A Few Tricks For Self Portraits You’ll Love
Posted by Katrina Kennedy on Jan 11, 2013 in Blog, Photography | 27 comments
I am not thin.
I have a uncanny mental block in the hair styling department.
I stopped wearing makeup eight years ago. I didn’t like the way it felt and kind of had a mental block with application.
I wear glasses.
I have a crooked smile.
I am loved by a seven year old boy and a forty three year old man who say I’m beautiful.
I don’t believe them.
I am daughter to a mom who hates having her photo taken.
I think she’s beautiful.
I take her photo anyway.
I know she hates it.
I take my own photograph because I know it’s what I should do.
I don’t like it.
I do it anyway.
I’ve discovered it gets easier to see me for who I am.
The more I point my camera in my direction the more comfortable it becomes.
I’ve learned a few tricks that help ME like ME.
- Make sure the camera is slightly above my face (or really far above is even better). It slims some and helps to avoid the ugly extra chins that the camera seems to create.
- If I’m going to shoot more than just my head I need to keep my arms away from my body. Leaving a bit of space keeps them from adding a little extra padding around me. (I don’t want extra.)
- When using a tripod and timer, have someone stand in for me to get correct focus.
- Lean my chin forward and a bit down. It will feel weird, but look good.
- Lean my body in.
- Smile. With your entire face. Or don’t. Avoid the in-between expressions.
- And of course, put yourself in great light.
Tomorrow’s CY365 prompt is self portrait. I hope you’ll turn your camera towards beautiful you!
What are your go to methods for taking your self portrait. I’d love to hear in the comments below.
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Thanks for the tips! I like the “arms away” idea. Peter Hurley has a great description for angling your face to eliminate the extra chins… bring your forehead forward. Sometimes when people tilt their chins down they either exaggerate the extra chin issue, or jut it out too far. Leading with the forehead leads to a more natural look.
Also, I noticed that you have Ian nearly choking you in this one. Or is that another face slimming trick?
- Of course, all of these comments are made by one with extra everything – not just chins.
LOL. He nearly chokes me every single time we take a family photo like this! I have a similar one from when he was 2 1/2! It does help to hide my neck
Oops – hit Submit too soon. I also wanted to say you all look great!
great tips and a great photo! Embedded in my 365 is a Self-Portrait Sunday and when I find myself getting to uptight and self-critical I take a bunch of photos making the most bizarre faces I can possibly make…that usually makes me laugh and the next few are really great!
I can relate to so many of your “I” statements. I have a 7 year old son, too. Isn’t their unconditional love the greatest! (husband’s too). When I look at your photo, I see a beautiful woman, who is real. Our sons see that too, and hopefully will have luck finding a woman to love, later in their life, who is also real and not be stuck looking for a perfect supermodel who is all flash and no substance.
Thanks for the great tips. I always forget about the chin/forehead one until it’s too late!
I like to use a mirror, with interesting light and angles.
And I Thank The Person who made the “review images” on our digital cameras!
You are beautiful, lady! Thanks for the tips…I need to take your advice, because I am daughter to a mom who feels the same way as yours, and don’t want my own daughter to wish she had more pictures of me and us together. My best method for self photo is what you mentioned about the camera above the face. And to take/delete/retake until I get one I don’t want to cringe at!
I love everything about this post including the photo and can relate to so much of it.
I don’t photograph well. Fact. Additionally, my ex reinforced everything I hated about myself. I have more photos of me in the last year than I do the previous 17. When I look at the few photos I have of my Nana (who hated to have her picture taken) I promise you I am never judging how she looked in any way, shape, or form … I am simply smiling and remembering funny things she said or did or happy moments spent with her. I remind myself of this when I feel like I hate a picture of me and I hope noone looking at them will judge my weight or double chin but will instead remember the happy times they spent with me.
Kim. You are beautiful. I’m so glad you’ve included yourself in your photos. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to eliminate his words from your brain. Know that we love you and cherish you as part of CY365!
Some days are easier than others, for sure, but people like you and comments like this definitely help!!
I am so glad for this site and the friends I have made here!
Thank you Katrina!
Thank you for giving me courage with this one. I will need it.
I’m so glad to help!
I just enjoyed reading this so much! You write so well from your heart and they are my sentiments exactly. I have been working on a self portrait for an hour now and dislike them all! I was taking a break and saw this post and after reading it you have encouraged me to go back and try again but in a different head space.
Why are self portraits so hard?! I think we are so critical of ourselves. It’s really too bad because when I look at other self portraits I don’t see the flaws. I see a beautiful, unique person.
Thank you for sharing from your heart and you look great and so happy in this shot!
I’ve heard all these tips, but I never remember all of them at once- until I look at pictures of me. lol Thanks for sharing. I know exactly how you feel.
I think this photo shows nothing but love. Gorgeous, all of you.
As someone who works in the “televisual” field, I found that PRACTICE allows you to find “your pose.” Just take an hour, set the camera and keep taking photos till you find it…your pose. For me, camera straight on and, as you mention, chin down. I used to think it was camera up high, but after about 40 photos, I realized straight on, chin down was the perfect alignment for acceptable photos. I still don’t love ‘em, but I tolerate ‘em now.
Loving the challenge!
YOU ARE beautiful, Katrina!!
I just had a conversation with my cousin about makeup (she is a stylist) and when I told her it takes me 35 seconds to put mascara on and use a shadow in a pencil, she thought she will collapse. I don’t care about fancy stuff too much, so I totally hear you on this one.
Love the shot of you and your boys. You are beautiful and you are loved!
Thanks for sharing. You are awesome. I’m like you though don’t like to get in front of my camera. The last couple of days I am making it a goal to be in front of the camera and not behind it. Fortunately there is a delete button!
PS…. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!
I’m a guy… so I don’t really care much about how I look in a photo (stereotype, I know). But I’m married to someone who does care… and I have a daughter who, at this point in her life, LOVES taking photos of herself, her friends & others. I appreciate your post. I can hear other voices in my life saying similar things. It’s helpful for me (as a guy) to remember it… and to help capture others in a way that affirms who God created them to be.
I feel the exact same way about being in pics. Probably because I, too, am not thin. Thanks for putting this out there. I definitely need to bookmark this page and re-read it all year long
Wow you could have been describing me with every sentence you wrote – I hate having my photo taken – I’m always the one behind the camera, capturing gorgeous photos of everyone else. Since I started Project Life last year, I have become very conscious of my absence in our family album. Thank you so much for these tips – I will definitely be trying them out and attempting to get myself in front of the camera and into our 2013 album.
You have a very sweet face. Don’t have any idea what you’re talking about not liking your image. You and your family look great!
I, too, have learned to deal with having my photo taken. I’m definately NOT one of the pretty people in the world but I can tolerate my photo. In fact on our recent vacation, I gave the camera to my husband twice and had him take my photo. Both photos turned out pretty well!
What a wonderful self and family portrait, Katrina! You are beautiful.
Thank you for the tips! I hate taking selfies but you’ve inspired me
Thank you
I love what you had to say in this post. That’s exactly how I feel about having my picture taken. Someday it will look like this family had no mother because I am always behind the camera and rarely in front of it. Maybe if I am in the photo more often it will start to feel better. Thank you so very much for your insight.
you have a beautiful smile! thanks for the tips.
I also hate taking pics of myself, and am trying to get over that, because once I am gone, my children will want pictures of the mom they love, they won’t see all the flaws that I see (like how I never look the same in pictures as I think I really look, how does that camera add all those “bonus” features like double chins and wrinkles?). I hope that one day we won’t be judged on our outward appearance, but on the source of our true beauty, the inside (no wonder my outside is so much bigger, I have worked alot on the inside)!! Keep sending out the message, get in the picture, your loved ones will treasure those pictures!!
I saw NONE of the things you pointed out in your photo. I saw a beautiful, happy family! YOU are BEAUTIFUL! Take more shots.