Four hundred and seventeen portraits. Self-portraits at that.
Why?
Olympiad (8 of 52)
Well, here’s the story…
At the first PhotoCamp Leeds in 2008 I was so impressed with the sheer effort, determination and effort made by two Flickr members who were giving a talk on the subject of their 365 day self portrait project that I thought I’d give it a go myself one day – as it happened this was the very next day! Thanks to Cybergabi (aka Gabi Helfert) and Tootdood (Mike Rampton) I may never be the same ever again!
Why do a self portrait?
Well, it’s cheaper than hiring a model or trying to explain to a friend the ‘exact’ facial expression they must make or that “yes, you do have to wear that”, ”actually, it might take fifty shots to get it right…” never mind “hold on I might have to use another flash” or “that‘s great but can you turn your head a fraction to the left?” – it goes on…
Mystery (19 of 52)
It also helps build of self-confidence as a photographer – you soon get to a point where you just don’t care how you look anymore as long as ‘the shot’ is right. I knew I wanted to do some straight, in camera, images and other manipulated/processed images. This was to create the variety I wanted and to keep myself interested. I think this was a totally necessary decision and I was lucky that my familiarity with a package such as Photoshop meant it wasn’t going to be a problem. I also use Picasa, Gimp and Picnik, all free programs – this doesn’t have to be expensive!
Other friends who started the 365 project at about the same time had a steep learning curve when it came to processing images but they came through magnificently. This is the other key point of doing a project like this, portraits or otherwise. One’s skills develop quickly because, like being at school or college, you’re learning and practicing skills every day. How could you fail to improve?
At the start of the project I wrote a list of ideas so I would always have something to fall back on. As it turned out I rarely used it. My ideas often came from using props such as objects found around the house and garden or from locations I found myself in. I would use expressions to create a mood for the image – often another great starting point. As I developed I spent more care with lighting when shooting indoors.
Kermit (21 of 52)
If I was at a location away from my home or outdoors I would use a flash off camera – strobism as it’s also known. If at home I use a mixture of camera flash and studio-type lights with reflectors, soft box and umbrella to get the initial lighting effects that I want. Because I have to set up the shot and then take it remotely myself, it usually takes a few shots to get the pose and lighting exactly right. Sometimes I use the camera timer but usually use a wireless remote control for my camera – as it’s more flexible.
I’ve completed a 365 day self-portrait project and have just completed this year’s 52 weeks project. What’s next? Why, year two of course! If you do start one of these projects it will become second nature and you will miss it when you stop … go on, point that lens towards yourself for a change, you know you really want to!
John’s photos are all found on flickr (John Fotohouse), why not look at his 365 days project or his 52 weeks project. John is also speaking at the ‘Beyond Snapping‘ workshops today.
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John, great article. I still remember that session at the first PhotoCamp, and how enthusiastic you were after our presentation. I am happy that you picked up the self-portraiture, and you have shown us a lot of amazing results yourself. Thanks also for the technical info on your how-to (which is a lot of different from mine). Keep it up!