One of the things about being a personal blogger is that every time you comment or tweet there’s that little picture that pops up next to what you’ve written. Oh avatars, you just can’t get away from them. I’ve never thought twice about having my face associated with my blog, the only problem for me is that I’m kind of wonderfully awkward about certain things. While in person I come across as very life like, in pictures I tend to freeze up.

I’ve been working on it and while I’m still not super comfortable in front of the camera, I think you have to agree I have made a lot of progress over the past two years:

Same girl, different set ups and very different results. Okay, I may have a little more confidence now too.

But confidence aside, I thought I’d share some of the things I’ve learned while trying to look human in self portraits. There’s just nothing like having a picture that really conveys how you feel inside (ie- hawt)

Pick your time carefully. When I choose a new paint colour I usually tape the swatches to the wall and then leave them there for a day to see what they look like in different lights. When you’re choosing to take a self portrait you have to think in the same way, because light at different times of the day will make your skin look very different. Your best bet is to take them early in the morning- the light is warm, soft, and incredibly flattering. If you position yourself right you’ll skip the harsh angles and shadows that show up later in the day.

Think about your location. I used to think that this meant choosing a plain, flat background so nothing was distracting from the subject of the picture, but in reality the locations you really want to consider are any that are nearby a window. Natural light is your friend! I take all my vlogs and self portraits in my craft room because it’s where I hang out, but it also has a bank of south facing windows that just make everything pretty. You don’t need to be facing the window, but being around them in the morning light gives your pictures a light source that is unbeatable. It’s like having your pictures retouched automatically, even if you’re just using a camera that’s built into a laptop.

Stay Out Of Direct Light. Indirect light is the name of the game- but if you have sunbeams falling on your face your results won’t be flattering. The best place is always outside in the early morning, early evening, or when it’s slightly cloudy. The light is at an interesting enough angle that you’ll look angelic, and there aren’t any harsh rays to streak across your skin and make the lighting look inconsistent.

Build a bridge between your blog design and visual style. I think it happens naturally, but my favourite bloggers use photography in a way that underscores the whole look of their blog because the colours in their blog design, clothes, and homes are all pulled from what they love. The result is that when they post pictures everything looks pulled together. A basic approach to this is to look at your blog and consider what your pictures will look like inside the “frame” of your blog design. If your blog’s background is black, bright pictures are going to be hard on the eyes. If your background is bright or busy with patterns, pictures in muted pastel tone are going to look out of place. Keeping context in mind can help you bring the visual parts of your blogging into harmony with everything else that you’re doing.

Take a billion pictures. Or maybe just a hundred, but once you’re set up go with it. Face the camera at every angle you can think of, make big changes and little changes, they all make a difference.

Skip the fancy camera. Everyone who has a point and shoot could be taking great pictures, but if you’ve never used your point and shoot outside of its automatic settings an expensive camera isn’t going to help you improve your photography or self portraits. All point and shoots give you basic control of the things the bigs guys do, so dig out your camera manual (or download another from the manufactures site) and learn how to adjust the ISO on your camera and how to control its focus a little better. These composition tips will do better things for your self portraits and your photography in general than a bigger camera will. Don’t believe me? Danni at Oh Hello Friend only uses a point and shoot. She just puts us all to shame, doesn’t she?

Get a little gear. A cheap and flexible tripod (these are gorgeous), combined with knowing how to use the self timer on your camera goes a long way…. and if you already have Canon rebel? Check out the nifty fifty, it’s what a lot of the bloggers use to get their pictures looking so pretty and it’s cheap!

Have fun! A little dancing music in the back ground doesn’t hurt at all, and neither does having someone there with you to laugh about how awkward the whole situation is.

Looking at my old blog & twitter avatars is like looking at old drivers licenses! Mostly pretty scary. Do you have any tips for getting self portraits that reflect who you are?