So, as a photographer many times we are so nit picky and overly obsessive and controlling over our own images that we will resort to some extreme measures to get our own portraits done. Some photographers may eventually resort to finding another photographer they can work with, they may even resort to recruiting friends or family members to come and simply push the shutter button, or drive ourselves crazy trying to achieve the perfect images! Regardless it’s somewhat a right of passage in the photography world for photographers to venture out and do their own portraits from time to time, no matter how painstakingly agonizing and incredibly frustrating it may be.
I get asked all of the time how do I manage to do all of my own portraits. Well, with a ton of focus, dedication, drive, and creativity later, I’m able to almost always able to achieve what I desire with some tools of the trade. I use a wireless remote shutter, a monitor screen (if I am in studio, if I am on location, no go), zip ties, c-stand, wire, fishing line, umbrellas, and yes some times grafters tape. (I learned the hard way that duct tape, although effective, leaves nasty sticky residue that takes forever to eventually go away.)
Just let your creativity run away with you, measure things, trial and error, and lots of patience is all that you really need to achieve it! Yes, more times than not, that means you will be looking at about a zillion of the same frame to find that one diamond in the ruff image that is exactly what you are looking for. I have learned that you always crop out as much as possible, because it’s easy to crop down during post production, and impossible to crop out.
Anyways, here’s a contact sheet of some of the out-takes of my most recent session of my college graduation photos. This is just a taste of the frustration you will endure when you venture out on your on location self-portrait photo shoot. Again, I’m just sharing these, because when you look back after seeing your final images, it makes you chuckle. SOMETIMES though, a mishap can turn into an unexpected image that you will fall in love with! So don’t be too quick to discard the undesirables, work with them a little, get a little artsy for detail shots and crop in more. You’ll be surprised how far your creativity will take you!
Enjoy this chuckle with me. By-the-way this day happened to have been a VERY windy, stormy day that decided to down pour on me, so I was having all kinds of wardrobe malfunctions! lol. PS the 3rd one down on the left side I am totally trying to get my wireless trigger to shoot off and it was malfunctioning. lol. That’s why it looks like I’m pointing at the camera. =)
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