my rule of taking selfies is to think about the image you are trying to create rather than it being "a picture of you" - what emotions are you trying to stir up or portray - is there a message you want to give. It then makes you feel less self conscious. Here's 2 I did for challenges...never would have dreamed I'd pose naked for a camera in private or public...but I don't see myself in these images, only the image itself.
for me selfies are not structured they are random sometimes they are formal other time completely nuts, but I always try to put a bit of my personality into them, here are a few of the many
Usually I use the mirrors and do hand-held selfies.
And because I have 50mm lens most of the time I usually end up with only parts of my face on the picture =)) which, given some proper editing, might look pretty cool =)
So my advice - go for some parts - eyes, lips, hands, etc.
Oh, and as on your picture, b&w usually works great on selfies=)
One of the hardest things about selfies is the focus. If you self time the camera, it is not focused on you, so when it shoots the focus is generally totally off. If you have manual focus then you can pre set it with a focus ring, but the best thing otherwise is to use a dummy. Set something up where you will stand (anything, as long as it's in the right spot), then focus with a timer and run and take the dummy's place.
I usually take selfies on days where nothing much has happened :) I've enjoyed making the most of the self-timer settings on my iPhone and the various editing capabilities of PicMonkey. I think I've done close to 70 selfies now! You can see them here for the range of compositions and processing techniques (I've had two accounts) http://365project.org/wrighty/tags/selfiehttp://365project.org/wr1ghty/tags/selfie
I did my first proper attempt the other day and was quite pleased with it. I's a comical take on the cover of a favourite book of mine, Miranda Hart lol :-)
I'd definitely recommend a remote - I have a cable one as my 400D doesn't have wireless and it has really made this a lot easier. In terms of focus I usually put a random object in the right place and manual focus on that, and then get into the same position (this first one of these was in focus but I then applied blur in the processing as didn't like it sharp). And agree about having strong ideas as to what you want the image to do - mine are usually a reflection of an emotional state but hope yours are generally happier than mine - the one you started the thread with is awesome!
I think selfies are a great challenge and can be alot of fun. I like when they are cropped and maybe don't show my entire face. I feel more confident about them that way. I agree the pop out screen does help! fun.
I try to do a new one each month because this is hard for me. I'd much rather be taking pictures of anything else but me however it's part of the learning process. I can't begin to help others to be comfortable until I learn to be comfortable myself so I do it.
Here's one where I struggled with focus because I did not have a dummy to set up the shot like @victorypuzzle recommended, but it turned out to be a happy accident because the end result was better than what I had planned:
I read a blog post about self portraits not long ago, and the author's method was "I simply held my right hand where my face would be, locked in my focus with my left hand and back-button-focus, then switched my lens to Manual focus." Of course, that only works if you have a wide enough lens to be within arm's reach of your camera!
My best attempts at self portraits have all been taken with point-and-shoot cameras (so very wide depth of field) or in reflections.
I did a GCSE photography/photoshop course last year at school so I took a selfie to kinod go with the theme of transformation that we were doing at the time:
I used to run a selfies challenge on this site, every week a new theme. I've run it for a year and then I thought it was enough. You can search in the discussions at the title: Me Every Week.
Here are some examples I took for some challenges...
Try different techniques. A tripod is often helpful to get selfies, but this one is hand held with a flashlight placed where I wanted it in a dark room.
@grizzlysghost Everytime I see that camera toss photo I think of which camera I like the least... in case I don't quite catch it on the way down! But it really is sensational!
Reading through this it seems theres no real right or wrong when it comes to slefies. I attempted a few yesterday.
I set my camera on a tripod, use the autofocus and set the interval timer for 10 seconds. then just made a bunch of faces and poses to see what happens.
@amyamoeba sweetheart, my advice to you is to use a focus range that gets everything into focus. that way, if there's a photo you like, it won't be out of focus. and then little by little you can get more creative with the focus. I will set up a mirror in front of my tripod and camera so I can pose myself that way. Also, if you have an idea that you would love to try but feel awkward doing it, JUST DO IT. Trial and error.
Patience. Lots of patience. I took this one with a tripod, manual focus, and a timer. And then I spent a LOT of time running back and forth into place, trying to get things to line up just right.
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Main tip is to make sure you've got some good lighting going on :)
What area are you having issues with?
Usually I use the mirrors and do hand-held selfies.
And because I have 50mm lens most of the time I usually end up with only parts of my face on the picture =)) which, given some proper editing, might look pretty cool =)
So my advice - go for some parts - eyes, lips, hands, etc.
Oh, and as on your picture, b&w usually works great on selfies=)
Also you might wanna check out this book by Anna Gay - http://digital-photography-school.com/self-portraiture
also there is an article on DPS about self portraits, check here http://digital-photography-school.com/18-stunning-self-portraits
I also found this article very good http://photodoto.com/im-ready-for-my-closeup-6-methods-for-perfectly-focused-self-portraits/
Good luck, Amy =)
Here are some of mine:
http://365project.org/wrighty/tags/selfie http://365project.org/wr1ghty/tags/selfie
Also, tripod and remote trigger are key to getting a decent shot.
Here are some of mine:
Get yourself a black and a white bed sheet and hang that us and use that.
You can then post it out or leave it in but it will not take away from your subject.
Sometimes you want to try a new technique. Note the direction the camera is facing.
Sometimes you just want to show off. This is my Movember mustache.
And, sometimes it's accidental and can't be avoided but you go with it anyway.
I guess my tip is just to make it fun.
Mine is always like this :) haha
My best attempts at self portraits have all been taken with point-and-shoot cameras (so very wide depth of field) or in reflections.
http://dribbly.weebly.com/1/post/2011/03/worries-always-worries.html
Here are some examples I took for some challenges...
Anonymous:
B&W:
Deadly Sin Envy:
That, and solitude.
@lindseying I think solitude is definitely key!
I set my camera on a tripod, use the autofocus and set the interval timer for 10 seconds. then just made a bunch of faces and poses to see what happens.
This is one I got.
Still a way to go but thankyou to everyone - you've all been uber inspiring - I fear this may be the start of something :P
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