COVID-19 has completely changed our world. Some people are alone, some with partners or families, some with pets. Some are working from home, some are not working at all. Some have made peace with the situation, some are grappling with anxiety.
We have seeing the impact in all industries, including the photo industry. People are doing all they can to keep going, keep sane, and keep happy. For a photographer, being stuck at home (if you’re in quarantine like me for 5 weeks) it isn’t fun – especially if you do most of your work outdoors. If you know me well you realize how much I love outdoors! With COVID-19 and all the changes in our world it’s very important not to let the gloom take over, and we all have to push ourselves to be creative and keep active.
So, while stuck in quarantine why not do a self-portrait project. Whether you’re a photographer or not, now is a great time to turn the camera on yourself.
Creating a self-portrait had several benefits in my view. Firstly, for me as a photographer, it placed me in my client’s shoes and helped me understand the feelings and thoughts my clients had when being photographed. Let me tell you this: IT CAN BE SCARY and UNCOMFORTABLE!
Secondly, a self-portrait helped me to love and appreciate myself more. We photographers are so used to looking at others that we sometimes forget to look at ourselves. If you create a portrait of yourself that you like, it gives you a nice confidence boost – both creatively and emotionally.
Last but not least, it’s was a lot of fun. I ended up with good images and lots of bad ones as well, gained more experience in dealing with the challenges that come with getting the right exposure, focus, composition and angles for myself. It’s was a challenge, but a GOOD ONE.
If you ask me what was the more important lesson at this self portrait project? I will tell you that learning how to relax in front of the camera, helped me to understand how I can help even more my clients to relax in the future photo sessions.
