# Self-Portrait



## alirwez061 (Feb 9, 2021)

I normally take Portraits of people and I really like my own work,
but does anybody know how can I take a self-portrait from myself??
I really like my work and don't want someone else to take a photo of me.
(LOL don't call me selfish plz)

Any ideas how can I get a portrait of myself using  my own skills and my own taste?


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## Space Face (Feb 9, 2021)

Tripod, timer or remote shutter release.


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## alirwez061 (Feb 9, 2021)

Space Face said:


> Tripod, timer or remote shutter release.


Good idea. gonna try it.
thanks


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## Space Face (Feb 9, 2021)

Pleasure and welcome.


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## Original katomi (Feb 9, 2021)

Set up a stool / chair to sit on place something like a stuffed toy on there at about your height 
Pre frame image pre focus on manual  or tether to lap top pc so you can see what’s happening
Otherwise  framing and focus can be hit and miss
I learnt this the hard way lol


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## alirwez061 (Feb 11, 2021)

re


Original katomi said:


> Set up a stool / chair to sit on place something like a stuffed toy on there at about your height
> Pre frame image pre focus on manual  or tether to lap top pc so you can see what’s happening
> Otherwise  framing and focus can be hit and miss
> I learnt this the hard way lol


definetly a very helpful way LOL


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## ronlane (Feb 11, 2021)

As mentioned, tripod, and use the 10 second delay or a remote shutter.

For focus there are two ways to do it (or combination of the two). Have someone stand in for you to get focus, being careful to mark that spot, set the focus and then switch out with them. The second is to set framing up and have someone press the focus button for you to get focus and then switch to manual focus on the lens. Once they have done that for you, you can take photos to your liking.

Note: I would use a higher than normal f-stop when doing this because DOF is going to be an issue. I would also suggest shooting just a little be wider than you normally would and the crop in post. This gives you a little bit of room for error on both DOF and Framing.

Either way, I would also suggest taking more frames than you normally would because it is tricky to get everything just right in 1 or 2 takes doing this.

Good luck.


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## paigew (Feb 11, 2021)

I do lots of self portraits and the best way to do is is with an interval timer. You will set up focus and tripod as mentioned above, but the interval timer will take X amount of shots so you can repose, or "act natural" etc. I use the interval timer for family self portraits as well, and it really gives you time to relax in front of the camera rather than acting "frozen".


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## ronlane (Feb 11, 2021)

paigew said:


> I do lots of self portraits and the best way to do is is with an interval timer. You will set up focus and tripod as mentioned above, but the interval timer will take X amount of shots so you can repose, or "act natural" etc. I use the interval timer for family self portraits as well, and it really gives you time to relax in front of the camera rather than acting "frozen".



Great idea Paige. I'll be putting that on my list of things to try during my next testing session.

Thanks.


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## Original katomi (Feb 11, 2021)

My post is based on the fact that I am on my own here
Think the takeaway points here is to 
Focus the switch to manual 
Use self time or remote trigger
And of course with digital you can do as many takes as needed


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## Geenphoto (Feb 14, 2021)

I have a Nikon D700 and used the time lapse feature to do multiple images at a time. I set up the time lapse for five images say ten seconds apart, get into position and take several of the same pose in hope of getting really good keeper. Set up again and repeat with a different pose. Just know you will always take a throw away shot as the first image will not have you in it yet.


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## Sharpshooterr (Feb 17, 2021)

alirwez061 said:


> I normally take Portraits of people and I really like my own work,
> but does anybody know how can I take a self-portrait from myself??
> I really like my work and don't want someone else to take a photo of me.
> (LOL don't call me selfish plz)
> ...



"Tripod, timer or remote shutter release".
061, first, welcome!
Second, as to the above the tripod is a given. BUT, I would avoid the self-timer and go with a remote, especially if you're trying to get creative and use a shallow DoF.
The reason being, at least on some of the cameras I have used(Canon) and probably others as well. Using the self timer the camera will focus when you press the shutter but you're not there and especially with shallow DoF, the pre-focus on shallow DoF will be very difficult to get dead on using a pre-determined target. 
IF you use the remote trigger the camera will focus when you press the remote trigger and you are there for the camera to focus on you, not a pre-focused distance or target and the likelihood of getting a sharp focus on you is much easier!
Might be easier to set everthing up as you like and just have someone else push the shutter release!! Good luck and lets see that naughty pic!!! LoL. 
SS


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## ronlane (Feb 17, 2021)

Sharpshooterr said:


> alirwez061 said:
> 
> 
> > I normally take Portraits of people and I really like my own work,
> ...



It's better to set the focus to a spot and then turn the focus to manual and that will solve this issue and then you can use self timer or remote with no issues.

Trying to do selfies at really wide appertures is really not a good idea because of the shallow DoF. Use something like 5.6 or 8.0.


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## paigew (Feb 17, 2021)

ronlane said:


> Sharpshooterr said:
> 
> 
> > alirwez061 said:
> ...


It's super tricky! But I have done them pretty wide, if not wide open! I'll have to check my files...when we have power [emoji26]

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk


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## Rickbb (Feb 17, 2021)

paigew said:


> I'll have to check my files...when we have power [emoji26]
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk



Don't use that "p" word! We are going to get that storm tonight. Wish you had kept it out west.


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## paigew (Feb 17, 2021)

Rickbb said:


> paigew said:
> 
> 
> > I'll have to check my files...when we have power [emoji26]
> ...


We haven't had water since Friday. And are having only 8-10 hrs of power a day right now. [emoji26] Hopefully you guys handle the storm better than central texas. 

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk


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## Rickbb (Feb 17, 2021)

Both my kids lost power with the ice storm we had Saturday for 2 days, this will be round 2.


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## paigew (Feb 17, 2021)

Stay warm. [emoji120][emoji120]

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk


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## Sharpshooterr (Feb 18, 2021)

Rickbb said:


> paigew said:
> 
> 
> > I'll have to check my files...when we have power [emoji26]
> ...



Out West? I'm out west and it was beautiful and sunny today!!!
We don't have cold problems, well, actually we do...., tonight it's supposed to get down to 37 degrees..., BRRR! 
But we do get blackouts for heat or wind and they've been for as long as 4 days! So last year we installed a generator that automatically turns on if there's a power outage!
But I do wish a lot of the country good luck and stay safe, on both fronts!
SS


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## Rickbb (Feb 18, 2021)

Sharpshooterr said:


> Out West? I'm out west and it was beautiful and sunny today!!!
> SS



Well in North Carolina anything beyond Nashville is considered "out west". lol


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## paigew (Feb 18, 2021)

Rickbb said:


> Well in North Carolina anything beyond Nashville is considered "out west". lol



I figured as much [emoji28]. 

We kept power all night last night! But we are out of water now and the entire town is too. Even the refill stations are out! Started snowing again this morning and hasn't stopped. I feel like this has never ever ever happened here before [emoji24] looking forward to the thaw tomorrow and hopefully getting water back. I hope your kids are safe and warm!  [emoji120]

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk


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## paigew (Feb 18, 2021)

Sorry to get off track! For informational purposes, these are my self portraits. I rarely share them with anyone...hello anxiety! So here you go  

f3.5....I leaned a broom up on the stool and got my focus there, then pushed it out of the way when I went to sit down. 



 
f2.2, grabbed focus on a piece of grass and tried to remember which one as I ran to sit down  




f3.5  (had help here, focused on my son the had him step out)


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## Scott Murphy (Feb 18, 2021)

I am assuming you are using a DSLR and shooting indoors. Once you have your background, lights and exposure set up, you can use a wireless trigger and tether the camera to a laptop using a program like DigiCamControl, it is free, in the Live View mode. This way you can see what the camera is seeing so you can compose properly.  I use this program all the time when I shoot portraits and have the camera tethered to the lapt0p. It is a lot better than trusting the LCD on the back of the camera and you do not have to move to see what the finished image looks like.


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## weepete (Feb 19, 2021)

if you have a Canon camera check out the Canon Connect app, you can use wifi with a cell phone and it supports liveview with some models.

@paigew those shots are great!


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## Rickbb (Feb 19, 2021)

Just to keep it on topic, this is about the only "self" portrait that I can remember. On a day hike up the paradise lost trail on Mt. Rainer. Shot with my old travel camera, Cannon PowerShot A540, which takes surprisingly decent photos for a little pocket camera.

It's 10 years old, but I haven't changed, still bald, still old, still ugly as sin. lol

PS. We dodged the bullet on the ice storm, 50 miles west and 30 miles north got slammed, some still without power.


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## smoke665 (Feb 19, 2021)

alirwez061 said:


> Any ideas how can I get a portrait of myself using my own skills and my own taste?



The only limitation is your imagination!! I did this one awhile back, here's a few thoughts from my Phillip Marlowe shoot.

It's possible to shoot a selfie wide open if you have a simple shot, throw in some extra set props, and it's a lot easier to work in the f7.1-f/11 range.
How you trip the shutter depends on the set and shot, in this one a remote wasn't possible as both hands were "occupied", so timer was the only option. Not seen are tape X's on the floor for each foot, and a small dot on the blind where the fingers went, and I knew the brim of the hat had to be between the 4th and 5th slat to catch the light in the eyes. 

I learned that getting into character with good bourbon in the prop glass, isn't the best idea if you plan on taking more than a few shots. 



Dark-1.jpg by William Raber, on Flickr


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## oliverlol (Jun 28, 2021)

Tripod, timer or remote shutter release. please


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## smoke665 (Jun 29, 2021)

oliverlol said:


> Tripod, timer or remote shutter release. please



See above. "How you trip the shutter depends on the set and shot, in this one a remote wasn't possible as both hands were "occupied", so timer was the only option."


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## mrca (Aug 25, 2021)

I do self portraits as test shots where I want a catch light in the eyes.  Otherwise, my bust of Julius Caesar who has been with me for 35 years, when I place him on a wooden stool, his head is at nearly exactly the height of most people when my posing stool is set all the way down.  I get focus on digital of film, there is a tape under the stool and my posing stool goes in place. I'm getting ready to take some test shots of a 150 mm soft focus medium format film lens with various discs so will set all 6 lights on julius,  then fire with remote trigger on digital, then self timer on 2 film 35 mm.  The mf doesn't have a timer so bought a bulb with 15 foot tube.  Sometimes I clamp a plexi mirror to a light stand so I can see where the shadows fall.   I am doing a comparison of 67, 645, 35 mm portra and 3200 b&w film and digital all under identical lighting.  Did a selfie holding my guitar and couldn't time it with my eyes open so did a Clint eastwood version of brim down with a cowboy hat.


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## NS: Nikon Shooter (Aug 25, 2021)

-


Though I have very good coverage for my gear,
I would not dare challenge it taking selfies!


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