25.4.12

four steps to creative self-portraits

have you ever wanted to take a self-portrait without using a mirror or having your messy room in the background? have you been inspired by pinterest to have an amazing photo shoot but there aren't any willing models and you aren't old enough to drive? 
well, this post is for you.
today i am going to share with you some tips that have really helped me take creative selfies, which is usually how i get my creative juices flowing.
xxxxx
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
a camera (point & shoot or slr. it doesn't matter)
a tripod (or a stack of books)
your lovely, beautiful, amazing self
access to the great outdoors
STEP ONE: become a scout
the first step to taking original self-portraits is to go somewhere away from your bathroom mirror. walk around your house/neighborhood/park/city and look for something interesting. pose in front of a colorful wall, sit on a table or on the ground, stand next to a fence, ect... just look around, you never now what's out there!
STEP TWO: become snap-happy
having a photo shoot with yourself isn't nearly as easy as having a photo shoot with another person. you aren't going to be able to click the shutter button over and over like you would if you were behind the camera (unless you have one of those fancy remotes...). so when you're taking self-portraits, make sure to turn your camera's self-timer on and give yourself enough time to run to your spot and fix your hair. you are definitely going to take a ton of pictures, but not all of them will turn out. i normally take around 400 pictures on a normal session and around 200 of them will turn out, but when i'm taking self-portraits, i'll take around the same number of pictures depending on my mood and how much light i have, and only around 10 will turn out.
STEP THREE: embrace the imperfect 
in the photo above, i was trying to get one of those cool jump shots that everyone loves, but i jumped too soon, so i ended up getting myself in that weird position. the reason i kept this photo and why i am sharing it with you is because i thought it was more true to me than any of the others. it is a candid shot of me being my awkward self after jumping before i was supposed to, and i liked that about it.
STEP FOUR: have fun!
the final and most important step is to just have fun! don't stress out about yourself, what you're wearing, or your hair. as you can see, the outfit i'm wearing in these photos is never going to make it on the runway, but i was inspired and didn't want to waste that inspiration on worrying about my clothes. i just grabbed my camera and went outside. i had fun while doing it, too. it was a lot less stressful than trying to get my sister to do it, and i had more freedom to do whatever i wanted to do with the photos.
xxxxx
now it's your turn. grab your camera, a tripod, a bottle of water and head outside! have fun and get those creative juices flowing!
xoxo,

17 comments:

  1. I lovvveee this!! you are just oh so cuute!! (:

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank-you so much for this post! I'm so bad when it comes to selfies, especially with the focus, but yours is just perfect! HOW did you do it?!

    eve @ essence of eve

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. aw, you're welcome, Eve!
      as i said in the post, only about 10 out of 400 photos will turn out :) it takes me forever to get the focus just right! i think it is easier with a manual focus lens, though, since you have complete control over the focus. it just takes time. and if you have something that's in or around the spot you'll be standing in, like a tree branch or a large rock, you can focus on that then sit or stand next to it and adjust the focus until it's where you want it :)
      i hope that helps!
      xoxo,
      gracie

      Delete
  3. wow. i love this! thank you so much--when i saw this post on my dashboard, i actually said out loud: "thank you!" :D haha i think i need to get my brother into photography so i can get some self portraits. :) thanks for the inspiration Gracie.

    ReplyDelete
  4. you. you are awesome. and the shot of you laughing is just priceless and i love it and i have to email you about something! or skype. whatever.
    -jocee <3

    ReplyDelete
  5. aah I love this! the awkward failed jumping shot is adorable :) and I am now inspired to go take some selfies!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Augh. Hate taking pictures of myself.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm making myself get out to take a self-portrait every 10 weeks of my project 52 (week 10, 20, 30, etc.)! It isn't easy, and it isn't very often, but it IS better than what I was doing before! Love these pictures, especially the awkward jumping fail one! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. You have SUCH a sweet blog, and your self confidence is just wonderful. These are some great tips too =)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I just took some self portraits yesterday, actually. It's a lot of fun. Thanks for these great tips, Gracie!

    ReplyDelete
  10. do this all the time! so much fun!=)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. i smiled wide when i saw that too-late-jump photo. it's so sweet. :) thanks for this post; i have zero confidence when it comes to taking pictures of myself, but probably the main reason they never turn out is i either do the myspace-pic-thing, or (a little better) hold out my camera a foot in front of me at an awkward angle. :)

      Delete
  11. oh my gosh Gracie you are the most awesomest, cutest person I know!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thank you thank you thank you for these great tips. I shall give them a try!

    ReplyDelete