Ever thought of photographing yourself? I mean actually taking a portrait of yourself? Not just a selfie with duck lips. :) 

I have! In fact, I take them often and I would not consider myself self-absorbed either. 

It all started in my basement at 1 a.m. when the kids were asleep. I wanted to test out my new black light. Ever since that moment, I’ve encouraged all photographers to step up and face their lens.

Selfies vs. self-portraits

So what is the difference between a selfie and a self-portrait? A selfie is specifically referred to as a photograph that you take of yourself, typically with a smartphone or webcam. That picture is often shared on social media. I would even go as far as to say as selfies are usually taken at about an arm’s length away or directly into a mirror.

Meanwhile, self-portraits are carefully composed or created. They take time, skill and sometimes money to create. They tell powerful stories about the subject.

Here are a few tips and tricks I use to create my self-portraits. 

Tripod

My tripod is one of the most important pieces of my gear when shooting self-portraits. I do not want to be lugging around a large bulky tripod. My go-to tripod is the Oben CT-3451 Tripod. It is incredibly lightweight and easy to set up.

If you don’t have a tripod, just use whatever you have around that can hold your camera flat and steady. 

Self timers

Every self-portrait I take is done so by using a self timer. The great thing about technology now is even smartphones have self timer features. 

Another great feature I love about the GX8 is that I can set the timer to a 10-second delay and have my camera take three images at the same time. This lets me make sure I get the shot I want before I move. 

I shoot with a Lumix GX8 and have the ability to do a self timer with a 10-second delay. This means that my camera will count down to 10, and then take the first image. This allows me to get into place before the image is taken and not feel so rushed. 

Smartphone app 

I use the Panasonic Image App (iOS | Android) when shooting. Pretty much every camera though has its own app or something similar you can use.

With the Image App, I am able to remotely control my camera via Wi-Fi. I can select my focus, see my composition and control all of my settings. This includes things like aperture, shutter speed and ISO. I even have the ability to view all the images I have taken from the phone.

Get creative

Lastly don’t forget to get creative! Some of my best self-portraits have come from experimenting with different lights, props and outfits. There is no right or wrong when it comes to expressing yourself.