There are plenty of photography genres out there. All you need is a camera and a curious eye to look for the right moments. That’s all you need to become an amazing photographer.
As a professional photographer with almost a decade of experience, I have worked with every major photography genre. But still, there’s no way I can contain my mind from bubbling up with self-portrait ideas whenever I hold a camera in my hand.
So if you want to ace the art of self-portrait photography, here’s a list of my 21 most favorite self-portrait ideas you can follow and recreate.
The beauty of your silhouette
Most photographers, even the professional ones, may get a bit shy or confused when trying self-portraiture ideas. This genre isn’t something that requires a lot of practice. As a beginner, you should just focus on your silhouette. Stand in front of a bright background that doesn’t hide your facial features and shape. The rest is totally up to your imagination.
Harvest the colors of a rainbow
Here’s an insider tip from a professional photographer. No matter what the background is, the rainbow color effect always falls perfectly on the face. And here’s the fun part, you don’t need expensive equipment to recreate this self-portrait idea.
A rainbow-colored lamp will be perfect, but a CD and a second light source reflecting colors from the CD’s surface will also do the trick.
Transform yourself for self-portrait
Self-portraits-based photography is the only genre of photography where you can completely transform yourself and still look stunning. This gives you a whole range of amazing wigs, makeup, costumes, and other things like that to try on.
You can also adapt the look of your favorite movie or TV character and take variety selfie poses in the themed setup.
DIYing your background
Do you know what makes a good photographer great? His/her passion for bringing out the originality of his/her skills through the camera. This can be a great piece of advice as well if you’re looking to establish a following in the genre of self-portraits. Start making and setting up your backgrounds and you’ll not run out of self-portrait ideas anytime soon.
The art of double exposure
Every picture has two sides. But little did we know a mistake of double-exposure can be of the best self-portrait ideas with phone ever. This will be a test as well as a great practice for your photo editing skills.
Generally, silhouettes are the best choice to perform this trick. And remember, the lighter the exposure-based image is going to be, the better.
Enjoy the session of self-portrait
Nothing looks more natural in front of a camera as much as something you love doing. If you want to capture the right moment, this is one of the best self-portraiture ideas out there.
Go on a hike, ride a bicycle, start dancing, or laying your favorite tunes. Just start doing anything you love to do, and you will have a set of the most natural-looking self-portraits you have ever captured.
Owning those hair accessories
Using any accessory, especially a hair covering, is a great way to enhance your portraits' overall exposure. Remember, the head accessory must be prominent and full of colors that are automatically adjusting with the background.
Now, grab your camera and show your magic!
An eye for the details
All of the best self-portrait ideas with phone are great, but you need something more than simple ideas to get your champion portrait shot. In my opinion, as a photographer, you should always focus on the smallest of the details.
Adjust the lighting to perfection, take notes on the lens exposure, manually edit each shot, some tips to become a detail-oriented photographer.
Show sections of your face
There are days when your brain is not working creatively enough to think of some amazing new shots to showcase yourself as a keen photographer. Here’s the trick to cope with this issue.
Start taking portraits of yourself with certain sections of your face hidden. You can use some clothing, objects, or even facial accessories to hide a portion of your face.
Act silly
Just looking straight into the lens and doing adorable/silly expressions is getting popular among self-portrait ideas. And here’s the best thing about it, you need zero additional accessories or equipment to complete this shoot.
Just you and your silly expressions talking self-portrait photography to new heights of creativity and the art of expressing oneself.
Shooting through objects
Shooting through certain objects is one of the most popular DIYed self-portraiture ideas a photographer can recreate.
Most of the time, photographers prefer glass-based objects between the lens and the focused object. As a result, the photographer can easily peak through the glass body. But you can artistically use non-glass-based objects as well to recreate this trick.
Limit the lens space
In the world of photography, lens space refers to the overall space the particular lens is covering at the moment. Expert photographers suggest limiting the lens space as much as possible when talking about the self-portrait genre. Just work with windows and similar objects within this limited space to maximize the image exposure.
Act like you’re in a movie!
This is by far the most favorite self-portrait idea of most of the photographers. After all, who doesn’t enjoy acting glamorously? The idea is simple to follow: pretend like you’re in the middle of a blockbuster Hollywood movie. Get all the expressions you can and dress like a film star. You’ll ace the shoot!
Two is always better than one.
When talking about getting newer and more innovative self-portrait ideas at home, you’re going to need all the help you can get. Here’s an easy way to come with fresh ideas for your portraits from time to time.
Get your pet within the frame, or much better, call a friend or family member to get within the portraits with you, and go crazy with the camera!
The magic of black & white portraits
No matter what kind of amazing new self-portraiture ideas you have in mind, the class and rule of black and white photography will always be the ultimate choice.
Do you know what makes black & white portraits so eye-catching and impactful? Their simplicity. Most of the time, nothing is happening within the portrait: no expression, no added accessories, nothing. But still, the overall black & white effect is enough to make even a plain picture special.
Focus on a single color
The rule is quite simple: always focus and pop out only a single color in your portraits, no matter what color, ensure that the exposure, lighting, background, and costumes follow that particular color pattern.
Leveraging the concept of shadows
In the world of photography, the light will not help you get new self-portrait ideas as much as shadows do. Just experiment with different angles and lenses to get the perfect blend of light and shadow on your face.
This blend will simultaneously pop out your facial features and give your face the mystic look you were looking for.
East or West, the panorama is the best
No matter what kind of photographer you are, there’s no way you’re not going to appreciate a photo-perfect panorama.
Nature has already set the background for your self-portraits. Now, the rest is up to you. Get your camera in place, find the right light exposure and angle, adjust the gestures, and show why you’re the best.
Collage, baby!
Can’t decide which self-portrait idea is the best for your portraits? Here’s a simple alternative to the solution, create a collage.
A collage is a collaboration of more than one picture with some sparkling differences. Creating a collage also helps the photographer to express his or her creativity in more than one way.
Mater the art of storytelling
Without a doubt, storytelling is one of the most favorite photography genres of most photographers.
There’s so much to do while recreating your favorite bedtime stories in front of the lens. Stories like Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, and more, are usually used as a base for capturing amazing self-portraits.
Collaborate with the seasons
Why will someone create a setup as a base for some amazing self-portrait ideas when nature is already in action throughout the year? Seasonal backgrounds can give you a huge number of creative self-portraits you can capture using the right approach. Get your favorite outfits, finalize a few eye-catching poses and let nature show you its beauty.