Taking selfies, when you are a bit older… hmmm…
Hold that chin up, strike a happy pose and smile a happy smile and those wrinkles will simply disappear in your selfies….well not quite??!! But doing these things will certainly make a difference to the way your images turn out.
If you can, it is a great idea to learn to take selfies. It’s good camera practise and also an inexpensive way of getting photographs if you have your own website or social media page.
However if you do have someone, a friend, or person who is able to take a portrait shot of you, well then all the better, use them.
Things you will need to get started:
- A camera that has time delay settings.
- A tripod, and you will need to know how to use it.
- A bit of extra time. Capturing an image of yourself takes quite a bit of planning and therefore time. Running backwards and forwards to the camera to see how the shot turned out can be quite exhausting, especially if you are at the far end of a huge grassy field.
Soooo how do you get some photos of yourself that are a reasonable standard.
Here are my methods and ideas:
1.Definitely know what looks good on you, clothing and make up wise. At my age (can’t tell you what that is) I want some colour in my face and my clothing to suit the type of shot I am taking. eg shorts and shirt at the beach, long skirt and scarf at church, jeans and sweater in the garden etc.
2.As you can see I love experimenting and taking photos with my face hidden. I find a face quite confronting. Of course for some portraits I understand you will need a full frontal face shot. Again it’s your preference.
3.Add props if and when necessary. Sun hats at the beach, spade in the garden, flower in my hand in a field etc
4.Set up your tripod…firmly and the right distance from where you will stand, be mindful of the wind on a windy day. I put some sort of marker on the ground about the spot I will need to stand or pose for the photo.
5.Focus… I have various means of doing this and it is a bit tricky. Often I will focus on an object that is close to where I will be posing, but it is a bit hit and miss. There are other ways…..
-Some photographers put there tripod at the place they will pose.
-then go back to the place where you want to take the photo from,
-then focus on the tripod, push the shutter button halfway to focus, then put camera on manual focus so it stays on that setting.
-then bring tripod back to original place and placing camera on tripod, set timer for the amount of time it takes for you to get into position (the exact spot the tripod was.) and for camera to take the shot.
It’s a bit confusing and you will have to mark the spot where the tripod was and where you intend to stand.
6.I generally just have fun with selfies, I am really not going to use them for selling purposes, but just for practise and my own web site photos.
7.Lastly pose… for your photo and don’t be self conscious.
Many years ago… I did a few weddings. I photographed one bride who posed beautifully. Every time I said ..”Stop.” or, “Hold that pose.” She just basically froze and calmly kept her position. It was so easy to photograph her and the photos turned out so lovely.
Another time I had a bride who would not stop moving. She would get the jitters and look away from the camera, she was terribly shy in front of the camera and it was exceedingly difficult to photograph her. AND to make matters worse when her photos were developed they were sadly awful! Eyes shut, mouth open, head turned too far, nose screwed up and she was quite devastated. The memories of her most wonderful day were not so good.
8.Lighting…another important aspect of self shooting. I won’t go into any real depth on the subject of lighting of self, as it is quite comprehensive and shooting indoors often requires lights and reflectors etc. As for me I mainly take my shots outdoors and simply consider where the sun is and where the shadows fall and take the photo I think looks good.
In closing there are many many sites on Pinterest that are about self portraits here is one I found simple and quite helpful.
Dawn Charles easiest way to take self portraits
Try some new effects, blur the entire image, no wrinkles are showing here!!!
These next few images were taken many years ago. Quite out of focus, but I did have a great time doing these shots and certainly learnt alot. The purple flowers are actually a weed called Salavation Jane.
In a canola field. I think I’ve mentioned this before but I do not go into farmers fields any longer. Out of respect and also many photographers have ruined plants and farmers land by going in and setting up gear and never requesting permission.
This has been a happy project, very enjoyable and satisfying. Not only do you gain a new perspective of how you look at your particular age, but a deeper appreciation of the body and the part it plays in photography. When it comes to the editing process it is an art where you can add or subtract whatever you like. Make your vision clear and go for it!!
Don’ be ashamed or embarrassed about yourself, you are who you are and most of you cannot be changed. Especially as we age. It has taken me quite awhile to accept my wrinkles, however I took to Pinterest and looked at endless lovely photos of older women, it was quite inspiring.
No AI generated images.
