The self-portrait has a rich tradition. It tells the world about you. It lets you see how others see you. It is reflexive and reflective.
I wonder, in the digital age in which we find ourselves, what is happening to the idea of the self-portrait. Everyone has access to a camera. We are able to see ourselves at will. Ad Nauesum. It is a part of life with social networks. Sometimes we'll use photographs others have taken of us for that profile picture.
Some people think nothing of taking a photo of themselves. I was probably one of them, but I'm not sure I remember that clearly that far back. When I fell in love with photography I became addicted to exploring and capturing the world around me. It made me think more about how things were represented. And how I was represented. As photographers, we are always pointing the camera at others. Sometimes, when I point it at myself, I feel proud and silly, all at once.
I posted this photo on Flickr. I intend for other people to see it there. That is Flickr's reason for being - to share, to connect. I admit, it felt a little strange uploading it. I'm not one of those pretty girls who love to take self-portraits and people love to view them. Some of these self-portraitists are hugely creative. Some are really not.
But there's no reason to feel silly at posting a self-portrait. This I reassure myself. It's a form of self-expression. That much is obvious. They are more that just that. The speak about us. They say things we want to tell the world.
Maybe, one day, I'll produce a self-portrait I'll be proud enough of to put up on display in a exhibition.
I'm pretty sure, when that happens, I'll feel very silly indeed.
