Why Do I Take Self Portraits?

Picture quarantine 2020. I couldn't take photos of other people, I was locked inside of the house. And I wanted to take photos!!!!!! I noticed a lot of photographers on instagram were taking self portraits and I felt very inspired to take some. At this time, I was CONSTANTLY listening to Harry Styles' Fine Line album, and once it started to get warm, I ran into my yard and decided to take a set of self portraits based off of 'Adore You'. Throughout the next few months, I kept taking more self portraits based off of my favorite artists.

Photography is my way of creatively expressing myself. Some people have dance, others have painting and drawing or even singing to express their feelings, but mine is photography. I love taking self portraits to depict how I'm feeling and also if we're being honest, I feel like I know my best angles lol. If I ever want good pictures of myself I take them because that's the only way I will like them.

There are soooooo many reasons why you should take self portraits and a million different ways to get inspiration for them.

Here are 4 Reasons to Take Self Portraits:

Confidence.

When I started taking self portraits, I felt SO much more confident being behind the camera. Like I said in the intro, I was able to find my "good angles" and it opened up a whole new perspective for me. Although I obviously wish that covid never happened ( like literally everyone else ) this was so crucial for me and I wouldn't have done these self portraits if I didn't have the time. Finding confidence in yourself takes a lonngggg time, and it comes and goes. But get behind the camera, listen to your favorite music and find your best angles! I promise once you do them more and more, you will find things you love about yourself.

Creative Expression

As a professional photographer, sometimes I feel like I lack the time to express myself creatively. I get a ton of inspiration from music that I listen to and I always want to do shoots based off of them. Self portraits are a great way to express yourself creatively. And as a photographer, you should always be opening up that part of your mind, because it will make room for you to grow and be more creative during client shoots.

Brand Awareness!

If you have a photography business like me, self portraits are crucial so that your clients know who you are before they book with you. Having a face to a name is SO important, because it makes your clients feel more comfortable and more inclined to book you if they feel like they know you already. If you have photography friends in your area, you can always ask to swap headshots with each other, but in my opinion, you will like them better if you do them yourself, especially if you know your good angles.

Perspective.

This is probably the MOST important reason to do self portraits. You know when you take a clients photos, and you think they are sooo beautiful, and could not look more perfect and stunning...and then they come back and say that they don't like them because they're insecure? Putting yourself behind the camera will help you understand what they mean and how they feel. We all have insecurities, no doubt about that. So putting yourself in their position will open up a new perspective and help you in the future to understand how to make clients feel most beautiful and most confident behind the camera. When you start taking self portraits you will get better with posing and knowing where to place your hands, and your clients hands.