Self Portrait ideas?

jhamerphoto · Sep 4, 2008

Hey guys, I'm working on a self portrait assignment for a photo production class in university, and I was wondering if you have or have seen any great self portraits or have any ideas.

I already created this one, which took a few tries but I finally got it right:

What do you guys think?

richard.mac · Sep 4, 2008

thats awesome! good work. but do you really make that face when you open the fridge? try to be yourself in your self portraits as much as possible.

jhamerphoto · Sep 4, 2008

richthomas said:
thats awesome! good work. but do you really make that face when you open the fridge? try to be yourself in your self portraits as much as possible.

Thanks! I tried that, but it just didn't seem to look right. I think I needed the strange expression just to make the concept work. It's only one of several that need to be handed in next week, but I don't want anything too ordinary.

GoCubsGo · Sep 4, 2008

I would lose the face. I know you say that somehow it works but I need convincing.

I would steer clear of the lame ass shots where you're so deep in thought looking out yonder. They're lame and look like you're trying to set up a myspace page. I would also look past the typical face shots and maybe get a bit abstract.

epicwelshman · Sep 4, 2008

For a while I tried to do a Flickr '365 days', where you take a self portrait every day for a year. I got fed up and stopped, but it was fun while it lasted. I looked through them the other day and, to be honest and not braggy, really liked some of the ones I took.

Be imaginative

GoCubsGo · Sep 4, 2008

epicwelshman said:
For a while I tried to do a Flickr '365 days', where you take a self portrait every day for a year. I got fed up and stopped, but it was fun while it lasted. I looked through them the other day and, to be honest and not braggy, really liked some of the ones I took.

SNIP NICE PICS
Be imaginative

I love them all for some ungodly reason. Call me weird...or don't, I won't mind.

jhamerphoto · Sep 4, 2008

jessica. said:
I would lose the face. I know you say that somehow it works but I need convincing.

I would steer clear of the lame ass shots where you're so deep in thought looking out yonder. They're lame and look like you're trying to set up a myspace page. I would also look past the typical face shots and maybe get a bit abstract.

I don't know, for me the regular ones just weren't working. This probably won't end up as my first pick anyway. (We need a minimum of 6, one as 8x10 the rest just as 4x6's) The Prof just wants us to be creative and somewhat outlandish.

epicwelshman · Sep 4, 2008

jessica. said:
I love them all for some ungodly reason. Call me weird...or don't, I won't mind.

haha, do you want to be called weird?

Thanks though, I appreciate it.

I love doing the 365, but I wasn't dedicated enough. I'd continually miss days and rush to catch up, which led to a host of uninspired photos of hands or feet. When I was creative though, I think they turned out well

jhamerphoto · Sep 4, 2008

epicwelshman said:
For a while I tried to do a Flickr '365 days', where you take a self portrait every day for a year. I got fed up and stopped, but it was fun while it lasted. I looked through them the other day and, to be honest and not braggy, really liked some of the ones I took.

-snip-

Be imaginative

How odd, I took this one almost a year ago...

sorry for the small size, I didn't feel like mounting an external HDD for a larger one

Chappers · Sep 4, 2008

jhamerphoto said:
Hey guys, I'm working on a self portrait assignment for a photo production class in university, and I was wondering if you have or have seen any great self portraits or have any ideas.

I already created this one, which took a few tries but I finally got it right:

What do you guys think?

I like it - people don't realise the funny faces they pull when they're trying to decide. This reminded me of my two year old son when he goes to the fridge and the faces he pulls trying to decide between the drinks there in the morning.
Yes it looks a little posed but - I guess its going to. Can we see the regular one too?

Holgapics · Sep 5, 2008

You might also try something with a timed exposure, anywhere from 1/2 second to perhaps 4 seconds, where you're moving or something similar and then come to a stop. The effect would be to have your action smeared and then somewhat focused at the end. You might also try just a constant blur in your action.

Renderz · Sep 5, 2008

Epic, I like the ones with your feet. I don't like photos of men's feet but I find the perspective interesting. Nicely done.

jhamerphoto · Sep 5, 2008

Renderz said:
Epic, I like the ones with your feet. I don't like photos of men's feet but I find the perspective interesting. Nicely done.

Thanks. I do like that photo almost everyone that sees it likes it, but unfortunately I can't use it because I took it before now. I guess I could do another one, but I don't have those shoes anymore, and the bottom of them was interesting hahaha.

jhamerphoto · Sep 5, 2008

Chappers said:
I like it - people don't realise the funny faces they pull when they're trying to decide. This reminded me of my two year old son when he goes to the fridge and the faces he pulls trying to decide between the drinks there in the morning.
Yes it looks a little posed but - I guess its going to. Can we see the regular one too?

I couldn't get one with a regular face that was composed properly. Maybe I'll try later on tonight again with a regular face and post it, seeing as everyone seems to be agreeing on it, maybe they're right!

Kebabselector · Sep 5, 2008

I tend to do self portraits when on my travels. Usually try to get a nice background......

HckySo · Sep 5, 2008

I take picture of myself all the time: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hckyso/sets/72157594538181730/

One of my most recent self portraits was a something where I had to count to more than 10 using just my fingers:

jhamerphoto · Sep 5, 2008

HckySo said:
I take picture of myself all the time: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hckyso/sets/72157594538181730/

One of my most recent self portraits was a something where I had to count to more than 10 using just my fingers:
-snip-

That's a fantastic image! Unless you have 3 arms, I'm assuming you used photoshop, which is out of the question for this assignment, unfortunately.

Click to expand...

PkennethV · Sep 5, 2008

jhamerphoto said:
That's a fantastic image! Unless you have 3 arms, I'm assuming you used photoshop, which is out of the question for this assignment, unfortunately.

...not only that...but he has a custom shirt with 3 sleeves

I too think that's a great picture.

theblueone · Sep 5, 2008

jhamerphoto said:
Hey guys, I'm working on a self portrait assignment for a photo production class in university, and I was wondering if you have or have seen any great self portraits or have any ideas.

I already created this one, which took a few tries but I finally got it right:

What do you guys think?

I think the face is completely effective. The photo is pretty absurd, it being a view inside-out from a fridge, and the face really plays in that respect. Sure, it lacks a high seriousness, but that's obviously not what you're going for. Especially when you consider lighting, composition and color, this photo is pretty successful technically. The technical decisiveness, contrasted with the rather bumbling good nature of the subject matter is great.

I like this photo for the same reason I like some Coen Brothers' films or Wallace and Grommit. Great technical execution in looking at rather mundane, even clumsy characters.

If you identify with this as a self-portrait, I say submit it.

jhamerphoto · Sep 5, 2008

theblueone said:
I think the face is completely effective. The photo is pretty absurd, it being a view inside-out from a fridge, and the face really plays in that respect. Sure, it lacks a high seriousness, but that's obviously not what you're going for. Especially when you consider lighting, composition and color, this photo is pretty successful technically. The technical decisiveness, contrasted with the rather bumbling good nature of the subject matter is great.

I like this photo for the same reason I like some Coen Brothers' films or Wallace and Grommit. Great technical execution in looking at rather mundane, even clumsy characters.

If you identify with this as a self-portrait, I say submit it.

Thanks! Finally someone sees it the way I do.

But for everyone else, here are 2 normal ones, but I can't decide which I like better...

I think I'm leaning more towards the second one.

Also, here's another one I took:

ipodtoucher · Sep 5, 2008

jhamerphoto said:
http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/6294/img0018tq0.jpg

I like this one. One there is no reflection on the glasses. dos, I think its more flattering.

Personally i hate seeing pictures of myself soooo i have no examples of my work hahaha

theblueone · Sep 5, 2008

jhamerphoto said:
Thanks! Finally someone sees it the way I do.

But for everyone else, here are 2 normal ones, but I can't decide which I like better...

I think I'm leaning more towards the second one.

Also, here's another one I took:

I hope you're considering those two as additions-to, rather than replacements-for that first one you posted. Again, technically pretty nice, but they lack that irony the first one had. I think the first one is far more effective.

Compared to the first, the other two look as if someone sucked all the fun out of the fridge.

jhamerphoto · Sep 5, 2008

theblueone said:
I hope you're considering those two as additions-to, rather than replacements-for that first one you posted. Again, technically pretty nice, but they lack that irony the first one had. I think the first one is far more effective.

Compared to the first, the other two look as if someone sucked all the fun out of the fridge.

Yeah I'll probably hand in the silly and the serious one (we need 6-8 total) just to see what the prof thinks. He's new to the school, so it will be good to see what he likes anyway.

PS can you suck fun out of a fridge? It's filled with pickles!

Phrasikleia · Sep 5, 2008

The first one. Hands down. No contest.

jhamerphoto · Sep 5, 2008

Phrasikleia said:
The first one. Hands down. No contest.

As in the goofy face one?

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