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Self Portrait ideas?

J

jhamerphoto

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 26, 2007
227
0
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:

img00132cd2.jpg



What do you guys think?
 
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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.
 
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.

665420177_b901bea12a.jpg


930390893_98289dcc3b.jpg


1129312987_485cd8fdb2.jpg


1224440700_acc3cea8b1.jpg


Be imaginative :D
 
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 :D
Click to expand...

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

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

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 :)
 
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 :D
Click to expand...

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

shoeza3.jpg


sorry for the small size, I didn't feel like mounting an external HDD for a larger one :p
 
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?
Click to expand...

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?
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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?
Click to expand...

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!
 
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?
Click to expand...
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.
 
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.
Click to expand...

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...

img0018tq0.jpg


img0020vt3.jpg


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


Also, here's another one I took:

img0021nf6.jpg
 
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:
Click to expand...
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.
 
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.
Click to expand...

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!
 
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