Five Out of the Ordinary Self-Portraits

Photographers most often prefer to be behind the lens. In looking at photographers’ work, it’s not uncommon to never see what the artist looks like. Luckily, many photographers enjoy taking self-portraits. Whether it’s to practice using strobes, participate in a photo-a-day project, or just to see themselves in a photograph, photographers produce no shortage of self-portraits.

Too often, though, a modern self-portrait is cliché; the bathroom mirror reflection and the person lying in a full bathtub look have certainly been overdone. It takes a bit of creativity to move beyond the usual. Take a look at these refreshing, out of the ordinary self-portraits from talented Flickr photographers:

The Wizard by Sean McGrath

This photographer placed a strobe inside an interesting glass light cover. He used a long exposure, which gave him time to let the flash go off and use a flashlight to paint more light onto his face.

30 Love by Emergency Brake

Humor makes for unusual self-portraits. The photographer in this image demonstrates that tennis got the best of her.

I wear many hats by Patty

Post-processing techniques and magical ideas can result in surreal and intriguing self-portraits.

Winter Training with Strobes by Dustin Gaffke

Using a bicycle trainer, black sheets, and two strobes, this photographer created a scene in his living room that makes him look like a Sports Illustrated athlete.

One Fin! by Steve Corey

Creating a self-portrait that doesn’t look like a self portrait is a fun challenge. In this case, the photographer found a great beach scene, waited for the sun to go down to accentuate shadows, and released the shutter while he appeared to be walking away from the camera.

If you’re inspired by these unusual self-portraits, try taking your own. All you need is a self-timer or shutter remote, a tripod, and a good idea.