How self-portrait photography helps me grow my self-esteem

I have always been very insecure and shy.

If I look back on my life, most of the time I have felt ugly and unattractive. When I was dancing ballet I tried to hide from the mirrors. I never liked posing for pictures. And I don't enjoy being the center of attention.

I even remember looking at myself in the mirror at times and not recognizing the girl in front of me. I literally had the thought that the way I FELT inside didn't match the image of me.

It also happened when looking at pictures of me that had been taken without me noticing that I really did not recognize myself in them.

I mean, I knew the person in the picture or the mirror was me, but it just didn't FEEL like me.

A few years back, I realized I was feeling this dissociation or depersonalization A LOT so I decided to analyze my routines and come up with a plan to improve and grow my self-esteem.

I found out I was barely ever looking at myself in mirrors and I was barely ever taking pictures of myself. So I thought because I barely ever saw myself, it only made sense that I was not able to recognize myself.

So I started "forcing" myself to look in mirrors every time I walked by one. And to take selfies. And I found taking regular day-to-day selfies to be very helpful for me as they helped me "get used" to seeing my face if that makes any sense.

But as I love photography, I saw a chance to be creative about this exercise and explore it deeper.

And in self-portrait photography, I found yet another passion and a kind of therapy for me.

Having a self-portrait photoshoot session is still today one of my go-to rituals to improve my mood when I'm feeling down.

Self-portrait session: step-by-step

1. Find a setting

It is important to choose a place in which you feel comfortable and safe, especially at the beginning (for me it's my bedroom). And if you feel you have fun with self-portrait photoshoots and you start feeling more confident, I do recommend getting out of your comfort zone and finding spots in nature or cities or whatever environment that inspires you.

2. Choose an outfit

This is about inspiration and reconnecting with yourself, so wear clothes that make you feel amazing, and that you love. Wear make-up, play with it, have fun. Or maybe try not to wear anything at all.

3. Music selection

Find a playlist/artist that inspires you and helps you build the mood you're looking for. For example: once I was feeling quite down and I chose Rosalia's Motomami's power to lift me up, another time I wanted to reconnect with my sensuality so I chose Two Feet.

4. Light, camera, and action!

• Make sure to have a tripod around. Tripods are self-portrait photographers' best friends!

• It is also helpful to have a remote shutter to activate the camera from a distance (although I'm not very good at using mine, to be honest, I rather run from the camera to the spot 😅)

• Play with the light and the shadows. Be creative. Have fun! Sometimes the most interesting part of a picture is the one that you can't see.

The magic of a self-portrait photoshoot

So as I have said before, a self-portrait session's purpose is to reconnect with yourself, feel comfortable in your body, celebrate it, and love yourself.

It is about feeling that inspiration, through the music, the setting, and your body, and letting it govern you for a couple of hours.

It is important that you agree, before starting, to accept your body and your image and to truly respect it the way it is.

If you go to your session with this mindset and you create an inspiring and calming environment, I am sure you will also find the magic that self-portrait photography can do for your self-esteem 💛

Don't worry about the quality, or the art, just do whatever feels right at the moment and that will be exactly what you need to heal.

I'll leave next my self-portrait journey of more than 10 years. From the oldest, I've found or remembered to the newest. From more selfie-looking pictures to artsier ones. From a white background to nature.

My self-portrait journey in pictures

I couldn't choose just three or four to tell the whole story, so you can find a little gallery of the evolution of my self-portraits, from the very beginning to nowadays, in this post 😊

LET'S SEE 👀

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So this is my journey with self-portrait photography and how it has helped me become more confident and grow my self-esteem.

Have you ever tried having a self-portrait photoshoot yourself? Is it something you would like to try?

If you have already played with it before or this story is inspiring you to start thinking about it, I would love to hear about your experience and thoughts 💛 write me on social media or from the contact page.