ME BY ME

Photos. When I need a mood booster, I find myself circling back to having a self-portrait photoshoot. I call it my monthly mood booster because it genuinely empowers me. When I take portraits of others, I hope to do the same for them. I always hear that people don’t like being in photos because they don’t think they’re photogenic, but I believe anyone can be photogenic. It’s the photographer’s job to capture the glow and confidence. And to be the person, who gets to make that happen for others, makes me happy to do what I do.

But now the self-portraits. I was always taking pictures of other people, and I wanted to feel the way that others felt when they received my work. I wanted to light up with joy and confidence when I see the work that I’m in. This started with my camera propped up on a stack of books. Then I decided that it was time to invest in a decent tripod, which I had to replace with an upgrade twice. Then I felt like I needed more than natural lights, specifically the golden hour and blue hour light. So here comes the LED lights. And to say that these lights have filled my soul with happiness is not even enough to describe how much joy it has been to incorporate them in my self-portraits. So what is the next step? Maybe some lasers and a quality projector?

These photos aren’t too special in terms of photo composition, but the confidence I felt after is what makes them so much more special. I was in a very deep creative rut during the first year of the pandemic, especially being from NYC. Going outside for anything other than grocery and work was unnecessary. Living with my grandparents, I did not leave my place for any personal reasons. Being indoors really did take a toll on my mental health. That’s when I started to really make use of my own room and roof for these self-portraits.