Self Portraits

City-Exile

Flickr is full of self-portraits, or potraits, as some people like to call them.
What I'd like to know is, what's the point of them?

Is there some skill involved, that every photographer should have?
Are they simply to show people what you look like?
The vast majority of them are taken by hand-holding the camera & pointing it at a mirror.
I've rarely seen a self portrait, where I've thought to myself, 'that's a really great shot!'

A self portrait isn't on my list of things-to-do, but I'd like to know what other people think of them.

Quackles

City-Exile wrote: »

Flickr is full of self-portraits, or potraits, as some people like to call them.
What I'd like to know is, what's the point of them?

Is there some skill involved, that every photographer should have?
Are they simply to show people what you look like?
The vast majority of them are taken by hand-holding the camera & pointing it at a mirror.
I've rarely seen a self portrait, where I've thought to myself, 'that's a really great shot!'

A self portrait isn't on my list of things-to-do, but I'd like to know what other people think of them.

If I was ever to take a self portrait (and I strongly dislike being on that side of the camera), it would be to take a picture to put on the 'about me' section of my website. I think that's the same with a lot of people - it's just to give people a face to put with the name.

ThOnda

I've found that lot's of people are trying to share their happiness to double it, or to share their problems to get some relief.
[MACHO]
However, if it is self portrait of (almost) naked beautiful lady, I have absolutely nothing against it.
[/MACHO]

melekalikimaka

City-Exile wrote: »

Flickr is full of self-portraits, or potraits, as some people like to call them.
What I'd like to know is, what's the point of them?

Is there some skill involved, that every photographer should have?
Are they simply to show people what you look like?
The vast majority of them are taken by hand-holding the camera & pointing it at a mirror.
I've rarely seen a self portrait, where I've thought to myself, 'that's a really great shot!'

A self portrait isn't on my list of things-to-do, but I'd like to know what other people think of them.

man youmust be pug ugly

Thirdfox

Actually this raises an interesting point - what do most photographers think about getting their picture taken?

I don't particularly like it (always want to be involved in the "taking" process) and grimace when someone waves a P&S in my face (never know how to put on a natural expression either).

And it's not because I'm pug ugly or fugly

melekalikimaka

ah i hate it aswell,noneon my flickr, a few on mates flickr's tho, i believe that a photograph, captures your soul and i actually want to goto heaven

Ghost Train

I'd say a lot of people who don't like being in photos, will offer to take the photos... maybe this leads to an interest in photography and photography who don't like being photographed

on self-portraits, fun to mess about with, but difficult to get a photo i'd be happy with... one advantage is you're never short of a model

Fionn

i've one on my flickr - not very flattering either but what the hell, if your ugly theres not much you can do about it either!!

i did take a self portrait for a photo challenge - it was a reflection in a mirror sorta thing - never did submit it tho!!

and yeah i hate hate getting photographed. i'm one of those that always turn out grimacing or have some weird look on me!!

perhaps i'm always like that but i dont have to look at it now do i?

City-Exile

I have no problem being in pictures, but a self portrait is different to just being in a picture. I could go so far as to say that it's vain!
I'd just like to know from someone who takes self portraits, why they do it.
I'm not going to have a dig off anyone. Just curious, that's all.

Roen

The last time I did one was 10 years ago. It was part of a college project so I had no real choice. I don't particularly mind being in front of the camera but I don't go out of my way to be in shots either

Fionn

when your bored and you have a camera - anything is possible!! i've nothing to be vain about, honest

it's just a bit of a laugh for me!!

dont know about how serious others would take it.

Fajitas!

I don't really care about being in front of the camera really.

Self portraits, meh... I've used them many a time, especially for college work, where getting a model in a short amount of time is hassle, usually the photos are only sketches anyways.

I use them when I'm getting the lighting right aswell, sometimes, I get a good photo too

RoryW

Fionn wrote: »

i've one on my flickr - not very flattering either but what the hell, if your ugly theres not much you can do about it either!!

photoshop

elven

Well, when we had our self portrait challenge, i submitted a shot of my shoes I've done one other that I didn't post because I was very conscious of the model being me - at the same time, i would be uncomfortable having someone else sit for me so it puts me in an awkward position.

Quite often i think it comes of being bored and having a willing model there - yourself.

Some girls seem to do it for a bit of an ego boost as well because blokes don't judge the picture, they judge the attractiveness of the girl. Maybe it works the other way too but that's just what I've noticed. Most male self portraits appear rather vain, from what I've seen, but i'm probably projecting my own thoughts onto them...

sheesh

we had to do a self portrait for a a course I was doing its feckin head wrecking looking at your own face for hours on end post processing.


(Yeah my picture needed alot of post processing it got a bit involved)

anyway they say for portraits you should make sure that the focus is set so it sharpest in the eyes.
now do they mean the ridiculously strong lens of my glasses of my pupils (which are different sizes)

Rojo

I love taking self portraits! I find it so satisfying getting the pose exactly the way I want it, which is much easier to achieve when you are the one doing the posing and not directing a model.

Here's a few examples of my self portraits:












and I'm not vain at all. As you can see from the photos I'm not the hunkiest looking fella...


also; look up Cindy Sherman and her untitled film stills which are self-portraits that I adore!

ThOnda

This one is not about attractivity, I think.

City-Exile

Neither is this one.

elven

ah rojo some fantastic examples. Cindy sherman is the queen of the self portraits indeed - isn't she using mannekins these days?

Calina

I've done one. Not because it's something I felt I should be able to do, and not because I was bored, but because I needed a photograph of myself which a) was a great photograph and b) didn't look like me. It's now my flickr avatar.

There are very few people I trust to take good photos of me. I've seen too many people take bad photos of other people because they do something silly like try to get all their body into the photograph and hence stand miles away) or they point the camera at the wrong angle or something. I don't spend my time doing them because frankly it bores me senseless plus I don't have a tripod. I hate having to wait till the picture is done before knowing for sure whether it worked out or not because it means dammit, you have to go back and do it again.

Rojo, that first shot is amazing. Well impressed.

m_stan

I find that the self portraits I come across are, in the main, from vain people trying to get validation from the rest of the world. There are lots of pretty girls on flickr, and when some of them realise they can get a whole lot of views, comments, and generally attention - their ratio of self portraits to every other type of shot sky-rockets. This often comes hand in hand with posting a whole lot of very personal commentary about this or that personal turmoil the poster is currently going through, which of course results in dozens of posts in reply from their hoarding male 'friends'.

It doesn't do anything for me. I like to mix up the type of shots I'm taking (and therefore uploading) to push my learning experience, and taking unending numbers of self portraits will never do that. Besides, I don't make good material

As far as I know, the only self portrait I have is on my profile page. Aside from that, my flickr account will draw a big fat blank when it comes to self portraits. And that's the way it'll stay, forevermore.

Thirdfox

Lol at Xelia above - semi-pretty/pretty girls' self portraits will be popular just like baby pictures will be popular.

Nothing wrong with liking cute photos I suppose (if you're single that is ). Just don't ask to be judged on photographic technique/composition etc.

I must do a proper self portrait someday (so that I will never have to do one again!)

City-Exile

It's interesting to read the different opinions.
m_stan seems to be from the same school of thought as myself.

I always felt that Irish people lacked a lot of self confidence, when they were outside their comfort zone. Conversely, I felt that many Americans I met, were over confident around strangers.
I see a lot of that in the self portraits.

I think it's important to nurture positive self-esteem, but there has to be a balance, so that it doesn't descend into downright arrogance.
Amongst his throw-away comments, melekalikimaka said that "a photograph captures the soul". In a way, I agree with this. It's hard to hide your personality from a photograph. None moreso than a self-portrait.

magicbastarder

i see nowt wrong with them; though i know a few people doing this self portrait a day thing on flickr, and that sort of day after day stuff gets a bit narcisstic, and i don't think leads to great standards overall; though it could reasonably be argued that it gets people thinking about how to take good self portraits.

City-Exile

I wasn't suggesting that there was anything wrong with them, I simply wanted to understand the thinking behind them.

Xios

I hate knowing i'm being photographed, i don't care if people take sly shots, cause once i see a lens facing me, my posture is always wrong

Placebo

well I dont see the point of putting up all those leaves

City-Exile

Placebo wrote: »

well I dont see the point of putting up all those leaves

Another constructive response! *rolleyes*

I found a thread full of self "potraits" here...

CONMIKE12

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebba/81996799/

This woman does tonnes of self portraits.She is beautiful and looks great in front of the camera. Vain? you be the judge, look at this photo then check out the rest of her photo stream.

sineadw

Funny this should crop up - I have to take one so I can trace it in Illustrator for a college assignment. I really really hate having my photo taken. I've never really tried doing it myself though. Should be interesting...

City-Exile

CONMIKE12 wrote: »

Vain? you be the judge, look at this photo then check out the rest of her photo stream.

There's no doubt that she's got talent, but she's vanity personified!

Kali

CONMIKE12 wrote: »

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebba/81996799/

This woman does tonnes of self portraits.She is beautiful and looks great in front of the camera. Vain? you be the judge, look at this photo then check out the rest of her photo stream.

Actually one of her self-portrait's is in my favourites:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebba/471325005/

fantastic photographer.. as far as I'm concerned the above is art, not in anyway vanity.

Personally if I had a tripod I'd probably take quite a few self-portraits to improve my lame photography.

Thirdfox

I didn't really "get" that photograph actually... her naked body was almost a distraction to the beautiful surroundings (or is that the point of the image?)

Fionn

roryw wrote: »

photoshop

cheeky monkey!!

tbh photoshop is only capable of so much - i'd prolly need a plastic surgeon

Thirdfox

O Rly?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=-5Qv6ykFhYc

Can't imagine you needing more photoshop than that!

edit: may be a little NSFW (I don't really think so - just in case anyone is offended)

il gatto

I've taken a few. Some to test settings, some to see if a shirt and tie look good with a suit, and a couple as a record of what I look like. People tend to look better in real life that a photo. I find it hard to photograph someone and have them look as attractive or interesting as they are in real life. Seeing as people who photograph me don't take the time and just snap away at weddings etc. it's nice to have one you're happy with. There's no vanity involved, and TBH I hate having people take my picture. Especially these days when you see it straight away on the screen. Chances are with film, you never got to see the developed picture.

Fionn

i'll have to take your word for it third i'm not signed up to youtube so i cant see it

Thirdfox

Here you go:
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/579249/lose_weight_in_photoshop_makeover/