008: Self Portraits as Meditation

Hi Steemit friends!

In my last post I talked a small bit about my shifting photography career and my movement from a landscape photographer to a portrait photographer.

One of the most important aspects of portraiture for me is the chance for connection and the ability to take the time to hear another's stories, engage with their emotions and view the way they interact with the world. A portrait is so much more than just a photograph - it is the documentation of a life of an individual in a single moment.

Starting portraiture is was difficult for me. Although I love interacting with people and learning and sharing people's stories is what I do, actually standing behind the camera is different. How do you transfer the agency that you hold with your camera back onto the subject? How do you serve as just a vessel to capture an image and allow the subject to direct the shots? I had a lot of anxiety surrounding portraiture and how to capture portraits in a way that allowed me to maintain a certain artistry and style while still being true to my subject.

So I started photographing myself.

And something clicked. Since I was able to be on both sides now - artist and subject - I was able to appreciate the anxieties on both sides but also the stunning capacity for a photograph to contain a multitude of viewpoints. Just like that self portraiture became a meditation. As the photographer I control the setup of the shot, the basic logistics and the technical priorities that are needed to capture the image. As the subject however, I control the mental space, the emotions conveyed, and the fluidity that come. Self portraits have aided in my shift photographically but they have also given me new freedom to express myself and document my life.

Steemit friends, what are some artistic moves you have made that have scared you?

All the love!

PS: Checkout all my photographs on Instagram @kirrakimbrell