Creating a self-portrait is a learning experience for a photographer. There are two key things I was reminded about making this portrait.
First, it is very important that I make sure that I make my clients feel comfortable. Having no one to interact with made it hard for me to relax for the camera. Once you relax, your photographs can begin to show the real you. Music is a great way to set the mood for boudoir and modeling clients, so I tell them to bring their own if they would like. And of course a steady stream of conversation. It doesn’t really matter what you talk about, just something to keep the focus away from posing for the camera.
The second thing I learned was how hard it is to choose a photograph. I went through and selected my ideas and then had my family make their selections. It was interesting to see that they picked different photographs from me. In fact they didn’t really care for my favorite. It showed me how difficult it is for my clients to make decisions, and why they sometimes don’t choose the photos that I believe are some of the best.
Now I have developed some techniques in the studio for choosing the photos. I have had several clients tell me how much easier it makes the choices. Hopefully I will be able to find a way to put this process on-line for my clients.
Every photographer should create a self-portrait every once in a while. It helps to put things back in focus. (yes, cheesy photography pun.)
