Creative self portrait ideas are a brilliant way to expand your portrait collection and try out new techniques. Self-portrait photography is at an all-time high in popularity. Despite this, it's possible that you didn't think to include this genre on your photography website. Most photographers don't include fun self portrait ideas in their portfolios or include self portrait backgrounds for two reasons: they don't think they have artistic merit, and they don't like being in front of the frame.
Self-portraits are a fantastic way to try out new photographic techniques. There's no need for a model! Creative cool portraits ideas can also add to your online photography portfolio and lighten up the About Me page, allowing visitors to see who's behind all those amazing shots, and when you project your unique self portrait examples. Are you ready to begin shooting? Here are some cool self-portrait ideas for you to try!
- Work on your Silhouette
Silhouette can result in dramatic self-portrait photography. Best of all, whether you're shooting in a studio or on location, this is a relatively simple artistic portrait to achieve. Only a bright light source in the background is needed.
If you're going to shoot outside with the sun as your light source, you'll get the best results when the sun is low in the sky at sunrise or sunset. When shooting outdoors, however, don't restrict yourself to the sun: you can use anything from streetlights to a bonfire, and even the moon as a light source.
If you use your camera's auto settings, it will most likely set the wrong aperture and shutter speed in an attempt to "correct" the silhouette effect. It's just one of the reasons why a good camera, rather than a point-and-shoot, is important for portrait photography. You'll want to keep your ISO down, shoot at a quick shutter speed, and adjust your aperture to the lighting conditions.
- Experiment with extreme close-ups.
What you leave out of the frame can be just as critical as what you put in. Taking a close-up of a specific facial characteristic is one way to create a creative self-portrait. Concentrate solely on the eyes or the mouth, for example. The viewer's attention would be attracted to your focal point even faster if you leave any of your faces out of the picture.
- Hide your face behind objects a little
Partially covering your face, like the technique above, will result in a cool self-portrait with an eye-catching focal point. There are several choices for which object to hide behind; it may be a significant object to you, your hands, your hair—really anything you want to put in the foreground.
- Your Hands Should Be Shot
It is not always necessary to include the face in self portrait ideas. Try aiming only at the extremities or other body parts while taking a self-portrait.
One excellent choice is to photograph your hands. Our hands are special in that their calluses, wrinkles, and scars can reveal a lot about a person's life. It's entirely up to you what you do with your hands, whether it's gripping an object, holding someone's hand, or simply posing. A quick note that, if you must add your face, it could be in your self-portrait background in this case.
- Make a Soft-Focus Lens Effect with Common Objects
A variety of lens filters are available to aid in adding to your idealist in your self portrait photography tips. However, if you want to have some fun with it, you can make soft-focus lens effects with popular household items. One method is to cover the lens with clear plastic and protect it with an elastic band, then apply Vaseline to the plastic around the lens’s edges. Only don't have any Vaseline on your expensive self portrait photography lenses!
Similarly, a piece of gauze or cheesecloth may be used. Simply cut an "X" in the material and tie it to your lens with an elastic band. Then pull the ends of the fabric around the lens's edge apart a little so it's frayed.
Both of these techniques produce soft edges that frame your subject and give your self-portraits ideas a dreamy feel.
- Create a triptych or diptych.
Another suggestion for self portrait ideas is to make more of them! Diptychs and triptychs, respectively, are made up of two and three images. By juxtaposing the pictures, you can use your self-portraits to tell a story. You may photograph yourself from various perspectives, adjust the lighting, zoom in on different parts of your face, or simply catch various facial expressions. You can capture various moments within an operation by shooting in burst mode while executing it.
- Choose a color scheme.
Cool self portrait ideas can be achieved by focusing on a single color (or multiple shades of the same color). Using a similar color scheme in your self portrait ideas will help to build a sense of harmony. It also looks cool, which is why fashion photographers often employ this technique.
Have you been told that blue is your favorite color? Try posing in front of a blue background, such as the sky or a photography backdrop, while wearing something blue. Do your eyes have a piercing green hue to them? Try capturing a close-up of your eyes against a green backdrop.
- Black-and-white photography
Black and white photography is often used by the best portrait photographers to great effect. Your portraits would have a timeless feel if you shoot them in black and white.
When you remove the color from your picture, it emphasizes the contrast. As a result, you'll want to pay close attention to your shot's highlights and shadows. One piece of creative self portrait ideas photography advice? In post-production, experiment with the contrast. A drab black and white picture can be made to pop by growing the contrast subtly.
Hopefully, these self-portrait tips were helpful for you! With consistent practice of these tips, the sky is your starting point in the photography industry.
Creating a Photography Website
If you want to succeed as a photographer in today's digital era, you'll need a website. With this, you’ll be able to showcase all your self portrait ideas. Getting a website is no longer a strategic advantage for those in the entertainment industry; now, not having one is a significant disadvantage. A portfolio website is the most powerful tool at your disposal, whether you're searching for new customers, a new career, or simply to lift your profile.
But, hey, you always knew that which is why you came here in the first place. And the good news is that creating a photography website you can be proud of has never been simpler – and you don't need any technical expertise to do it.
- Establish a simple objective for your photography website.
Before you start developing your photography website, take a step back and think about your objectives and the main purpose of your site. This will have an impact on the platform you want to create your site on, as well as how you design it. Consider the following scenario:
- Are you a local event photographer looking for new work? To help you get found in Google search results, choose a website builder with good SEO (Search Engine Optimization) capabilities.
- Do you want to make money by selling your photos on the internet? Choose a website designer with strong eCommerce capabilities. Make sure the builder supports selling digital goods if you want to sell the photos as downloads (not all builders do).
- Decide on a website builder to use
Website builders are free online resources that allow anyone to create a website. You start by choosing a template for your web, then dragging and dropping elements to where you want them to go. You can add new pages to your template as well as change the ones that come with it. In other words, if you know how to use PowerPoint, you'll know how to use a website builder.
You pay an all-in subscription fee to use a website builder, which is normally between $5 and $25 per month. Some builders also have fully free plans, but we'll get into why that isn't always the best option later.
Many people make the mistake of believing that website builders are too restrictive for their needs. Although they may not be the best option for any form of website, they are perfect for photography websites.
How To Create Photography Website With Strikingly?
It's time to start creating an amazing website for your self portrait ideas to entice your future audience now that you've understood your goals as a photographer and chosen one of the best website-building platforms.
Strikingly is a website that is easy to use and navigate while making your website. To get started and access all of the awesome features on the web, you must first register. It just takes a few minutes, and you're finished. Your name, password, and email address will be entered.
Image from Strikingly
You'll be automatically logged in once you've submitted your details, and you'll have access to a variety of awesome templates to help you build your Photography website.
A company website needs some thought and planning, but it does not have to be costly. This step-by-step tutorial will show you how to create a free website.
Image from Strikingly
You must choose a template that better represents your objectives. If you are running a photography business, you can choose from the business templates. On the other hand, if it’s a personal site, you can choose from the personal templates. After that, you can begin customizing your website design to your liking.
You can add a lot of cool features to your Photography's website with the Strikingly editor. You should have a gallery to showcase all your stunning photos for your visitors to see.
Image from Strikingly
You may also use the "Add New Section" button to add new sections to your Photography's website. You should have a contact page here to enable potential customers to contact you.
Image from Strikingly
Strikingly has you covered if you want to have a blog on your website where you can engage your visitors with various interesting photography pictures. You can start adding posts to your website by clicking on the "Blog" link. This will keep visitors engaged. You can also include the various services that you offer, and your previous works for potential customers to see.
Image from Strikingly
When you've finished adding all of the necessary things, ensure you test your website before publishing it. Strikingly's website editor lets you preview your site and saves any changes you make to your draft so you don't lose your work. You might need to edit your portraits before including them on your site and make sure it is of high quality. Additionally, you can also include a “Follow Us” on your site to allow visitors to follow you on social media through your website.
Image from Strikingly
Examine the entire website as though you were a visitor, and discuss any navigational or usability issues when they are still minor. Continue to publish your website until you're satisfied that everything is in order.
Are you ready to start creating a stunning photography website for your self portrait ideas? Make a Strikingly account right now!