The Making Of...

Over the past few months I have had quite a few questions about how I make my self-portraits. So for this post I’ve decided to divulge your curiosity and let you take a peek at my process. It’s far from simple and each portrait takes hours to complete.

CONCEPT:

First step is to come up with an idea. I try to focus on a goal I've set or reached or a lesson I've learned during the past week. Then I begin to plan how I want to show that through my portrait.

MAKE UP:

For every portrait I have made specific choices for my hair and make-up. In my Let It Go portrait I chose to wear no make-up as I wanted to look natural and vulnerable. For Cracks, on the other hand, I spent a lot of time making my skin pale and experimenting with different styles for my lips.

LIGHTING:

One of the hardest parts of this process is attempting to light myself. I don’t have a stand in so needless to say it can be very frustrating at times! I also don’t use the same lighting set up for each photo either. One of my goals with this project was to try different styles and experiment with lighting. Each set up I chose has a specific purpose that range from creating mood to just being functional. In my portrait Wings I used my studio lights to illuminate my face then wrapped Christmas lights around my arms and used a long shutter speed to create the wings.

MODEL:

I am of course the model for each picture. Every portrait has had a specific pose that I planned out and practiced ahead of time. I even keep a mirror in my studio that I use for last minute changes. Often I try to prop it up in front of the portrait so I can get an idea of what the camera is seeing. Even with all the planning I never get it right the first time and constantly have to tweak things.

PHOTOGRAPHER:

While being the model I’m also the photographer. Needless to say there’s a lot going on in my head while I’m doing a photo-shoot. I’m trying to strike a pose, get a specific expression on my face, and make sure the lighting it catching me properly. The process of photographing myself involves a camera on a tripod, a remote trigger, and me constantly having to run back and forth to check that things are looking good in the camera. In the end, the act of taking the photo is the smallest part of this process!

POST PRODUCTION:

There’s plenty of work to be done after the actual photo-shoot is over. Many of my images are composites (like the one in this post)! Putting them together takes time and is very detail oriented. After the image is composited and retouched I put on the finishing touches such as adding texture or digitally painting parts of the photo.

WRITING:

The last part of this process is writing the post and uploading it for all of you to enjoy!

Here's a peek into my studio to see what goes on behind the scenes...