The Art of Self-Portraits
Grow your confidence
8 weeks of lessons with lifetime access. Work at your own pace or join the annual run-through (or both).
One hosted run-through of the course each year (next start 13 May 2024) with the course’s author, documentary photographer Caroline Morten.
Access to the Emma Davies Photo School online community.
Not all self portraits need to show your face
“I´ve enjoyed this course so much. Learning new tips and ideas and techniques, and enjoying the weekly topics and thinking of ideas. The comments from Caroline and the other course participants, as well as looking at their pictures and picking up ideas, have given me more confidence to let go and be more creative and to actually “dare” to post the pictures.”
Curriculum
Week 1: Things
Easing in gently and exploring this quote:
“Everything is a self portrait. Your handwriting. The way you walk. Which china pattern you choose. It’s all giving you away. Everything you do shows your hand. Everything is a self-portrait.” - Chuck Palahniuk
Week 2: Shadows & silhouettes
For this topic you are easing a bit more of yourself into the frame, although we still won't be able to see your face.
Week 3: Reflections
A gentle way of getting your face into the frame is to photograph your reflection.
Week 4: Details
This week you look at the storytelling aspect to self portraiture
Week 5: Documentary
This project helps you catch yourself going about your day-to-day life in a documentary style.
Week 6: Copy a portrait
You will choose a portrait to copy. This takes the pressure of posing and lighting choices out of the process and leaves you free to concentrate on getting comfortable.
Week 7: Head and shoulders
There is no hiding in this week's photograph. You will be surprised to find you are ready to face the camera and create a head-and-shoulders self portrait that you are proud of, in a style you enjoy.
Week 8: Your favourite
A reflective week with the opportunity to revisit an earlier lesson in the light of your new-found confidence.
“It’s been so encouraging to be part of such a supportive group, and I’ve enjoyed everyones photos and comments, they have been such an inspiration to me. I feel motivated to go on practicing, especially with light, and will definitely be taking more self portraits. Emma and Caroline you have done such a fabulous job with this course , thank you.”
FAQ
Who runs the course?
The course was written by documentary photographer Caroline Morten. Caroline hosts the annual run-through each year.
What camera do I need?
You can do the entire course with a phone camera but if you want to utilise depth of field creative options you will need a camera with manual controls.
Do I need to shoot off auto mode?
No. You can do the whole course on auto mode, on a phone camera or on a point-and-shoot. The later lessons introduce concepts of focus control and creative aperture; for these sections of these lessons you will need a camera with manual controls. Technical support for individual cameras is not included.
What will I learn?
The course is designed to gradually help you emerge from behind the camera to appear in front of it. You will learn both the technical skills you need to do this together with the necessary emotional confidence.
What if I don’t like it?
If you join the course and decide it is not for you, there is a no-questions-asked money back guarantee for the first 7 days.
Is feedback included?
Individual feedback on every image is not included. During the annual run-through Caroline will be on hand to answer any questions you have and provide support and encouragement.
“The course has been amazing Caroline, it is so cleverly organised to increase our confidence week on week, I am really sad it has come to an end. Thank you so much for all the encouragement and feedback you have given.”
“This course has exceeded my expectations and been hugely enjoyable, the help and support from Caroline and the group has been wonderful.”
Documentary photographer Caroline Morten: course author and host
Photographer Emma Davies was a Travel Photographer of the Year finalist in 2017 and has been shortlisted (2016) and highly commended (2018) in International Garden Photographer of the Year. She is published by The Telegraph, Gardens Illustrated, Outdoor Photography and Digital Photography Magazines and by the BBC. She wrote the Amazon #1 bestselling book A Year With My Camera.