In the Beginning, God saved the best creation for last:
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness…
So God created mankind in his own image,
Genesis I, 26-27
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
So when you take a self-portrait, you share that similar experience with God.
And what an arduous experience it is. Who would’ve thought being tasked with creating yourself in your own self-image would require so much effort?
First, you need time and space.
How long does a self-portrait take? The first time I did it, it took forever (and by forever, I mean 2-3 hours). Which, by today’s standards, is a big chunk of time. Now that I’ve done it a bit, I’ve gotten more efficient at it. And space – it can really be done anywhere, but some privacy usually helps.
And don’t we all just need a little more time and space? It’s hard to find sometimes. So you’ll probably just have to make some yourself. Time works in mysterious ways (it seems like we use it as much as possible when we have very little of it and tend to waste it when we have a lot). And if you don’t have a space you’ll probably just have to create one yourself (I took three of my portraits in a gym with a bedsheet draped over a pull-up bar).
Let There Be Light
Photography is lighting. “Photo” means light and “graph” means drawing. You are literally drawing with light. It’s best if you source the light yourself – compared to using the sun (it’s too fleeting) or general room lighting (it’s meant to light up a room, not your face).
Now, it is your self-portrait. Take the time and space you’ve made and put yourself in the best light. Place your source(s) around you, snap snap snap, and then adjust. What happens when the light is close? Far away? In front of you? Behind you? Surrounds you? Spotlights you? Remember, photography is lighting, so more than anything else, have fun with the light.
GIVE YOURSELF FORM
You’ve created some time and made space, threw in some lighting, and voila. You can’t go wrong once you fight that perfect set-up. However, knowing your nature, you may ask for more of yourself. And now that you’ve made it this far, you may have realized that you can become anything you want to become.
So – feel free to take on different forms. Wear different outfits, “make yourself up”, and have some fun. Your body has become a canvas in a way – youR outfit the paint, your hairdo the frame, your accessories the final touch. You’re only limited to what your imagination can muster up, so allow yourself the freedom to be anything.
What do I do with my hands?
Forgive me if I’m cherry-picking here, but check out this article showing 10 of the most famous self-portraits. What do you notice about more than half of them? That’s right – they use their hands somehow.
There is something so magical about the human hand – you can say, “I just can’t seem to put my finger on it” a la Creation of Adam. It is, in some ways, our most powerful tool to connect to the world around us. Waving to a friend, handshakes, holding hands, clapping, fighting, the power of touch, the list goes on and on. When you incorporate your hand into your portrait, it simply becomes a bit more divine.
And…pose.
Pose literally means “to put/place” (think position) and “to rest” (think pause). It’s a subtle lingual prompt to hold still and relax. You have done all this work – created time and space, brought in light, gave yourself a form, and even went above and beyond to incorporate your best tool into the frame.
Now all you have to do is rest.