11-6, "The Ultimate Selfie"

I couldn't help but use my son's words for the title of this blog post-- "The Ultimate Selfie."  I saw an article online the other day that was something to the effect of why every photographer should do self portraits.  I added this to my (very long) list of things I want to go back and read.  I have my own theory about this issue, so I'll go ahead and share my ideas.   See, clients think it's easy for the photographer to direct them into poses that may seem awkward.  I think there is value in understanding firsthand how these poses look from behind the camera as well as how they feel for the person in front of the camera.  Agreeably, it isn't so easy to 'tilt your head this way' or 'lean into it.'  Yes, it can feel awkward, and yes it feels even more awkward when you're the subject and the photographer.  Another thing that 'selfie's' enforce is the conscious play of your lights and how the posing and light placement affects the results.  It's a lot easier to stand in front of your subject while making these adjustments.  But, when you have to pose and place simultaneously, you have to delve into any less-than-desirable images and determine how to approach these issues without the benefit of being able to immediately see any changes to the settings you've made until after the photo is taken.  Everything takes just a little more time, and sometimes this increased investment yields a more comprehensive understanding.  Lastly, this may be one of my most important findings during this annual exercise I do:  client's favorite images vs. photographer's favorite images.  As a photographer, I tend to select my favorites based on technical accuracy.  Clients tend to choose their favorite images based on expression and accenting of favorite traits or disguising of those that they feel are negative.  So, sitting in the hot seat-- the editing chair-- it was very hard for me to sway from the technical favorites to the expressive favorites.  This helps a photographer understand the motivation for clients in choosing the images they want to order.  So, now that I've clearly outlined my reasonings for this endeavor, I guess I'll go back and find that article and see what they have to say about it!