| Shooting self portraits |
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| By Neeraja Kukday 09 February 2010 | ||||||||||
With digital cameras becoming ubiquitous the art of self portraits is definitely turning into an ‘in’ thing. Of course there are major handicaps for shooting self portraits. First off you don’t actually see the photo until you have taken it (somewhat like film photography). Secondly you can never get the exact angle you want the first time around cause you have no screen to peer into. But despite the difficulties shooting self portraits can be a lot of fun. Not only does it satisfy your vanity but it also introduces you to a whole new genre of photography. You can try different angles, lightings and poses that others might not have patience for. So how do you start on this style of photography and what are the factors you need to work on? Well here are a few pointers to kick off the art of self portraits: Focus: Self portraits are all about trial and error so patience is the biggest part of shooting your own picture. Auto focus cameras can be useful in this kind of photography. But remember that if you decide to let the camera auto-focus on your face while using a wide aperture, more likely than not your nose will be the centre of attention for the picture. Not an exciting idea right? To prevent the camera focusing on your nose try using a smaller aperture. This can work wonders because smaller aperture means wider depth of field, thus making accurate focusing less critical. Another good idea for working on your poses between pictures, (if you are using a tripod) is to put a mirror behind the camera. This way you can see your reflection and make required adjustments to your poses without having to get up.  Use Self-timers: Self timers can truly come in handy in these cases. This way you can simply mount your camera on a tripod and use the self-timer to trip the shutter after you get into position in front of the lens. Remember, however, that a self-timer gives you a very limited time to get in position (normally 10 seconds or less). So it will help if you already know where and how you are going to pose. For measuring the distance, simply keep a soft toy as a stand-in until you can be there, or mark your spot with a chalk. Of course, using a cable release or remote, if you have one, will be a much better idea. It will also help if your camera can delay the shutter a couple of seconds so you can hide the remote when you finish posing.  Photo by Jill Sheldekar Use a mirror: A mirror or some other reflective surface is another great way to take a self-portrait. Unfortunately in most cases, you will end up shooting the camera in the scene too. But you can solve this problem by using the camera as a prop. So try posing with the camera in different positions and remember to hold it away from your face. While using mirrors, be sure that your reflection is in focus because an infrared auto-focusing system will usually focus on glass if aimed into a mirror and at infinity if aimed at an angle. To solve this problem try focusing at an object which is at the same distance as your reflection, lock in the focus once you get this right and then simply take another picture with you in it.  Your shadow makes for another great subject for self photographs. Shoot early in the day or late evenings, to give different auras to your shadow. To make these snaps more interesting experiment with backgrounds. Try different lightings, use a wall or water as the background or even shoot shadows on doors and such. Also remember self-portraits are about fun and you don’t have to focus only on your face. Try aiming the camera down your body from eye level. Take pictures of shoes, hands, nails and anything else you want to focus on. Finally even while taking pictures of your face try different angles, try the upside down look, the ones taken from the top and some from below your chin. Remember self portraits are about displaying your attitude. So go crazy and have fun!
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| Last Updated ( 09 February 2010 ) | ||||||||||
