Pictures of Me

You’ve been the subject of many photographs in your lifetime. The earliest pictures were probably ultrasound images that a doctor made while your mother was pregnant. And your parents probably have many pictures of you as a baby and pictures of you at other important moments of your childhood. Most parents love to use cameras to document the lives of their children.

There are probably other pictures of you on special occasions, like opening presents by the Christmas tree, sitting with friends in a circle around a birthday cake, or playing in the sand at the beach with your friends.

Self-Portraits

Have you ever taken a picture of yourself? The easiest way is to hold the camera in your hands and point the lens back at yourself. It’s important to make sure the zoom is set to a wide angle because the distance between you and the camera is short, and you want to be able to see as much as possible. Stretch your arm out and press the shutter-release button. You can hold the camera high or low, depending on what type of picture you’d like to take. Have some fun by changing your facial expressions to create a series of different emotions in your pictures, like happiness, worry, surprise, and so on.

Self-Timer

The self-timer on your camera is another way to take self-portraits. This setting causes the camera to pause for a few seconds between when you press the shutter-release button and when the picture is actually snapped. To use this feature, first turn the self-timer on. You can usually set cameras to pause for five or ten seconds before they capture a photograph. When you’re ready, place the camera on a flat and steady surface like a bookshelf, table, or wall so the camera won’t fall. Examine the live display to see the scope of your picture and press the shutter-release button when you’re ready. Now you’ve got a few seconds to get into place before the camera takes a picture.

Sometimes you’ll get funny pictures if you don’t quite manage to get into place in time. The picture may have only a forearm in it, or someone’s head may be clipped off. The picture will turn out perfectly if you figure out exactly where you should be.

Reflections

Mirrors are also helpful if you want to take a picture of yourself. If there is more than one mirror—in a hair salon or bathroom, for example—you can have lots of fun photographing reflections of reflections. At the carnival you can use distorting mirrors that make you appear larger or smaller, wider or thinner to take pictures of yourself. Everything that reflects light can be an opportunity for a self-portrait: windowpanes, puddles, shiny metal surfaces, or even a doorknob. Don’t forget to turn off the flash because it will also be reflected, and it will drown out anything else in the picture.

Shadows can be portraits, too. The sun sits very low in the sky during dusk at the end of summer, which causes everything in the open to cast a long shadow. Stand with your back to the sun and check out your body’s shadow. Move around to create interesting shapes and take cool pictures of what you see.

Tip

It can be interesting to make a diary of self-portraits. Take a picture of yourself every day for a long time. Afterward, you’ll be able to see how you’ve changed from picture to picture.