Make Amazing, Antique Looking Self Portraits Easily - No Chords Attached
By Laura Hartley
27 Apr 2008
Self-portraiture it is a wonderful task to undertake when alone and without other subjects. It is trying, but it is a lovely way to fill time until someone else returns. Taking self portraits is a method of photography that allows the photographer to take an enormous array of photos, without bothering anyone by asking them to pose, and without having to instruct other subjects. Best, this can be accomplished with no special equipment, other than a camera, the photographer, and a mirror. Actually, self portraiture doesn't require a mirror, but I find the mirror really helps in composing my self portraits, and it adds a special layer of depth that makes these photos look amazingly antique. It also allows the camera to take in more of the body than the hand held camera, aimed at oneself, as far as the arm can stretch out, allows. The resulting look is truly unique and harkins back to a special time in photography when photos were MADE, carefully, and methodically.
Self-portraiture is a way to capture one's own image over time. The self portraiture task can be quite entertaining, as well, when it becomes a means by which the photographer may appear as another person altogether, or as oneself, but altered, in varying degrees. In this way, the artist takes self-portraits, but the subject (him or herself) no longer seems to be him or her. This, of course, may require a bit of dress up, mood lighting, and possibly, a change of expression, hair or even makeup. Likewise, it is always amusing to make photos that fool the eye into wondering, "Actually, when was this photo taken? What year? What CENTURY?"
Many photographers I have known refuse to take self portraits. After all, self portraiture might seem to some as self-indulgent, especially if one "dresses up" for a photo. But when the final results appear on the computer screen (or in the darkroom fixer tray, for the more adventurous), the photos produced can be very exciting, and very much worth having been taken. I usually feel a great sense of accomplishment, knowing I truly created the entire photo, start to finish, with absolutely no one else's help. I consider self portraits to be photos I make, not take.
I have found that self-portraiture can be intimidating. The artist is putting his face or body or both in a photo for all the world to judge. This is why photographing oneself may seem a little self absorbing. But I have never viewed self portraiture this way, for the reasons mentioned above. In many of my self portraits, for instance, I don't look particularly attractive. Putting unflattering images of oneself "out there" is, in my humble opinion, the ultimate test, as well as the ultimate triumph. That, I believe, is the act of forsaking oneself for one's art. In fact, converse to some points of view, this exposure of oneself requires extreme selflessness, rather than arrogance, especially when the portrait is less than flattering, but is still a good enough photograph to exhibit. I allow this because I am NOT opposed to not always looking beautiful. Some may be reticent to show themselves this way. But what person always looks lovely, and never changes, anyway?
Taking on a character, or a costume, for a self portrait does provide a certain anonymity. It is a little thrilling to assume a character and step outside of oneself during the shoot. The images, in the end, can be surprisingly different in how they depict the photographer/model. I am often surprised and pleased at how little I believe I resemble myself in many of the self portraits I make. In this way, every time I pose for myself, I am becoming an entirely different model. The self portrait set of photos can be wildly diverse.
For years, I have enjoyed taking self portraits for the ease of simply putting myself in pictures. Over time, I have experimented with huge lights and elaborate reflectors, fancy timers, special cords with air release bulbs placed just so beneath my foot. I have undertaken many tedious methods to allow myself to be both IN the photos I take AND to click the shutter for them, located on the camera in another location, pointed straight at me. That is also great fun. But the set up process is time consuming and labor intensive. Sometimes, in a surge of creative energy, I want to take photos quickly of the nearest subject; me, with little pre-planning, just to get the artistic act happening right away.
With the onslaught of digital photography, I can do that easily With these cool, easy to manipulate cameras with adjustable viewing screens, it is amazing what one free arm can do! If the photographer is willing to take a moment to prep him or herself, the possibilities for self-portraiture, close up, using a mirror, are limitless. In fact, the self-preparation is not even necessary for the making of simple, non-persona-assuming, self-posed shots.
What I did in the attached photos, since I was willing to make these self portraits using this simple, consistent method, was to set up lighting, dress myself completely, and click away, using a mirror image of myself as my subject, while hiding the hand that was holding the camera just outside of the picture's view. Since my goal was to create rather close up portraits, my project turned out just as I had hoped. And that mirror, so useful for composing my images of myself, caused some unique layers to form, giving my images a hazy, antique sheen.
I have always admired photography from the mid-1800's to the early 1900's. I particularly enjoy the look of Pre-Rapealite portraiture, with its often blurry and grainy look, featuring solemn women with flowing hair and shyly downcast eyes. It is, of course, true that Pre-Rafealite photography was only black and white, but since I also admire the paintings of the time, with their beautiful, ethereal light, in the photos seen here, I decided to try a combination of both. I cast myself as artist AND subject, and, in one set, throwing pride to the wind, wore no makeup, and left my hair unbrushed and flowing. This is how many women appeared in this era's art.
I used a single light source, an antique lamp. I did this, specifically, because I was so caught up in the entire feel for the era, I wanted authentic, archaic, ambient lighting. But any light source will do, depending on how well lit you want to be, from a photographer's lamp, to a candle or flashlight. I pre-set the light source, aiming it where I wanted my face to be. I also wanted to place the light just outside of the mirror, which was already hanging on the wall, to create depth and visual interest with shadows. Then, I dressed myself, and posed in front of a mirror, holding the camera out of sight. I posed myself and checked for content in the viewfinder screen, then re-posed my head and downcast my eyes, and clicked the shutter. Many times, I repeated this process over two days.
I did become increasingly aware of other objects that might have popped up into the mirror image, and moved things around behind me, accordingly. I took a few pictures off of the wall behind me, for instance, to give myself a blanker canvas for the mirror's reflection.
I changed clothes, took photos at different times of day, adjusted blinds in widows, and experimented with lighting along the way. The immediacy of digital photography allows for much trial and error in any given free day.
Now, if the artist seeks to take really complicated images, showing entire body and arms, this method would simply prove itself too primitive. But for quick, facial portraits or partial body portraits, this process cannot be beat! If the photographer uses a non-digital camera, the results will not, of course, be immediately known, picture to picture. Also, if using a non-digital camera, the ultimate framing of oneself is up for grabs. However, sometimes blind shooting, with uncertainty of the composition, can prove very exciting and surprising.
As for the mirrors used, experimentation with old and new glass is fun, too. Various blurs, smudges, and waves might appear in the portrait, depending on the mirror's surface. In my case, I used a mirror comprised of new glass inside an old frame that was hanging in my guest room. I also used a huge mirror hanging in our dining room, replete with twenty year old glass. I also took a set of self portraits before a very old mirror from the 1800's. So many earlier portraits were produced on glass plates, anyway, I presumed mirror glass and cameras would be a nice match!
I believe I was correct. I find the grainy, soft results seen here to be fairly true to my mark, and rather painterly. I also find there is a wide variance to be achieved in editing by dabbling with colors, color removal, blacks and whites, and limited hue intensities. I also submit here one self portrait without color, in an effort to prove to myself how true this method can be in making images that look timeless and old.
Here, I present, the timeless and old photographer, posing herself as Pre-Rafealite subject, exposed.
1 response
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John Linton gave props (13 Dec 2008):
Oh...Yeah! It rocks!
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