Photography is one of the things that helps keep me sane while stuck at home in my Brooklyn apartment, so I wanted to share an easy self portrait idea for your next photography experiment at home. Photography is a large part of my job, and luckily it’s something I enjoy. While Bobby generally takes my photos if we’re both outside, I take all my own photos when we’re indoors or anywhere more private. Classic Virgo, Bobby would say, always liking to have all the control.

In the early days, I took all my own photos out of necessity, or set everything up and took a test shot to show exactly what I wanted. I still do that if I’m traveling with friends or family and need a helping hand — but with Bobby, he learned along the way and eventually started taking photos on his own free time, too. Still, the classic Virgo in me prefers taking and editing everything on my own, partly because Bobby and I try to keep a healthy amount of work separation so it doesn’t affect our relationship, and partly because I just find it fun and rewarding. It gives me room to experiment without worrying about bugging anyone or taking up too much of their time, and I also feel more comfortable in front of the camera when no one is watching me.

Easy Self Portrait Idea At Home

I’ve been seeing the mirror trend pop up on the internet, mostly of people taking their mirrors outside (with some gorgeous results!), and decided to do my own version. All I used was a large piece of fabric (draped over a clothing rack) and an inexpensive mirror that I keep around as a prop. Any mirror will do!

I also made some composites of multiple photographs, to make it look like my mirror image was acting independently (inspired by Mary Poppins). I posted an animated version of it here, if you’d like to see the final result!

Whether using a camera or an iPod, just set it up on a tripod (or for your phone, a makeshift one! Anything that will hold it in place!) and either set the self timer or use a remote. In my case, I use an app on my phone that allows me to remotely control the settings and shutter. I’ll go more in depth in a future post.

Move the mirror around, play around with poses, get creative! Watch my tiktok behind the scenes video to get a better idea of my setup. Have fun!