I was reading a post about self portraits and the question was posed, “Am I worth documenting?” I have been shooting self-portraits on a regular basis since 2006. I started doing them as a way to learn how to use my DSLR camera and to learn more about seeing the light.
As of late, I have been shooting with my iPhone and a favorite app, Hipstamatic. Everything about this app is imperfect and it falls right in line with my desire to live a more authentic life. I don’t edit the pictures, so you see pimples, sleepy eyes and various emotions right there in my eyes. I keep it real, people! This is who I am and I am not ashamed.
Now, back to that question, “Am I worth documenting?” In a nutshell, yes. I matter. I matter to my kids and my family, to friends and co-workers. I matter to myself and it still blows my mind that little ‘ole me matters to God. Documenting myself in pictures reminds me to pause and embrace my life exactly where it is. I am creating a legacy. My children are shutterbugs and enjoy photographing themselves. I love that, because I want them to see that they are perfect just as they are. We are all worth something, we matter and documenting our lives, be it with pictures or words is never a waste of time.
If you would like to start shooting portraits of yourself, consider joining my Self Portrait Experience Flickr group. There are so many talented creatives there and the ideas for self-portraits is endless. Enjoy!
