Adventures with Self-Photography [Amateur Photography]
Before the development of superior cellphone cameras, people had to use regular digital cameras [and load them into the computer when they got home]. It took a little time, and not a lot of people did it. Back then, digital cameras weren’t convenient, and there wasn’t much reason to carry them around. Just like traditional film camera, they were mostly for special occasions. When I was a teenager, [pre smart phone era] I carried a bulky camera to school about once a week. I had a type of notebook-scrapbook-yearbook back then, which functioned like a journal. Some cell phones had cameras, but they weren’t very good. And this was before internet capable smartphones, so getting the photos off the phone and into the computer was difficult-to-impossible. I was really into photography for a few years, but I stopped after the invention of Facebook in 2007. Smartphones were getting popular, and people starting obsessively taking pictures of everything, all the time. Better and better technology made all my computer photo editing skills basically useless, so I moved on to try different hobbies.
Years later, photography, as an art form, had become a cheap trick, something that everyone could do on their phones; an activity rather than a talent. Now we could take pictures, video, add filters, edit, hashtag, and post, instantly, ALL from a phone. It was cool, in the sense that it gave everyone a voice; a method to share themselves with the world. But it was also terrible, in the sense that people started sharing way to much information, without restriction.
I started needing my Photoshop skills again when the novelty of ‘instant share’ started to wear off. I dusted off the DSLR camera and started doing photoshoots again. The first few times I tried to do it the old fashion way; with tri-pods, backdrops, and lights. The camera quality was better than most cellphone pictures at that time.
Edit: cell phones have gotten better.
Years later, photography, as an art form, had become a cheap trick, something that everyone could do on their phones; an activity rather than a talent. Now we could take pictures, video, add filters, edit, hashtag, and post, instantly, ALL from a phone. It was cool, in the sense that it gave everyone a voice; a method to share themselves with the world. But it was also terrible, in the sense that people started sharing way to much information, without restriction.
I started needing my Photoshop skills again when the novelty of ‘instant share’ started to wear off. I dusted off the DSLR camera and started doing photoshoots again. The first few times I tried to do it the old fashion way; with tri-pods, backdrops, and lights. The camera quality was better than most cellphone pictures at that time.
Edit: cell phones have gotten better.
For the most part, I’m still doing self-photography, not unlike a more advanced version of what I was doing in high school. Obviously, I'm not a real photographer, and lack proper equipment. But I found that the key to doing basic amateur-home-self-photography successfully is having a stable lighting set-up, and the ability to influence the background. I know it’s easy to take a selfie, but quality-wise, this is an upgrade.
Most internet makeup artists have a circular glamor light so that there are no shadows. Softbox lights are very nice for that. Depending on the photography style you’re going for, some shadows are a good thing. See the Example of flash vs. no flash. DSLR cameras have some editing options built in, so as long as your lighting is reliable, you can make a lot of light/contrast/color corrections in real time. And all cameras have a continuous timer and a remote shooting mode.
Most internet makeup artists have a circular glamor light so that there are no shadows. Softbox lights are very nice for that. Depending on the photography style you’re going for, some shadows are a good thing. See the Example of flash vs. no flash. DSLR cameras have some editing options built in, so as long as your lighting is reliable, you can make a lot of light/contrast/color corrections in real time. And all cameras have a continuous timer and a remote shooting mode.
Photoshop is great for adding or removing small things from photos, but realistically ‘glamorizing’ whole background is more difficult. Try to De-texture the background. It’s easier to Photoshop a figure when there isn’t a bunch of stuff in the background that intersects with the subject. Composition matters. See the Example of backdrop cropping. Once your background and lighting is up, you’re just a remote click away from having your own photo booth. And remember, Just because it’s the best pose, it doesn’t make it the best picture. Content and Quality are not the same thing. It takes less time to apply makeup, than it does to fix all the pictures.
I’ve done several of these mini-shoots in my home. And I’m always finding ways of improving the setup. The first few were rough, but the latest one turned out quite nice. As you can see here. It's easier to select the subject if there isn't a lot in the background. I hung up a few pieces of fabric over a shelf (as a backdrop). On the ground in front of me I had 2 desk lights, plus the camera flash, that's 3 light sources. The more light, the better. I cropped the photo down to a square. Then, was able to select the mostly blank background and put a filter on it to disguise the texture. |
It doesn't look half-bad. It's certainly not the same quality as a real studio photographer with a full kit. But it's not bad.
In my earlier attempts, I learned that the colored backgrounds looked better than the white backgrounds. Not only did it add to the character, but it also looked more professional. The white background also made it difficult to color correct for the bulb color temperature [light bulbs aren't all the same color of light]. It usually came out a little grey. It's trickery to color correct grey, since it's not just a saturation issue, it's more about selective color. Lets just say that it took a long time to get the lighting right. Getting even lighting, and getting the shadows right where you want them.
I'm thinking about investing in some studio lights. One of my more recent shoots involved fire, and the pictures would have been more predictable if I had a more key light to overpower the fire glow. Equipment helps.
In my earlier attempts, I learned that the colored backgrounds looked better than the white backgrounds. Not only did it add to the character, but it also looked more professional. The white background also made it difficult to color correct for the bulb color temperature [light bulbs aren't all the same color of light]. It usually came out a little grey. It's trickery to color correct grey, since it's not just a saturation issue, it's more about selective color. Lets just say that it took a long time to get the lighting right. Getting even lighting, and getting the shadows right where you want them.
I'm thinking about investing in some studio lights. One of my more recent shoots involved fire, and the pictures would have been more predictable if I had a more key light to overpower the fire glow. Equipment helps.