Creative Self Portraits: Make a Statement

Like most people, I own a smart phone. And, like most phones it has a built-in camera. But, unlike most people I never use my phone for selfies. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've ever photographed myself with my phone. So why am I writing an article on selfies? Because this post isn't about snapping a shot of yourself in front of the Grand Canyon or with your friends at the mall. It's about creating a photographic work of art that just happens to include you.

SELF TIMER

Using the built-in self timer is certainly the easiest method of triggering the shutter. Cameras have had self timers for decades. Newer models, like the OM-D series from Olympus now allow you far more control.

Although the timer function can be accessed via the menu, the easiest method is by using the Super Control Panel. For the screenshots above the delay has been set to the 12-second option. After pressing the shutter release you have twelve seconds to get into position. An orange LED lights up on the front of the camera and with two seconds left begins blinking, indicating the shutter is about to be released. The disadvantage here is that you only get one shot, and must return to the camera in order to trigger it again.

REMOTE SHUTTER RELEASE - OI.SHARE

With their own Wi-Fi hotspot, the OM-D line-up of cameras can be triggered remotely from your smart phone using the OI.Share app which can be downloaded free from Google Play or the App Store. Once the camera and phone are paired, you can control practically any setting directly from your phone. The app also displays a live view of exactly what the camera sees. The big advantage here is that it makes composition of your selfie relatively easy since you can see yourself once you step into the frame.  Under most circumstances you would want to engage the self-timer so that you have time to hide the phone before the photo is taken. The main challenge with the app is maintaining a solid connection between your phone and camera as distance and obstructions can impede the signal.

TIME-LAPSE

Although I have used the built-in camera timer and the OI.Share app many times, I have to admit that I rarely use them to take a selfie. I much prefer the time lapse feature. It's easy to set up, flexible enough to allow for just a few photos or hundreds of them, and is equally effective regardless of how far you are from the camera. Depending on the type of selfie that I am aiming for I will usually set the time-lapse for approximately 100 photos, shot at a 2-6 second interval. On most occasions I will stop the sequence long before the camera reaches the maximum number of images.

The images below show some of the results from a time-lapse sequence that I photographed of myself canoeing on a beautiful misty morning. After returning to my camera I had a few dozen images from which to choose from.

TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL SELFIE

Composition comes first
This is my rule for every photo that I make and it applies even more when I include myself (or any other person) in the image. The big question is... does including a person add to the overall composition? If the answer is "no", then stay firmly planted behind the camera. If including yourself adds to the shot, carefully consider your placement within the frame.

Don't just stand there, do something!
Your photo should tell a story and your actions, however simple will frame that story. Although I have been guilty of photographing myself just standing there staring off into the distance, I am rarely happy with those shots. The challenge is to perform an action that fits with the scene and adds interest for the viewer. Common actions can work quite well - walking along a path, running through a field, sitting by the water reading a book, climbing a rock face, jumping a stream. They all tell a story, albeit, short (more like a Tweet than a novel).

Planning is Key
One of the key skills that I discuss in my photography courses and workshops is the need to visualize your final image before the shutter is released. Can you see the photograph in your mind's eye? Although many of my selfies are spur-of-the-moment shots, they still require planning, even more so since you are leaving the view finder behind. Beyond the typical decisions I make when composing an image, there are a number of other questions I ask myself. Where will I place myself in the scene? What will I do? What poses will I try and will they look natural or completely contrived? How large will I be in the frame? If I am moving through the frame how will I set up the time lapse feature to ensure I get enough shots to choose from?

I need support!
This may go without saying, but the instant you walk away from your camera you need some way of supporting it. My tripod is always in my vehicle and if I think there is even a chance of doing a selfie I will bring it along. That being said, I have shot numerous selfies with the camera firmly planted on the ground with something supporting the lens.

Prop yourself up
I know photographers who hate the idea of using props in their photos. I'm not one of them. I view the world in front of my lens as a stage, and when on stage I don't hesitate to use a prop of some kind, but only if it adds to the story. You can see several photos in this post that incorporate an umbrella. That happens to be one of my favorite props to use. There is something about the geometry and symbolism of an umbrella that appeals to me.

Double-check settings
Once you walk away from the camera you will be focused on your position in the frame, not the camera's settings. There are a few things to consider. For most selfie shots I use an aperture around f/8. This should guarantee good sharpness throughout the image. I also choose a focus point close to where I think I will be standing. If I plan on freezing any movement during the shot I also check my shutter speed. A speed of 1/125s should work for most action sequences.

This ain't no portrait
This may simply be personal preference, or the realization that I'm not particularly photogenic, but I usually position myself such that I am only a small element of the whole composition. For this type of shot, I am not interested in capturing detailed facial expressions.

As I looked through my favorite selfie shots I realized that they could be divided into three categories - landscape, astrophotography, and what I call, stylized.

LANDSCAPE

I rarely go out with the intention of shooting a selfie. It is usually a spur-of-the-moment idea that occurs after I've shot several images and am looking for the human element to invade the photo. The first photo below is an exception. This was a planned shot. Following a fresh snowfall I thought it would be interesting to capture a winter hiker traipsing through the snow toward the rising sun.

ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY

I'm always looking for interesting ways to photograph the night sky. Sometimes that means including myself in the image. The real challenge is keeping perfectly motionless for the duration of the long exposure.

STYLIZED CREATIVE SELFIES

There are times when an idea for a more creative selfie enters my mind - a more artistic selfie per se. The three images below are examples. They all required a fair amount of planning and definitely some visualization ahead of time.

FINAL WORDS

Within my collection of thousands of photographs, I have only about two dozen creative selfies. It is certainly not my primary photographic interest, and besides I am far more comfortable behind the camera than in front of it. That said, including myself in the image is definitely an important way of expressing my creativity.