As in every endeavor in life, begin where you are.
In creating meaningful portraits, begin with what you know.
Sharon Birke
In planning a portrait session, take a blank piece of paper and block 15 minutes of uninterrupted quiet time away from people and technology. In the middle of the blank page, write “I LOVE…” Fill the rest of the page with random words, phrases or sentences that pop up. No judgment!
Who are you at home? At work? When no one is looking?
What do you really like to do?
What are your favorite things?
What makes you smile, cry, angry?
What do you love about your body?
What do you love about your personality?
What do you like about yourself?
What do you dream of? Desire?
Post this page where you can see it often. Allow your ideas to simmer and write notes on images inspired by your random list. Think about how you can shoot these images in a variety of candid or posed shots.
Can you vary your placement in the frame and
distance from the camera?
What do you want the background to say about you?
How can you make a portrait
without including your body in the picture?
Do you want to include other people or objects in the image?
What do you want the viewer to know about you
from what you don’t include in your image?
Here are more of my self portraits to give you
ideas for planning your portrait session:
© 2011 Sharon Birke
Photography for the Goddess in Every Wife & Mother
Powerful Goddess is a trademark of DoubleSmart LLC
Powerful Goddess Portraits 
Nov 18, 2011 @ 02:52:53
The great rim light in the first picture
Nov 18, 2011 @ 21:16:41
Thank you for your appreciation, Michelle!
xoxox