I shared this post over at Sew Caroline a couple weeks ago and thought I’d share it here too in case you missed it.
While I’m still a work in progress in this area, here are 3 tips I’ve found helpful when taking self-portraits.
As you know I do a fashion series on my blog each week where I talk about what fashion is inspiring me that week and what pieces from my closet I’m repurposing so I take a fair amount of pictures of myself. Like 60-80 pictures!
And let me tell you, it’s hard work.
And I feel crazy.
Standing in front of my house, cars driving by, trying to get a good shot. haha
So here’s 3 Tips for taking a good self portrait.
{Tip #1} Invest in a Tri Pod and Camera Remote
One of the keys to taking a good picture of yourself is having a good surface to set your camera on where you can stand in front of the camera and it can take a picture of you straight on. Setting a camera too low and having it shoot up at you doesn’t always create the most flattering picture. It can often accentuate your middle and then make the top of your body looks smaller.
Un-proportioned = No bueno
So invest in a tri pod! I promise you won’t be sorry.
I can set up my tri pod at several different levels and I’m able to take pictures of myself sitting and standing, both up close and far away. It’s awesome!
The other thing I would recommend is a Camera remote. I just recently got a camera remote and my pictures went from this……
to this….
Here’s the difference. In picture One I set up my tri pod and my timer on my camera. I then push the button to focus my camera and what does it focus on? The fence behind me in the picture. Then in the 10 seconds I have to work with on my timer, I run to fit myself into the frame of the camera, pose and wait for the picture to take. I would normally have to take this same picture 5-6 times in order to get myself fully in focus. In picture Two, I push the button on my camera remote and voila, the camera automatically focuses on me and then takes the picture with a 2 second delay.
Makes a big difference, right?
{Tip #2} don’t be afraid to look straight into the camera lens
Often times I’ll set up my camera and I get camera shy. I look at the ground, the street, the trees, the cars driving by wondering what the heck I’m doing taking pictures of myself in my front yard. haha
I’m learning that I really want to connect with my readers and in order to do that I need to connect with my camera. If I tell you love the outfit I’m wearing and my pictures don’t show that I’m confident wearing it, aren’t you going to wonder if I really like wearing that outfit?
I would.
so I’m practicing getting up closer to the lens and having some fun with the camera.
{Tip #3} Have Fun… Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself.
I know it can totally be awkward taking pictures of yourself.
But…. have fun with it.
Let your fun, quirky, super awesome personality come through when you’re taking pictures.
Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself, or even take the same picture of you laughing 10 times just so you feel you’ve got just the right angle. haha
Trust me, I do it. And over time as you become more comfortable with yourself and learning how to post in front of your own camera the more confident you will become.
So are your ready to go take some Self-Portraits? I hope so!!
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Hi + welcome to my little spot in the blogesphere.
I'm so glad you stopped by.
My name is Alissa + I'm the fun-loving, chocolate addict, coffee drinking
Wife + Mom behind the blog Rags to Stitches.
I hope you’ll pop around and stay for a while.
Thanks for the great tips! I rarely get in front of the camera! But your right, it sure does help you connect to your readers
You are inspiring me to be a whole lot braver. Happy Thursday to you!
Love these tips…I tend NOT to like to take and share pics of myself, but I’m trying to become more comfortable with it! Thanks for sharing!! xo
I always feel so silly taking photos of myself! haha.
Yours look great though! I’m holding out for a new camera… Then maybe a camera remote.
I love it! This whole time I thought you had this amazing photographer at your beck and call. But nope…it’s just awesome and amazing you…
these are great tips!! i feel like it would take me FOREVER though to get these done by myself!!
you’re too cute! I love your ideas. I think I really need to invest in a tripod and remote! I am stopping by from the SNAP link up and wanted to say hello! I’m looking forward to meeting all the talented bloggers attending in a few weeks! Hopefully we’ll get a chance to meet!! Happy and safe travels!
Thanks for posting your tips! I soo have to get another photo done for the blog soon. I have this linked to my blogging-photography post too today, for inspiration!
I know you posted this ages ago (and I read it then) but I was wondering, what camera remote do you have? I am thinking of getting one, but I am sort of confused about the whole thing… do you have to have wifi on the camera to use most remotes? or do you get some sort of attachment to allow for the wireless remote?