Self Portraits, aka How To Take A Picture of Yourself

Self portrait photos. The day you have been dreading. Don’t worry! You have all weekend to work on this and it isn’t nearly as bad as you think.

Why You Need a Self Portrait Photo

I feel it is so important for you to be in photos, which is why I’ve made taking pictures of yourself a huge focus on my blog.

Here’s just a few reasons why you need self portrait pictures:

• Your kids don’t care if you don’t have make up on or are in your PJ’s.
• You want your children to have images of you with them. You were present in their lives after all.
• Don’t you love seeing pictures of your parents when they were younger? Leave that for your kids.
• Even if you don’t have kids yet, capture this time so you can show them how you used to be cool.

You can read more about my feelings on being in pictures in “I am beautiful”.

If you want some fun ideas and tips on how to capture your everyday life you can read Self Portraits: Get In Front of the Camera.

Why It’s Important as a Blogger to Take Self Portraits

• Your readers want to connect with you.
• You need a photo on your “About me” page and hopefully one on your sidebar.
• It makes you seem like a real person. When your readers feel connected to you they keep coming back to read your blog. I know I am more likely to stick around and even come back if I have a face to go with the name of the blogger. By taking regular pictures of yourself, your readers will feel like you are a dear friend.

I took this image just for my readers! I have a weekly email that goes out and when someone signs up they get a little letter from me welcoming them and letting them know what to expect from the newsletter. Of course, I had to include an image, so I figured why not myself to make it more personal?

How to Take Your Own Self Portrait

• Set your camera on a tripod or sturdy surface.
• Use a remote or timer to set up your images. If at all possible, have it take several shots in one burst so you don’t have to keep getting up to re-set your timer.
• Get near some natural light. Remember, you want those nice soft shadows.
• Turn to a 45 degree angle.
• Have your eyes facing your light source. (Think catchlights.)
• Remove any distractions that may be in the picture that aren’t there to help tell your story.

Those are the technical aspects of taking self portraits.

Now, let’s talk about fun and cool self portrait ideas.

Think about using props, especially if you are a…

• Photo blogger: Read a photography book, have your camera in the image.  (You can use a mirror to capture your camera.)
• Food blogger: Read a cook book, in your apron, high heels and pearls (Isn’t that how you cook?)
• Lifestyle blogger: Take one topic your blog about and find a creative way to show it in photos.
• Social Media blogger: Typing on your laptop/computer or checking your cell phone.
• Mom blogger: Have your kids in there with you.