Self Portraits & Portraits Part 1

Tips I found helpful

Get Closer:
The most common mistake made by photographers is that they are not physically close enough to their subjects. In some cases this means that the center of interest—the subject—is just a speck, too small to have any impact. Even when it is big enough to be decipherable, it usually carries little meaning. Viewers can sense when a subject is small because it was supposed to be and when it's small because the photographer was too shy to get close.

Shadows:

Photographing your shadow is another way to do a self-portrait. Shoot early or late, when the sun is low in the sky. A light, stucco wall, a sidewalk, or any other simple background can suffice. Just be sure there aren't a lot of distractions around the surface you choose.

Candids with consent:

Unobtrusive candids seek to be fly-on-the-wall images that catch people going about their business seemingly unaware of the camera and the photographer. This yields images that are more toward the objective end of the objective/subjective continuum, though there is not, of course, any photograph made by a human that is completely objective. Candids with consent, made when the photographer is actively engaged with the subject and the subject is conscious of this involvement, are very different. Photographs are records of the photographer's relationship with his or her subject. In consensual candids, the relationship can be either obvious (the subject looks directly into the camera) or subtle—the relationship is implied because the image feels more intimate. We sense that the photographer was physically close to the subject and that the person was aware of being photographed.

Environmental Portrait:

I like this photo because it is very serious and the mood it gives is like angry and bad because of the background of the stormy sky. 

I like this photo because the subject is very focused and I also like how the guitar is in the center of the photo. The photo is also good because of the angle it is shot at, it is very straight and eye level with the man. 

Photography self portrait:

This photo captures the smoke coming out of the mans mouth which I really like. It makes me follow the line that leads to his face which is very serious. 

I like this portrait because the shadows made it very interesting. It creates an allusion that half of her face is gone because of the dark right half and dark background. It also shows a lot of emotion and another side to the girl because she is crying. 

Casual Portrait:

This photo does a good job of drawing my attention to the girl. She is very focused and the photographer used rule of thirds. I also like it because of the warm contrast and blur of the fall trees in the background. 

I really like this photo because its almost like a candid. The girl is walking and looking behind her with a serious and sad looking face. I also really  like the light background and how it is shot in nature. 

When I shoot my portraits I plan on taking pictures of my sister. I want to do it in a nature setting probably at slaughter creek park. To make it a successful shoot I will remind myself of all the different rules I can get photos of with my sister to have a variety of photos.