This is a self portrait I took the other day. That's me with my baby - my beautiful harp. I actually have two babies; my harp and (you guessed it) my camera. At any rate, I was struck by the fact that self portraits are not all that easy. Especially when you are shooting with a wide aperture (which is my favorite mode for portraits!).
I was using a tripod, but it still took several tries to get the photo to come out how I wanted it. I'd say it could still be improved by sharper focus but my harp was sitting on the damp grass and I didn't want to leave it there any longer than was absolutely necessary!
Shooting self portraits with a small aperture (higher f-number - more in focus) is easier; but here are a few basic tips to follow no matter what size aperture you have:
Use a tripod. Duh. :-) Or if you are taking a spontaneous photo, find something steady on which to prop your camera.
Use a focus point. In my case, I had my harp there to give me an idea of where to focus. Wide apertures are very touchy so if you are sitting in front of your object, set it just a hair closer. You could also have someone pose for you so you can set your focus and then you take their place with the timer going. You may have to tweak it a few times like I did!
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