On self-portraits

The way I see it, it has nothing to do with vanity or narcissism. Don’t mean in the universal sense but for me, personally. Because of course people who need to document themselves every moment and ask others to take their picture and whatnots exists. I just don’t think I’m one of them, despite the occasional abundance of self-portraits.

I’m interested in people, don’t really get them so they fascinates me. At times animlas will do as a substitute but for the most part I get bored without something alive and individual in the photo. I can admire a great landscape photo but I’m not sure I can take one myself. If no-one is seen through the viewfinder I can’t… focus. The passion isn’t there to let me work with it.

This means that I need people. And when there is no-one, I need to do it myself. Even if the thought makes me a bit uneasy. And it does, I’m not comfortable there even when it’s just me and my camera. Which is the second reason: it’s a way to work at insecurities. To learn how to relax and give up control — when the image is out there, it has been seen and it’s almost impossible to retract. Sure, one can see it as a form of narcissism; you’re doing it for yourself. But it’s used as a way to battle negative self-image (mine’s horrible by the way).