the arm like Inspector Gadget.
- The latter option is useful.
- For example.
- If you travel alone and want to take a portrait with a monument in the background (make sure your arm doesn’t come out or cut it off your computer later).
You’ve probably already experienced both methods, now if you want a real self-portrait, read on.
1. Be patient. I told you that it is not an easy task, you will have to dedicate time and patience there, try again and again, shoot several times until you find the expected result and this time it is not comfort that brings you the fact of being behind the bezel, this time you will have to go and look at the result of your position over and over again.
2. Plan. This may seem strange to you, but a self-portrait is not just any photograph, a portrait should convey your personality or emotion, look for the right place and think about the costumes or accessories you will use. We can also repeat gestures and postures in front of a mirror. With models we usually have the easy task, move like this or “asao” but how can we not see each other?So can we get surprises?
3. Take care of the lighting. I remind you how to get great photos in natural light, although you can also use the extra flash if necessary, the light will determine a lot of what you want to transmit with your self-portrait, soft light, strong, natural or artificial light. is the importance he deserves.
4. Use a tripod. This is the best option to hold the camera, but if not, you can place it on a solid surface, such as a table or a wall, if you don’t have one but want to get hold of one, Mario tells you the tripod your SLR camera would like to have.
5. Use a remote timer or trigger. The remote trigger is not essential, however it is of great help, especially if you are at a considerable distance and no matter how much you run like Usain Bolt, you do not have time to press the button and return to your position. nine euros, you can get one and I assure you that the result is worth it. Cables are even cheaper, but they will also limit the distance.
6. Monitor well. Well, this, along with the next point, are the hardest to achieve, so I’m going to expand them a little more, because it’s so easy to say but doing it is another story. Chances are you’ll shoot and when you’re going to check the result you’ll find you’re not in the photo!Or does your arm or a blurry image of someone trying to get high appear?Don’t worry, this is very normal. To avoid this, you can use several tricks:
7. Concentrate well. Ains, how easy it is to say and how hard it is to do it, right?If you’ve already tried it, you’ll know what I’m talking about, otherwise you’re lucky enough to have some tricks before you take a lot of disappointments:
To refine a little more and especially to make impressive portraits, which we have already talked about in other articles, and in which, for example, you blur the background or focus only on the eyes, there are also other tricks that work very well :
8. Shoot in bursts. If your camera allows it, take photos in burst mode, so it will be easier for some to come out decent. Mine, for example, does not allow me to fire in bursts if I use the remote control, although it does so with the timer.
9. Let your imagination run wild. Have fun, get dressed, wince, experiment!The session will be more enjoyable and will last longer, which means more practice, more learning.
10. Take care of the composition and other aspects. Finally, I remind you to also consider aspects such as composition, background or color harmony. If you want to see the rules or tricks of composition, read this article.
I hope these tips have helped you and that you are already thinking about what you think of self-portrait and what you want to convey.
Remember that you are the model that can have the most patience with you and that you can be available whenever you want ?. I encourage you to get down to business and train!Oh, I forgot, if you liked the article, share it, so it reaches more people. Thank you!