The Art of the Photographic Self Portrait

Some of the most iconic self-portraits is the work of painters who celebrated, in one way of another, their own individualism.

The self portrait is a difficult work to get right. Who can really say how they look at any particular time in life?

We take it for granted that we have the right to choose our own identities. This allows us to look around and try out different personas as we grow and mature in life.

Self-Portrait of the author playing guitar next to the bathroom

Rembrandt painted many self portraits throughout his life. This has left us with a knowledge of how he appeared at the different stages of life, and gives us a feeling of being alongside him as he matured from a young painter into a middle-aged man, who then dealt with the onset of ageing into a greying man with wrinkles and tired eyes.

I like to take test shots that give me food for thought. I can work on something that has good content but needs improvement in photos.