Tag: self-portraiture

Self Portrait Photography: How to Take Self Portraits That Look Natural

Posted on June 17, 2022 by Taya Ivanova

Photography has always been a source of endless comfort for me. I remember the unforgettable excitement I felt when I picked up my very old, very broken phone and started taking photos of myself with a camera that had fewer than 2 megapixels. What first started out as a simple creative experiment turned into an ever-changing relationship with myself and the people around me. I had no idea that in a matter of days, I’d be running to my camera to deal with both pleasant and upsetting emotions. It was an instant spark, similar to the burst of happiness one feels when meeting a person whose presence just makes sense. I was oblivious to the fact that this seemingly insignificant moment had the power to change me in such a profound way.

I became more involved in the online world when I started taking photos, which gave me the necessary confidence and motivation to take raw and honest images. There were so many relatable people in that world, strangers who offered advice or simply left a nice comment. What fascinated me most, though, were the emotions that were naturally attached to every breathtaking piece of art, especially self-portraits. Most photos weren’t accompanied by any words, yet looking at each one felt like diving into a new story.

Like any adolescent, I was fighting emotions and trying to deal with them the best way I could. Sometimes I’d come home after a particularly rough day and a pattern of light on a wall would catch my eye, compelling me to take a few photos reflecting my emotions and, at the same time, acknowledging the beauty of my surroundings.

As a self portrait photographer, the need to create art and the opportunity to do so gave me a chance to find uplifting details during dark times. I became aware of fleeting moments that, if captured, would become pleasant souvenirs as well as tiny homes of comfort. This need to blend with nature and to include myself in photographs has taught me to be humble and patient; humble because the earth is filled with incomparable beauty, and patient because of the days and weeks it sometimes takes me to find the right moment, to catch the perfect light. My current small apartment has taught me to make use of every corner and every eye-catching item, be it the way neighboring buildings reflect light until the sun sets, or a patch of darkness in a very light room. Details like that not only spark the imagination, but also inspire gratitude.

In some ways, photography (or any kind of fine art) is more than just a striking photograph. It’s self-reflection, appreciation, emotional growth, escapism, confrontation, and the list goes on. It doesn’t matter what kind of subject is in the photo if the self portrait photographer has created it with passion. If emotions can be felt while looking at someone’s work and if someone can feel less lonely by simply sharing his or her art, then the world quietly becomes a better place in someone’s world, and that matters. I believe that any photographer, any artist, has the ability to change someone’s perspective or even help someone get through a challenging time in their life. When one is aware of this power, life becomes all the more vibrant.

Spontaneous portraits effortlessly capture raw human emotions. Because of this, it’s difficult to associate them with self-portraiture.

As a self-portrait photographer, you’re usually aware of the camera. As both the photographer and model, you have an idea of the emotions you want to document and the way you want to look. This awareness is the complete opposite of spontaneity. Or is it?

Spontaneous self-portraits are a genre of their own. It’s possible to take photos of yourself in which you’re genuinely unaware of the camera. It’s also possible to express yourself so naturally, that viewers won’t believe you took a photo of yourself.

9 Tips for Natural Self Portrait Photography

With the help of music, new locations, films, and hobbies, you’ll be able to take a professional self portrait that looks both spontaneous and genuine. Here are tips on how you can achieve this.

Listen to Your Favorite Songs

We all love music. It lifts our spirits, comforts us on bad days, and gives us creative ideas. Why not let it help you during a creative self portrait photo shoot, too?

Create a playlist that makes you feel empowered, happy, dreamy, excited or anything else you can imagine. Your favorite songs will make your photoshoots more fun, give you more confidence, or even inspire you to dance! Make the most of this energy as you take photographs. Move, laugh, sing, and just be yourself.

Music will also give you room to experiment. You might get so carried away that you’ll forget the camera’s presence! This will result in beautiful and spontaneous self-portraits.

Take Photos in a New Place

New surroundings can refresh your creativity and distract you from any modeling tension you might have. The more places you explore, the easier it will be to look natural in your creative selfies.

To take an artistic self portrait, take the time to admire your surroundings. Look at things you like while pressing the shutter. This will create the illusion of spontaneity. It will also take your mind off poses, expressions, and angles.

Create a Collection of Movie Stills

Actors are experts at looking natural in front of a camera, so take the time to observe them. Instead of simply watching films, take screenshots every time you come across a beautiful scene. Alternatively, you can simply research movie stills and select your favorite ones. Either way, you’ll have access to millions of helpful visual references that will teach you the art of spontaneity.

Avoid Eye Contact

Spontaneity implies an unawareness of the camera, so don’t look into your lens all the time.

Use your visual references to get new posing ideas. Experiment with a different angle, facial expression, and perspective. Look into the distance, close your eyes, talk to someone, etc. This will give you lots of room to look as genuine as possible in the final photographic image.

Do Something You Love

If you can’t fake spontaneity, then embrace it by distracting yourself.

One of the easiest ways to get lost in your own world is to work on something you love. If you enjoy drawing, on self portrait photography ideas is to take photos of yourself working on a new sketch. If you enjoy spending time with your loved ones, photograph yourselves playing a game. Even though you’ll be in charge of taking the photos, you’ll enjoy yourself so much that your facial expression and pose won’t matte as much.

Once you get the hang of these techniques (and trust me, you’ll master them quickly), you’ll become an expert at taking a beautiful self portrait. You’ll also get better at feeling comfortable in your own skin, enjoying your photoshoots, and finding inspiration in the most unusual places.

Tell a Story

The most important part of the transformation is understanding the emotion you want to create. It’s okay to simply enjoy the unpredictable nature of a shoot. It’s also okay to have a detailed plan before you begin. Whichever method you choose, remember to have a story in mind. What kind of story do you want to tell? Are there any emotions that really stand out to you? It would help to watch a film or read a book before your selfie portrait shoot; even if you won’t end up planning anything afterward, the emotions of the story will seep into your mind and fill your subconscious with interesting ideas. If you have the time and the desire, writing a short story for your character would benefit you greatly. Not only would it provide you with enriching ideas, but it would also improve your writing and thinking skills.

Actors often admit that a makeover gives them the necessary confidence embody their character successfully. An outfit change could turn you into someone who’s willing to expose their heart for the sake of self portrait photography. While this isn’t a direct transformation tip, it’s a reminder to familiarize yourself with your emotions and to find comfort in them through your art. The results might not always please you, but they’ll give you the necessary amount of empathy to have an honest shoot.

Experiment Hairstyles & Hair colors

I encourage you to experiment fearlessly. Most of my hairstyles are the results of random movements and patterns. More often than not, they’re just messy knots which happen to be photogenic. Anyone can be their own hairdresser, especially passionate photographers who wish to tell a heartfelt story.

Much like hairstyles, hair colors are very fun to experiment with (especially when you learn how to work with them in Adobe Photoshop). Selective color in Adobe Photoshop allows users to change specific hues in an image, a tool perfect for hair retouching. For instance, dark hair can be highlighted by altering the neutral colors in selective color. Similarly, lighter hair can be completely transformed by changing yellows and reds.

When the lighting conditions aren’t ideal during a shoot, changing hair color in Adobe Photoshop might be an ordeal. If you don’t have access to the best lighting at any point in time, investing in several wigs would remove the problem. There’s a plethora of hairstyles and hair colors to choose from when it comes to wigs; using them in your self portrait will enhance your portfolio in unimaginable ways.

Play with Makeup

For those who aren’t big on makeup, the transformation is still very possible. A simple eyeliner can make someone feel like an entirely different person. Even a touch of black lipstick could instantly transform you into the character you admire. Keep this in mind when you look through your makeup tools – chances are that you’ll find creative and eye-opening ways to apply them.

Makeup, specifically eyebrow pencils, are ideal for creating beauty spots or freckles. Such minor additions will dramatically change your appearance, allowing your images to strongly affect viewers. Freckles look particularly alluring in black & white photographs. Makeup can also come in handy when creating fake tattoos or other body modifications. The fact that makeup can be easily removed makes it a self-portrait photographer’s best friend: easy to apply, easy to remove. The results transform you into someone completely different, someone whose emotions and stories you can confidently share with the world.

Scout Locations

Visiting new and picturesque locations might help you develop a character idea or enhance a vision you already have. If you don’t have access to such places, shoot somewhere familiar and alter the colors using selective color (Lightroom has similar features.) This way, you can transform a summery backyard into an autumnal one. The possibilities are excitingly endless. What you’ll get is an almost fictional world where you and your imagination can thrive.

Adding textures in the editing process could also add an interesting element to your transformation. Since there are all kinds of resources out there (many of them are free), you can make your image look as old or as new as you like. This creative freedom enables artists to create an artistic self portrait that is out of this world.

Sometimes, we find ourselves hiding behind masks just to please someone or avoid an unpleasant conversation. These situations often leave us feeling so distant from ourselves it makes our hearts ache. To a certain extent, self-portraiture is an ode to all of these moments, a way of relating to all kinds of people by transforming ourselves into something we’re not. One could also consider self-portraiture a form of empathy. We create characters whose stories we strongly wish to share with the world and by doing that, we learn more about other lives and how we perceive them.

Pay Attention to Lighting

This might be a straightforward thing to point out, but people are often oblivious to the importance of lighting. Light is a reflection of emotions; it’s often a sign of untold stories which have found their way into an image. Making the most of artificial or natural light is a skill worth learning.When outdoor lighting conditions are unfavorable, use any artificial lights you can get your hands on – you’ll be surprised that almost anything makes a great portrait if you take the time to experiment with angles, positions, and poses. (Just as an example, even a simple lamp can be a brilliant source of light, especially backlight.) Taking a few steps from a window on a sunny day will create a darker atmosphere, allowing for somber photographs. Similarly, standing right next to a window with lots of natural light will create a more cheerful atmosphere. However, don’t limit yourself to these simple steps; try various positions, a different angle, or a new facial expression, and soon enough you’ll find yourself enjoying the process instead of being intimidated by it.

Express Emotions

In addition to lighting, a photograph’s emotional aspect is of great importance. Unpleasant feelings like jealousy and abandonment can be soothed, if not completely obliterated, with the help of self-portraiture. It’s not necessary to sob or scream in front of your camera; it’s just as possible to cry through a fragile pose or to be angry with your eyes. It’s also possible to glow with happiness without smiling and to show excitement through a simple hand gesture. If you’re not comfortable with showing your face, remember that self-portraiture doesn’t have to revolve around a subject’s countenance; even a faceless photo of you holding a book in a homely atmosphere could be deemed a self portrait.

If you don’t feel any profound emotions on any given day, or if the idea of expressing anger doesn’t appeal to you, watch a touching film or read a great book. Short films (Vimeo is a great place to find those) and poems are also great shortcuts if you’re short on time. Experiencing the very depths of art will inculcate in you a desire to nurture your emotions and find new ones to observe. After watching a film, no matter how different its emotions are to yours, you’ll feel creativity rushing inside of you. Such moments of intense emotion are absolutely ideal for fine art photography, especially self portraiture.

Study Other Photographers

Finding your style as a self-portrait photographer might seem like an ordeal. To soothe the pain of creative frustation, take the time to study other photographers’ images. You’ll notice that there’s a myriad of genres within self portraiture, from conceptual, to horror, to anything you can imagine. Let this knowledge give you the freedom and the courage to work with your ideas in every way imaginable. As you experiment, your style will gracefully emerge. If you don’t know where to start, here are a few skilled self-portrait artists worth following: Cindy Sherman, Andy Warhol, Vivian Maier, Trish Morrissey, Man Rey, Francesca Woodman, Lee Friedlander, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Robert Cornelius.

Do a Complete Transformation

As you may have noticed, many photographers transform themselves completely for the sake of self portraiture. This is a fantastic way to represent emotions, fictional characters, sayings, nature, etc. This world is limitless and exhilarating; you can look for wigs, costumes, props, locations, and backgrounds (or even make your own). You can add freckles to your face, experiment with dramatic makeup, and fake a haircut; the possibilities are endless. Your results will stand out, add diversity to your portfolio, and allow you to create as many self portraits as you like without worrying about monotony.

Whether you’re comfortable with showing your face in photos or not, you can be considered a professional self portrait photographer. All it takes is a patience, openness, and a willingness to experiment. Becoming a part of the self portraiture world will give you the necessary skills and patience to work with other people. Thus, you’ll be both a wonderful self portrait photographer and a creative photo-taker in general.

Good luck!

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Quick and easy hairstyle ideas for shooting sessions!

Posted on June 5, 2017 by Taya Ivanova

Every kind of hair is photogenic, no matter its color, length, or texture. Since there are so many variations in the world, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that every portrait shoot is exceedingly unique. However, not having to worry about being monotonous as an artist shouldn’t stop you from pursuing more and more creativity. When you photograph either yourself or others, ask yourself which feature, appearance-wise, stands out most to you. More often than not, hair is going to be one of your answers because of the significant part it plays in portrait photography. Decorating it in elaborate ways will provide you with an opportunity to share more of your artistic and imaginative skills, which is something clients of all sorts favor. If you’re finding yourself short on time or feel that you’re out of ideas, try out the following hairstyles. They’re quick and easy and capable of making your images pop!

Side part

Perhaps the simplest of all hairstyles is the side part, which is especially suitable for client shoots. If you wish to have a shoot that’s simple, easy, and elegant, then this hairstyle is for you.For an exotic touch, make your subject wear a flower crown, a hat, or a single flower. The simplicity of this look will provide enough of a frame to nicely complement your subject’s facial features. Best of all, it won’t be too distracting; this is perfect for photo shoots in which striking compositions aren’t a necessity. Side parts also make great foregrounds when making closeups – if part of your subject’s face is covered by their hair, the side that is covered will be blurred, further accentuating features that are exposed.

Wild and free

For my own self-portrait shots, I often turn my hair into a messy combination of knots and curls. This allows me to work closely with my imagination, challenging me to make the most of a random look. The results, which are often pleasantly surprised, never fail to fill me with original ideas. Though messiness isn’t often associated with positive feedback, messy hairstyles are an exception. The textures of a messy look give images a painting-like atmosphere. It’s almost like going back in time and allowing a famous painter like John Waterhouse to capture your features on a canvas forever. This works best for medium-length (or longer) hair. Unruly hair looks incredible in black and white images; combine this with freckles and you’ll have yourself an impressive shot.

Top knot

Though top knots can be cliché, they have the potential to look wonderful, especially in cozy indoor settings. If you’re having a casual shoot with a friend or are simply in the mood for taking warm photographs, experiment with this look. It’s fun, easy to make, and will give your subject’s appearance a pleasant frame. For additional coziness and texture, make the top knot messy!

Wigs

If the aforementioned ideas don’t appeal to you, buy or rent a few wigs. These are guaranteed to give you an endless amount of creative possibilities and thoughts. If your wig looks too artificial, convert your photos to black & white (or shoot in b&w mode if your camera supports this feature). A lack of color will direct the viewer’s attention to your subject’s facial features rather than the quality of his or her wig. Wearing a hat or other hair accessories with a wig will also provide the viewer with an effective distraction.

Whichever style you choose, don’t forget to experiment and be creative! Sometimes, the messiest of looks end up creating the most astounding images. Add your own unique style to a commonly used hairstyle; for example, a ponytail can be combined with a small top knot, or a messy hairstyle can be accompanied by a tiny hat. Be fearless and your work will thrive because of it.

Happy shooting!

Beating anxiety, one photo at a time

Posted on May 15, 2017 by Taya Ivanova

Many people experience intense anxiety at one point or another. The feeling is often paralyzing, forcing a person to believe that they don’t belong anywhere. Though it’s a very private experience, anxiety is also a universal feeling which many of us can relate to and understand. In the photography world, anxious thoughts are powerful enough to affect even the most confident minds. Fortunately, embracing photography can obliterate uneasiness and push us to be more courageous when facing both personal and creative challenges.

Anxiety comes in all shapes and sizes, from a tiny pang of fear to a heavy storm of relentless doubts. If you’re not comfortable whilst socializing, you might fear the idea of photographing strangers or working with new models. If self-portraiture is something you wish to experiment with, you might be afraid of getting unflattering results. Natural as such insecurities may be, they can be removed with the help of a camera. All you need is persistence and a tiny drop of courage.

If you’re a beginner, especially one who’s interested in portraiture, then taking self-portraits first will greatly benefit you. When I first began taking photographs, I was both anxious and shy. The very thought of asking people to model for me made me queasy. Because I wasn’t confident in my own creative skills, I didn’t believe anybody else would be. This resulted in many solitary hours with the camera, which taught me much about photography’s technical aspects and my own posing abilities. Having to be in front of (and behind) the camera opened my mind; this, in turn, helped me understand the models I would be working with later on. Being able to relate to the modeling side of photography helped my future subjects feel relaxed in my presence. Knowing that I myself had been afraid of the camera made them trust me. If the photographer could face her self-doubt, why couldn’t they?

Self-portraiture let me confront my own fears and express negative emotions creatively. This was both cathartic and artistically productive. Since emotional images are often associated with tears and fury, we aim to avoid them. However, vulnerability doesn’t revolve around fragility only; it’s a combination of sensitivity, openness, and self-awareness. Understanding your emotions will not only help you create touching photographs, but it will also enhance your empathy, allowing you to be comfortable with any kinds of emotions. Viewing deep feelings through your lens will provide you with an objective perspective, one that will enable you to understand yourself and your needs better. Once you get to know yourself, your anxiety will lose its intensity and self-portraiture – or any other form of art – will become a place of creativity and growth.

If you’re not interested in portraiture but still feel anxious when taking pictures, find a comfortable location and photograph anything that appeals to you. Not having to worry about being disturbed by strangers will relax your mind and enhance your creativity. Go out on days when everybody else is busy or find a spot in your area that is rarely visited by people. These places will become comforting homes outside of home. In them, you’ll find the necessary time and space to familiarize yourself with your camera and various lighting conditions. Once you begin to “feel” your camera, you’ll feel brave enough to explore more, photograph more, and challenge yourself more bravely.

If you think photography causes anxiety, then think again. Photography can be a place of comfort for the frightened and a refuge for the weak. In the world of photos, sensitivity is happily embraced and nurtured. Furthermore, the same sensitivity is turned into amazing works of art which challenge and motivate others to improve. Practicing in any way will:

make you comfortable with your camera
give you space to understand yourself as an artist
enable you to empathize with future clients and models
help you embrace your own emotions

Most importantly, all of these things will allow you to beat anxiety, one photo at a time.

Good luck!

Photographer interview: Rhiannon K.

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Taya Ivanova

Rhiannon K. is a talented photographer from Malaysia whose main focus is conceptual photography. Her self-portraits are emotional and mysterious in unique ways. In this interview, we talk about her favorite artists, what to do with creative blocks, and more. Enjoy!

What attracted you to photography?

When I first started taking photos, I was in awe of how it had the ability to capture and preserve memories. However, as I dived deeper into this hobby and passion of mine – I realized photography has enabled me to create and share a visualization on what goes on in my mind. Photography is my safe haven which I go to whenever I feel the need to express myself.

Your self-portraits are incredibly striking. How did you get into the world of self-portraiture?

Thank you so much! I knew photography was something that was meant for me, but I wasn’t quite sure on how I was able to fully express myself with it. I was on platforms like DeviantART and Flickr which helped expose me to the different photography genres. However, it took me 4 years until I stumbled upon self-portraiture which instantly stirred something inside of me that yearned to create more. As a photographer, you capture your perspective of the things in front of you. But with self-portraits, it’s different and it’s slightly more challenging. You are exposing yourself in front of a camera in a way that captures your own soul and emotion and I think that is absolutely beautiful.

Which have artists influenced you the most?

I have a list of artists that I look up to but if I were to narrow it down, I would have to say Brooke Shaden and Alex Stoddard. These two have been my pillar of inspiration and if it wasn’t through stumbling upon their amazing work, I wouldn’t have discovered conceptual photography. I adore how both Shaden and Stoddard have the ability to create stories through their timeless pieces. Each photo that they produce are well planned and creatively executed. The implementation of photo manipulation in their work proves that there are really no boundaries when it comes to creating art. It is just a joy to interpret their work and just like them, I wish my work will be able to inspire another to get out there and create.

It’s evident that creativity is one of your strongest skills. How do you come up with ideas for your shoots?

I create photos that mean something to me on a personal level; so I am most inspired by my web of emotions at the time being. If you see through my work, it flows through different stages which reflect a kind of metamorphosis of my life. I tend to take notes of the littlest details around me and try to make sense as to why it builds a certain relevant feeling. It can start off with a poem that I wrote in my notebook and then I’ll go around building an image around it or, I might have a vivid daydream I had earlier that day and I’ll go back to my notebook, sketch it out and write a poem for it. I could also be watching films and feel a certain kind of connection with the plot or a character and be inspired. Every photo is created with the intention of expressing a message or an idea – but it is conceptualized to a certain level of mystery which provides viewers a reason to further explore and interpret the photo.

In addition to being a creative individual, you’re also a very talented retoucher. What advice would you give to aspiring photographers who are new to editing programs?

Be open to the idea of starting from scratch and taking the initiative to learn at your own pace. Don’t limit yourself to following a certain kind of style that you admire but explore a bunch of them and find what represents your work best. You’ll definitely go through tons of trial and error, but the outcome of it will be incredible and worthwhile.

When faced with a creative block, what do you do?

I don’t think there is a fixed formula to this except having the constant grounds of being connected to yourself and your surroundings. When you lose this, you tend to lose your true intentions behind what you are doing and that can really affect you creatively. Spending time in solitude helps me gather my thoughts and find a new approach to things. I usually spend it with reading creative self-help books and listening to good music.

If you could meet your favorite artist and ask them only one photography-related piece of advice, what would it be?

Oh, definitely on how they keep themselves constantly inspired and motivated to create! I see some of my favorite photographers creating everyday without fail and I’d love to know what helps them jumpstart and preserve their creativity.

In your opinion, what are the 3 most important things a beginner photographer should know?

Firstly, take your time. It can be a very vexatious situation, trying to discover your style. You can spend all week, months, years doing your research on your favorite artists and imitate their creative process. But in the long run, you’re only following another person’s growth and not yours. Which comes to my second point, understand how your mind and soul works. The better you know yourself, the better you can create. After all, your work represents you. Lastly, allow yourself to grow. Embrace the idea of learning and discovering new things everyday – be it a new technique of editing or experimenting with different creative outlets.

Is there a photography genre you’d like to experiment more with?

As for now, I don’t have any photography genre that I’m particularly interested in besides conceptual photography. In spite of that, I would love to include a male subject in my photos. I realized I have never envisioned it because I create from my perspective – so that would be really interesting.

What has been the most challenging creative obstacle for you so far, and how did you overcome it?

Acknowledging the fact that I was a creative burnout for a couple of years. I placed more importance towards my education and the people around me. Needless to say, I found myself knee-deep in a creative rut. I overcame my internal struggle through simply spending time alone; realigning myself. Most importantly my goals and aspirations. I woke up the next day with a fresh perspective and eager to create again.

You can find more of Rhiannon’s work on Youpic

The Power of Vulnerability: Photography as a Delicate Art

Posted on April 1, 2017 by Taya Ivanova

There is much beauty to be found in the simple photographs we take of ourselves and others; more often than not, client and commissioned shoots satisfy any photographer’s creative thirst. However, it’s important to acknowledge the enormous amount of beauty that floats in the very depths of the photography realm, a place where emotions thrive and collide. There, vulnerability is in charge; memories, thoughts, and stories continuously work together in this factory of feelings. The results differ from person to person, though one similarity remains: everything that vulnerability creates carries with it a meaningful and heartwarming honesty.

Vulnerability is defined as “the quality of being exposed to the possibility of being harmed.” Naturally, such a statement doesn’t appeal to the mind. In fact, the state of being vulnerable sounds so emotionally fragile that we’re tempted to avoid it altogether. It’s not unusual to be intimidated by the idea of exposing one’s weaknesses. It’s normal to be frightened of a mindset that promises harm. But what if you were told that the aforementioned definition was incomplete? In the world of art, vulnerability has a slightly different meaning: the quality of being exposed to the possibility of encouraging others to be their true selves by sharing one’s honest humanness. Letting fellow human beings know that flaws, weaknesses and powerful emotions aren’t something to be ashamed of.

The concept of vulnerability might remind people of tears and darkness, but there’s much more to it than discomfort. As the revised definition explains, vulnerability has the potential to encourage natural human growth and create the knowledge that no one on this earth is an outcast because of their emotions. If we lived in a fictional world where only revealing one’s cheerful side was allowed, we wouldn’t know if anyone else had the same self-conscious thoughts as us. We’d be isolated on a land of doubt, and unhappiness would slowly begin to grow somewhere in the depths of our hearts. Thus, it’s exceedingly important to share the many sides of life in ways that are comfortable to us.

If you have a desire to share your story in whichever way you see fit, then the only thing preventing you from doing so is the fear of being vulnerable. Oftentimes, fear is disguised as the notion of fate; it sneakily chokes our wishes and makes us bitter. It tells us that if we’re being stopped, if we doubt ourselves, then we aren’t meant to encourage a single soul. The way to get rid of this, as you may already know, is through art. Wishing strangers a great day or sharing an uplifting passage from a book are simple yet powerful ways of letting others know that they’re not alone. To do this artistically, you can come up with relatable concepts that you yourself care about. A portrait of you finding a glowing item in an abandoned house, or a photograph of light entering a room that has been neglected for too long, both symbolize hope in times of darkness. Though these ideas aren’t shared in the form of private diary entries, they’re just as powerful.

There are many photographers who write stories for their conceptual images, ones which they share in description sections for the entire online world to read. This is when the idea of harm might enter people’s minds: what if someone judges my lifestyle, concept, or way of expressing myself? What if my emotions are laughable? While there’s no definite way to avoid these thoughts, it’s possible to beat them by going straight into the cloud of doubts. Upon entering the haze, you’ll realize how easy it is to swat those thoughts – from a distance they seemed daunting, yet up close they’re just a swarm of paper flies in disguise.

When seen by other people, honesty blooms and teaches them something profound about themselves. This is why, as artists, we must be encouraged to produce and share our vulnerabilities in ways that feel right to us. By doing this, we will allow others to see their own selves in the emotions we bravely share, compelling them to grow. Though we’re not magicians, we’re able to create something close to magic: a movement, no matter how weak, that drives the world forward. A movement that, when consistently repeated by many, changes the world.