Inspiring Self-Portrait Photos and How to Recreate Them Yourself

Do you know the feeling: You admire the self-portrait photos of other photographers and wonder, what’s their secret to creating such stunning images?

I have studied the work of countless artists and photographers and noticed that a great photo tends to contain one or several of the following elements:

• Beautiful, atmospheric lighting
• An evocative pose or facial expression
• Careful post-production for a professional finish (skin retouching, etc)
• Intentional colour-grading
• Storytelling or symbolism

Nailing one or more of these elements in your self-portrait photos is almost guaranteed to give you great results.

In today’s blog post, I will share some of my self-portrait photographs and explain how you can recreate the images at home.

You only need a camera, a tripod and editing software (I recommend Adobe Photoshop). 

You’ll also need an artificial light source/other gear for some of the self portrait photos, which I’ll specify in each instance.

Let’s dive in!

(Just so you know: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases).

1) Dreamy Soft Focus Self-Portrait

This is one of my older self-portraits, called Eden:

Inspiration Behind The Picture:

This image was conceived in one of those rare moments when inspiration hits you out of nowhere.

At the time, I was hosting a creative challenge on Instagram, sharing a different self portrait photos prompt every week.

That particular week, the prompt was “dream”.

As I lay in bed that night, seemingly out of nowhere, I saw this self-portrait before my inner eye.

It’s meant to symbolise that in dreams, everything is possible: 

In the image, the woman with the watering can is behind a glass panel, but despite that, the flowers on the other side are blooming beautifully.

Since I wanted to create a dreamlike image, I opted for the soft focus technique (a technique used to create images with a slightly blurred or diffused effect, resulting in a nostalgic feel).

You can achieve this effect in many ways – for my shoot, I used a nude stocking over the lens, as well as a dedicated soft focus filter.

How I Made This Picture:

For this picture, I first got my props together:

I bought a cheap watering can from a nearby household store and ordered some dried flowers on Etsy.

For the glass panel, I simply used the acrylic sheet of a picture frame on my wall.

I then used spring clamps to attach the sheet to two light stands and carefully stuck the dry flowers to the acrylic surface.

To further enhance the dreamy look of the image, I put on a vintage dress with a lace collar and clipped on a bubble ponytail.

Gear I Used

Regarding photo shoot gear, I used an artificial flash with a beauty dish and honeycomb grid.

Unfortunately, my model is out of stock, but you can find a similar one in the gear list below.

The beauty dish creates a soft beauty light that is flattering for the skin; the honeycomb grid restricts the light, which creates a very painterly effect.

The camera settings for this photograph were:

Nikon D750, 50mm lens, shutter speed 1/100s, f/stop 2.8, ISO100.

Next, let’s talk about the soft focus effect.

Here’s a shot without soft focus – you can see that everything is very clear and realistic:

In contrast, when you look at the final image, you can see the soft, blurry effect.

I achieved this by pulling nude stockings over my lens and tightening the fabric with a rubber band. 

In addition, I used a soft focus filter, which is also included in the gear list below.

Combined, these two tools created a dreamy, soft look that was perfect for this image.

Editing in Photoshop

I didn’t actually do much in postproduction – I removed some broken flower petals using the clone stamp and brightened the image a little using the Curves tool.

I also gave the photo a yellow tint using the Photo Filter adjustment layer – I liked how it made the image overall a bit sunnier and warmer.

Helpful Gear

Godox SK400IIV 400Ws Strobe Studio Flash

Soonpho 12inch/30cm Standard Reflector Beauty Dish with Honeycomb Grid

Walking Way Soft Focus Filter

leg elegant Women s 80 Den Pantyhose

2) Fine Art Portrait Using Real Ice

The texture in this picture, “Frost,” was created by freezing the printed image—yes, really!

Manipulating your self-portrait photos with water, fire, or ice is a great way to achieve creative effects that you can then refine further in Photoshop.

Inspiration Behind The Picture:

This image is inspired by a difficult period in my life when an injury forced me to give up several creative hobbies.

I perceived this as a sort of “creative frost”, which I wanted to express through a self-portrait photo.

I opted for a static three-quarter pose seen in classical paintings that would fit the quiet mood of the image.

Next, I wore a medical bandage to incorporate the element of “sickness”.

Also, I decided to convert the image to black and white, symbolising my sadness at the time.

How I Made This Picture:

For this shoot, I used a telephoto lens (85mm), a typical portrait lens that creates a beautiful background blur.

The camera settings were: Nikon D750, shutter speed 1/200s, f/stop 4.5, ISO100.

I took this self-portrait in my bedroom next to a large window that lit my face from one side. 

If you want to recreate this effect in your self portrait photos, sit sideways to the window and shoot on an overcast day or next to a window that does not receive direct sunlight.

I used a strobe light with a beauty dish to illuminate the shadows on the other side of my face, which was turned away from the window.

If you don’t have this, you could brighten up the shadows on your face by using a reflector or a piece of white foam board.

Photo Manipulation With Ice

The next step was to manipulate the photo using ice.

I first retouched the image.

Then, I printed it out and placed it in a baking dish.

I then covered the image with water and placed it in the freezer overnight.

The next day, I took it out and cracked the icy texture slightly with a hammer to create a more interesting texture.

Finally, I re-photographed this frozen image with my camera.

Here’s the re-photographed image:

Editing in Photoshop

In postproduction, I first opened the original, retouched file.

I then opened the second, rephotographed image with the ice texture and used it as an overlay over the original image.

Next, I used a soft brush at low opacity to remove the texture in places where I didn’t want it, especially around the eyes (using a layer mask).

Finally, I converted the image to black and white.

I increased the contrast and then adjusted some bright and dark areas using Dodge and Burn (with the Curves tool).

Helpful Gear

NEEWER 22″/55cm Octagonal Softbox with Honeycomb Grid

Neewer 5-in-1 Portable Round 32 in/80cm Light Reflector

A little interruption to say…if you need inspiration for your self-portraits, check out my free ebook below:

And now, back to the blog post!

3) Self-Portrait Using Motion Blur

The following self portrait photo is less conceptual than the others in this blog post.

Instead, it was inspired by my surroundings, a beautiful AirBnB in Riga, Latvia:

How I Created This Picture

When I was sitting in the living room one night, I noticed that there was a lot of light falling in from the street lamps, creating a very cinematic atmosphere.

I spontaneously set up my camera and tried some different poses.

Eventually, I had the idea to use a slow shutter speed to create motion blur.

This is a great trick when you have low light available, as a slow shutter speed automatically lets in more light.

The camera settings for this image were:

Nikon Z30, 50mm lens, shutter speed 1/4sec, f/stop 1.8, ISO250.

To achieve the effect of my face being blurry, I held my body still while slightly moving my head.

Editing in Photoshop

This self portrait photo didn’t require much postproduction.

It was a little dark, so I increased the exposure and brightness.

I also used the tools Color Lookup and Photo Filter to colour-grade the image.

(If you want to learn more about colour-grading self portrait photos, check out this blog post here.)

4) Digital Collage Using Photoshop

The image below is one of my self-portrait photos that combines motion blur with fine art textures added in Photoshop:

Inspiration Behind The Picture:

This self-portrait photo was inspired by the incredibly beautiful, highly realistic goldfish paintings by Japanese artist Riusuke Fukahori.

I saw them in an exhibition and loved the delicate patterns on their scales, as well as their flowy fins – two qualities I wanted to incorporate into my self-portrait.

How I Made This Picture:

The image itself was shot in a hostel room in Japan. 

I took it in the afternoon, using natural light from a large window.

The camera settings were:

Nikon Z30, 35mm lens, shutter speed 1s, f/stop 5.6, ISO 125.

Here’s the original file before any editing:

To create motion blur, I moved my arms intentionally and used a slow shutter speed.

I intentionally wore a yellow/orange kimono as its colours reminded me of the Japanese goldfish scales.

I also used two hairpieces to recreate the shape of the flowy goldfish fins wafting through the water.

Editing in Photoshop

First, I made overall image corrections, like cropping and brightening.

Next, I decided to add some textures reminiscent of goldfish scales.

I always keep a library of some interesting textures on my hard drive.

When I went through them, I found the perfect texture in the shape of a rusty surface: 

I added this texture to my main Photoshop file and adjusted the blend modes until I was happy with the effect.

Next, I added a layer mask and used a large, soft brush at low opacity to remove the texture in some areas, especially around the face and hair.

I then used the Healing Brush tool to remove the scratches that you can see in the texture file.

Also, the texture made the overall image quite dark, so I brightened it up by adjusting the exposure and using the Curves tool.

Finally, I increased the image saturation to make the orange and yellow pop.

5) Milk Shoot in a Bathtub

This final image is called “Eve” and was created in my bathtub at home:

Inspiration Behind the Picture:

The idea for this image came when I looked through a book containing different photo shoot ideas.

One photo idea was to use milk in a bathtub to create a velvety water texture, and I decided to try that method.

My other inspiration was the biblical figure Eve; in this photo, I play a seductive woman biting the apple (the “forbidden fruit”).

How I Made This Picture:

I shot this picture in my bathtub at home.

Unfortunately, I don’t have natural light in my bathroom, so I had to work with artificial light.

I used a strobe light with a beauty dish above me and angled downwards at a 45° angle.

Another great lighting option is a flashgun or speed light.

Simply attach it to your camera’s hot shoe and angle the flash upward so that the light bounces off the ceiling and back onto your face.

If you do have natural light but the window is sideways to the bathtub, you can use a reflector or a piece of white foam board on the other side to brighten up shadows on your face.

Important Note

One big warning for shoots involving water:

Please NEVER place your camera or electric lights anywhere close to the water. This is incredibly dangerous, especially if the light topples over.

Your light source should be placed a good few metres away from the bathtub; it also must be securely attached to something, and you should weigh it down with a sandbag. 

Ideally, work with a friend who can hold the light and ensure it doesn’t topple over.

The same goes for your camera – protect it from water splashes, attach the tripod to something using cable ties, rope, etc, and don’t touch the camera with moist hands.

Bonus: Placing the lights and camera far away from the tub also means you won’t get any annoying reflections in the water!

How I Created the Milk Effect

I used about 5 L organic milk that I simply poured into the bath top for the milk effect. I also added some red food colouring to create that gorgeous pink colour you see in the image.

The camera settings were: Nikon D750, 40mm lens, shutter speed 1/200sec, f/10, ISO100.

Please note that I had someone hold the camera so that I could use a shorter focal length. 

If you’re alone and have to place the camera further away, you may need a telephoto lens like 85mm to get a similar zoomed-in portrait effect.

Editing in Photoshop

In this image, I did some skin retouching and colour correction on my dyed hair.

Next, I did some colour grading, making the apple more brightly green, as well as saturating the red of my lips and nails.

Helpful Gear

Godox SK400IIV 400Ws Strobe Studio Flash

Soonpho 12inch/30cm Standard Reflector Beauty Dish with Honeycomb Grid

Manfrotto Element MII 4-Section Tripod with Ball Head

Next Steps

For a deep dive into self portrait photography including pro techniques and lighting, check out my self portrait photography ebook below: