Need Some Tips For Taking A Self Portrait

68lbs

68lbs

Messages
5,450
Name
April 2008
Edit My Images
No
Ok, as per the title, I want to do a self portrait and am unsure how. The obvious way is to use a mirror and then just flip the image afterwards, but I am wondering if this is best. How does anyone else do it? I want to use quite a narrow DoF, so pre focusing on something would be a little hit and miss as the chances of getting myself in the same position would be slim.
 
Desperately trying to stop myself posting... point the camera at yourself!!
Could always do the arms length compact shot... lol...

Ok, Seriously, lots of things you could try, I used a tripod with a remote release, pre-focussed in my case as I was using a larger depth of field etc.
You could pre-select a focus point to match I'm guessing your face position? for instance?
Narrow depth of field is making it more difficult obviously so a little tial and error to get a good set up and then take lots of shots.
It's a fun thing to do!

:)
 
I thought about this for a photo project recently. to experiment with lighting etc

was going to try....remote shutter and place a mirror BEHIND the camera, that you can see the LCD. take a shot and spy on the image replay on the back of the camera, re-adjust yourself and snap again
 
surely the easiest would be to tripod mount the camera and pre focus on something if you're using a wide apeture? ive only done one 'proper' self portrait before, recently (last shot in my flickr) and i didnt even bother focusing (due to time mostly, i did it extremely quickly and in a tiny space, and i wasnt too bothered with the results), shooting at about f8 i just guessed i was about 3 ft away (or whatever) and stuck it to that.

if you're in one place its really not too hard to put yourself in pretty much the exact same spot as before. if you're photographing your face, sit on a chair with your back straight. you'll be unlikely to move much going back and forth between the camera and seat, so it should be fine! if you're lucky enough to have a remote then all the better!

perhaps if you're struggling get someone else to focus on you if its ultra shallow, putting a cursor over your eye and holding down a button is hardly taxing for non photography types.

however just trial and error should work ok.
 
If you're sitting on something try focussing the camera on the tripod from where you'll be sitting then mount the camera on the tripod and return to the seat you focussed from.
 
Tripod mount and remote release. Simples.
 
Stand the camera in front of a mirror. make sure your mush is in the middle of the lens, fire it with a remote release.
 
setup live shooting on a laptop so you can see the screen...? (easy with a canon) Can't see your camera .. its says "north yorkshire":thinking: ?
 
Hmm, I've never had much luck shooting blind and have always had to go for quite a large DoF. Even then, I end up with the shot being blurred and compositionally challenged. I didn't know I could connect my camera to a screen though... do I not need live view to be able to do that?
 
Firstly I would get a stunt double for mine.........
 
From memory, you're a Canon user, aren't you?

If so, then the TC80-N3 would be really, really useful.
 
68lbs said:
Ok, as per the title, I want to do a self portrait and am unsure how. The obvious way is to use a mirror and then just flip the image afterwards, but I am wondering if this is best. How does anyone else do it? I want to use quite a narrow DoF, so pre focusing on something would be a little hit and miss as the chances of getting myself in the same position would be slim.
Click to expand...

Check your Canon software for the Eos Utility(?), this should allow you to tether the 5D via usb to your computer.
 
tripod
manual focus
measure the distance to your eyes to the film..sensor plane
set focus to that
meter your hand in the light which will fall on your face
set up the camera vert or horiz
set the timer
set the exposure

open a bottle of sherry and have a sip or two

press the shutter and sit down...etc
wait till the shot is taken
review
correct any problems with etc etc
allow about an hour to do all this and perhaps some more sherry

 
I went for the low tech way!

Sat on the floor, mounted camera on tripod in front of my face. Attached flash and swivelled it so it pointed it at nearby wall. Used a remote release and the AF assist light to focus on my face, took about 10-20 photos, and i liked one of them. And now it's my avatar!

I tried pre-focussing, and ALWAYS found what I wanted to be in focus wasn't, so gave up and relied on the AF. The using it tethered would also make life pretty easy!
 
chris321 said:
I went for the low tech way!

Sat on the floor, mounted camera on tripod in front of my face. Attached flash and swivelled it so it pointed it at nearby wall. Used a remote release and the AF assist light to focus on my face, took about 10-20 photos, and i liked one of them. And now it's my avatar!

I tried pre-focussing, and ALWAYS found what I wanted to be in focus wasn't, so gave up and relied on the AF. The using it tethered would also make life pretty easy!
Click to expand...

thats a good shout ;)
 
I just did one of these as well, and wanted a really narrow depth of field effect which eliminated the possibility for pre-focusing and also letting the camera select the focus for me.

I put the camera on a tripod and USB'd it to my laptop where I ran the remote shooting and remote live view apps from Canon Utilities. I put the laptop next to the camera so I could shoot without moving my head. I focused using the focus buttons in the remote live view app and, having only about 1cm of DOF at f/1.4 and 50mm I had to make sure I didn't move.

Also the remote live view facility lets you zoom into one part of the pic to set the focus, which I did using my left (right in the pic) eye as the focal point.

I had Lightroom running in "watched folder" auto-import mode so I could see the pics as soon as they were sucked down from the camera.

Even so it was very tricky to get precise focus. The other problem is that I looked seriously weird in many of the shots. Anyway, I picked one out in the end, did some desaturation on it and a bit of other tweaking, and here it is. By the way I was in front of a window to get the highlights in my eyes. No artificial lighting used.

4251284796_0514985035.jpg
 
Use the canon utilities to do it via your computer? (assuming it's a Canon?)

Edit, ooops, the post above suggested it already. XD
 
Right... all these suggestions re canon utilities... I don't think I get live view on the computer as my camera 5D Classic doesn't have live view. I've just downloaded Phase One's Capture One Pro and that will allow me to take a pic and see it immediately on screen, but doesn't give me live view. :(
 
68lbs said:
Right... all these suggestions re canon utilities... I don't think I get live view on the computer as my camera 5D Classic doesn't have live view. I've just downloaded Phase One's Capture One Pro and that will allow me to take a pic and see it immediately on screen, but doesn't give me live view. :(
Click to expand...

I refer the honorable gentleman to my previous answer ....
 
Any suggestions how to do this with a Nikon?? really tempted to give this a go myself.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top