SelfPortraits From Paintings to Pictures SelfPortrait n The

Self-Portraits From Paintings to Pictures

Self-Portrait n The self-portrait has been a popular form of expression ever since man first saw his own reflection.

Title: Narcissus Artist: Caravaggio (1594 -96)

Self-Portrait - Narcissus n In Greek mythology, Narcissus (Νάρκισσος) was a hunter from the territory of Thespiae in Boeotia who was renowned for his beauty. n n n He was the son of a river god named Cephissus and a nymph named Liriope. He was exceptionally proud, in that he disdained those who loved him. One day Narcissus walking in the woods when Echo, a mountain nymph, saw him, fell deeply in love, and followed him. Narcissus sensed he was being followed and shouted "Who's there? ". Echo repeated "Who's there? ". She eventually revealed her identity and attempted to embrace him. He stepped away and told her to leave him alone. She was heartbroken and spent the rest of her life in lonely glens until nothing but an echo sound remained of her. Nemesis, the goddess of revenge, learned of this story and decided to punish Narcissus. She lured him to a pool where he saw his own reflection. He didn't realize it was only an image and fell in love with it. Unable to leave the beauty of his reflection, Narcissus died. Narcissus is the origin of the term narcissism, a fixation with oneself.

Joseph Ducreux n Portrait de l'artiste sous les traits d'un moqueur, Self-portrait, ca. 1793

Rembrandt n The Prodigal Son in the Tavern, a selfportrait with Saskia, c. 1635

Rembrandt n Self-Portrait with Beret and Turned-Up Collar (1659)

Rembrandt Known for MANY self-portraits. n Taught many Dutch painters. n Belshassar's Feast, 1636 -8 The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, 1633 Abraham and Isaac, 1634

Vincent van Gogh n Self-Portrait, Spring 1887, Oil on pasteboard

But we aren’t PAINTING!!!!! Taking a good self-portrait is both a handy skill and a way to expand your photographic repertoire. n Save your next profile picture from the camera-held-at-arms-length cliche with these tips. n

How To Take a Self-Portrait n I wanted to take a portrait with a shallow depth of field and very little detail in the background, so I grabbed my tripod and stood in the very center of my yard, away from trees buildings or any other substantial object. I setup the camera, looked through the viewfinder, and immediately realized this wasn't going to be as easy as I thought.

How To Take a Self-Portrait: Tip #1: Bring Something to Focus On n The problem that I saw when I looked through my viewfinder was that I didn't have anything to focus on aside from the items in the far distance. n n This of course would make for a perfectly blurry photo of me, which isn't at all what I wanted. One easy solution to this problem is to bring something to stand in your place. Height doesn't matter so much as distance, but try to match it to yourself as best as you can for accuracy. n If you have an extra tripod or light stand, these make perfect substitutes that will stand upright exactly where you need them. I was out in my yard so I grabbed a shovel from my shed, stuck it in the ground, focused and then moved the shovel. Rudimentary, but it worked perfectly.

How To Take a Self-Portrait: Tip #2: Try Standing By a Corner n As an alternative to standing in the middle of nowhere, you might want to actually use a building or wall in your shot. n n In this circumstance your first instinct is to focus on the wall, but that might not work too well depending on your depth-of-field. One trick that I discovered is to stand next to the end of a wall or at a corner. This way you can position yourself even with the wall and achieve a solid focus. n So if you focus on the wall, then stand next to rather than in front of it, your focus should be much better.

How To Take a Self-Portrait: Tip #3: Use Both Auto and Manual Focus n A good practice to get into when you're taking self-portraits is to use a mix of auto and manual focus. n n n First, focus on your stand-in object using auto focus. Then, with the object still in focus, switch your lens to manual focus. This will give you the freedom to tweak settings and anything else you need to all without altering your established point of focus. n n Just make sure you stand perfectly on your mark each time you take a photo. Maybe make an “X” out of duct tape?

How To Take a Self-Portrait: Tip #4: Set the Timer High and Use Burst n Obviously, you don't want to have to haul all out and run into the frame just as your camera takes the image. n n n Give yourself plenty of time to get in position and figure out what you're doing. Most cameras let you vary the length of the timer, check your manual for how to set yours. In conjunction with the timer, you can usually set your camera to take multiple photos in succession. Even if all you need is one photo, it's not a bad idea to have your camera snap five or ten so you can vary your pose/expression. n This will give you much more variety when it comes time to choose the image. Just make sure you have your settings perfect before turning burst on, otherwise you'll have a card full of unusable shots.

How To Take a Self-Portrait: Tip #5: Capture You n Who are you? n n Joseph Ducreux? Remember this may change with time! n Not the same person I was when I was in high school. n n n But still have the same core values!!! My last tip is to use the images here only loosely as inspiration. A self-portrait should be a very personal expression, not simply a mirror of something you've seen elsewhere. n n n Think about who you want to be and how you want to say that. Use props, scenery, pose and lighting conditions to convey your personality. And most of all, have fun!

How To Take Better Portraits: Tip #1: Alter Your Perspective n n Most portraits are taken with the camera at (or around) the eye level of the subject. While this is good common sense – completely changing the angle that you shoot from can give your portrait a real WOW factor.

How To Take Better Portraits: Tip #2: Play with Eye Contact n It is amazing how much the direction of your subject’s eyes can impact an image. Most portraits have the subject looking down the lens – something that can create a real sense of connection between a subject and those viewing the image. But there a couple of other things to try: n n A. Looking off camera B. Looking within the frame

How To Take Better Portraits: Tip #3: Break the Rules of Composition n The Rule of Thirds is one that can be effective to break – placing your subject either dead centre can sometimes create a powerful image – or even creative placement with your subject right on the edge of a shot can sometimes create interesting images.

How To Take Better Portraits: Tip #4: Experiment with Lighting n n Another element of randomness that you can introduce to your portraits is the way that you light them. There almost unlimited possibilities when it comes to using light in portraits. Side-lighting can create mood, backlighting and silhouetting your subject to hide their features can be powerful.

How To Take Better Portraits: Tip #5: Shoot Candidly n Sometimes posed shots can look somewhat…. posed. Some people don’t look good in a posed environment and so switching to a candid type approach can work.

How To Take Better Portraits: Tip #6: Obscure Part of your Subject n A variation on the idea of zooming in on one part of the body is to obscure parts of your portrait subject’s face or body. You can do this with clothing, objects, their hands or just by framing part of them out of the image.

How To Take Better Portraits: Tip #7: Introduce a Prop n Add a prop of some kind into your shots and you create another point of interest that can enhance your shot.

Corrie Howell

Adam Penney

Nick Weinrauch

Shannon Kringen

J-Bird in K-town

Angelo De Mesa

Bruno Bernardes

Juan Salmoral

pumpkincat 210

Fergus Ray Murray

Niklas Morberg

Andy Clement

Lynda Giddens

Thomas Hawk

Josh Libatique

Josh Libatique – I would flip it in MS Paint…

Katie Harris

Daniel Silveira

Rach

Via. Moi

Cayusa

Shemer

Bethan Phillips

malik ml williams

stephanie carter

Andres Thor

Blythe D

dlemieux

Sharman

Alex Leon

Sarah Parker

Remember… n n Place an object where you will be posing and focus using auto-focus. Then put the camera in manual mode with a remote shutter and shoot. If that doesn't work, measure the distance from the camera and use the markings on the lens to determine the focus in manual mode. You can also experiment with a different aperture to see if your photograph will come out sharply.

Remember, Equipment helps! n Pick up a tripod. n n Pick up a remote n n If you are using a Nikon or Canon camera there are wireless remotes available for the less expensive DSLR’s that cost about $20. These things are a real time saver and make it easier to fine tune your self portrait without looking all sweaty by photo number 20. Shoot tethered n n Nearly any tripod will do so I won’t go into much detail, but the tripod is essential as it gives a flexible yet sturdy mount for the camera. Most digital cameras have a mini video if not a HD video out. Lighting n n A single flash can do wonders for your portraits. I won’t go into any lighting details, but photography is about capturing light. Does your dad have a “trouble light”?