Get the camera out of your hands before you shoot!
It’s one thing to shoot a self portrait while the phone is in your hands
It’s another world when it’s not, :)
One of the magical qualities of nailing a high quality, smartphone self portrait is that it can happen at any place, at any time, provided you stick to the rules of composition, framing, lighting, and the like.
But, in most cases, that requires you to work the camera while it’s in your hands.
Is that a terrible thing? Not necessarily.
However, this limits your creativity.
When you take self portraits exclusively when the camera is in your hands, you’re not just the subject of the image, but you’re also acting as a human tripod, which can become problematic.
In this instance, it’s often more difficult to play with how you position yourself in front of the camera when you also have to hold the camera, too.
I mean, think about the last time you snapped a self portrait: how much time did you spend awkwardly moving yourself around in the frame while also keeping the camera exactly where you wanted to place it?
That happens to me all the time.
And, it’s annoying to the point that I’ve ditched my plan on shooting the photo simply because I couldn’t get myself and the camera positioned the way I wanted it.
Ughhhhhhhhh!
What if there was a way to capture high-quality, self-portraits without the camera in your hands? What if you were able to set up the smartphone camera FAR AWAY from you and still be able to capture exactly the type of photo you want?
I think you know where I’m going with this...
THERE IS! (see, told you that you knew where this was going, lol)
There are several ways that you can stabilize your camera without the photos being exclusively shot while in your hands.
Prop it against something solid, such as a wall, ledge or step
Use a table top or full-length tripod with a phone mount attachment
Leverage a monopod with a phone mount attachment
Between these three options, the quality and consistency in your self portrait taking results will skyrocket!
In addition to eliminating the frustration of setting up a photo opportunity with the camera in your hands, conceptually, your photos will vastly improve.
When your arm is extended in the shot while taking the photo, you clearly are capturing the moment. But, when the camera is outside of your hands, you’re now living in the moment.
That shift, while subtle, goes a long way to improving how your audience interprets that photo.
There’s more production value inherent to a photo taken of you in the moment, and has more creative flexibility when leveraged to promote your business through online content.
Conceptually, the audience feels more like they’re a fly on the wall, candidly peeking into your life, which allows them to feel closer to the action, and by extension, you. That helps go a long way to establishing a rapport with those you serve.
Not a bad reaction, ey?
Well, I talk more about how to stabilize your camera in the online course:
Shoot It Yourself: Develop A Portrait Photographers Eye With Your Phone
In addition to this very important topic, I also talk about composition, lighting, scouting locations, image tweaking and much, much more.
To learn more and get your hands on a copy, you can do so here!