Guided Course: Shoot a Self-Portrait That Reflects Your Identity
A course by Laura ZalengaPhotographer
A course by Laura Zalenga, Photographer
Create self-portraits that express your identity using photography techniques, posing, lighting, and composition skills
Discover the art of self-portraiture by embarking on a creative journey that delves into your identity. Uncover themes that resonate with your personal experiences and emotions, transforming them into cohesive concepts that narrate your unique story. Embrace the practice of posing, lighting, and composition techniques to elevate your photography skills. Experiment with different methods to capture the essence of your subject in a captivating and authentic manner.
Set the stage for your self-portrait by exploring outdoor locations that enhance your narrative. Learn the importance of natural lighting and how it influences the mood and tone of your photographs. Test various settings through trial and error, refining your approach until you achieve the perfect shot. Gain confidence in crafting final images that reflect your personal narrative, and enjoy the rewarding process of self-expression through photography.
What will you learn in this online course?
8 lessons & 6 downloads
Practice Self-Portrait Technique
7 minutes, 45 seconds
Practice Posing
12 minutes, 1 second
Examine Lighting
15 minutes, 29 seconds
Examine Composition, Crop, and Ratio
8 minutes, 41 seconds
Setting Up the Location
3 minutes, 46 seconds
Test Photos - “Trial and Error”
4 minutes, 15 seconds
What's included in this course?
Embark on a journey to capture your essence through the art of self-portraiture. Begin by discovering how to draw inspiration from various sources and personal experiences. Learn to extract themes that resonate deeply with your emotions. Develop skills to refine these ideas into a cohesive concept that will guide your photographic narrative. With this solid foundation, you’ll be equipped to explore the technicalities of self-portrait photography. Delve into techniques that involve posing, lighting, and composition, honing your ability to convey emotion and meaning through every frame.
Move on to the practical aspects of creating your self-portrait. Engage in location scouting to identify outdoor settings that complement your concept while offering optimal natural lighting conditions. Through a process of trial and error, experiment with test photos, refining your approach until you're ready to capture the final shots. By the project's completion, you'll not only have a well-defined concept and selected location but also the confidence to tell your personal story through a meaningful self-portrait. This exploration will empower you to express your identity and add a personal touch to your photographic endeavors.
What is this course's project?
Create an authentic self-portrait by developing a personal concept, exploring various inspirations, and selecting outdoor locations that complement your vision. Refine your ideas into a narrative, focusing on technique, posing, lighting, and composition for a meaningful photograph.
Who is this online course for?
Aspiring photographers eager to express their identity through self-portraits, creative individuals seeking to explore personal storytelling, and anyone interested in enhancing their photography skills by mastering lighting, composition, and posing techniques will find this course rewarding and insightful.
Requirements and materials
Dive into self-portrait photography with a camera or smartphone, basic editing software, and a tripod or stable surface. No extensive prior knowledge is required, but a passion for storytelling and an eagerness to explore personal themes is essential.
Laura’s visual language is captivating and clear, narrating an intimate story in every image she produces. She believes photography to be a type of therapy and one of the motivating factors behind her work, capable of healing both ourselves and others.
In 2018, she was one of the seven international artists selected for the Adobe Creative Residency and has worked for companies such as Adobe, Artemide, Disney, Lufthansa, Sony, and more. Laura also teaches workshops and gives inspirational talks relating to photography throughout the world.
Content
Guided Course: Shoot a Self-Portrait That Reflects Your Identity
- Podcast: The Invisible Self
- Practice Self-Portrait Technique
- Practice Posing
- Examine Lighting
- Examine Composition, Crop, and Ratio
- Setting Up the Location
- Test Photos - “Trial and Error”
- The Final Photos
- Final project
What to expect from a Domestika course
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
Certificates
PLUSIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Yes, this course is designed for intermediate photographers who have basic camera or smartphone knowledge and want to advance their self-portrait skills, including posing, lighting, and composition.
You will need a camera or smartphone with a timer or remote function. A tripod is helpful but not required—everyday objects can be used to stabilize your device. Optional gear includes lighting equipment and props.
Yes, the course covers various ways to stabilize your phone or camera using common objects when a tripod is not available, ensuring stable and creative self-portraits.
Yes, you will learn to use camera remotes and smartphone apps for remote shooting, enabling hands-free photography and better pose experimentation.
The course explores expressive posing, hand and foot placement, dancer-inspired poses, triptych arrangements, and methods to convey mood and narrative through body language.
You will learn to use natural and artificial lighting, control shadows, adjust to cloudy or harsh sunlight, and choose lighting setups that best express the intended mood.
Yes, the course provides techniques for both smartphone and camera users, including tips on using phone timers, stabilizing devices, and app-based remote shooting.