(Contemporary) Self-Portrait Photographers Who Inspire Me
Had I never discovered the mesmerizing photographs of other self-portrait photographers, I doubt I would have ever started diving into this unique art form.
But those often very emotive, creative portraits moved something within me. Inspired by what I saw online, artistic self-portraits became my preferred way of expressing myself creatively.
So, without further ado, here are the best self-portrait photographers I know (a very subjective, but, I believe, well-curated list you will enjoy). Many of these are my long-standing fangirl favorites from back in the golden Flickr days and it has been a pleasure to see how their art and careers have evolved since then.
Get inspired by these amazing self-portrait photographers
Inspiring Female Self-Portrait Photographers
First of all, I’d love to give a shout-out to all the incredibly creative women out there. Especially female self-portrait photographers had a big influence on me – which is why today, I’d like to share their magic with you
1. Laura Zalenga
I couldn’t start with anyone else but her: Laura is a German portrait photographer whose self-portrait art has accompanied me from the very beginning. I was fortunate enough to get to know her beautiful personality during several Flickr meetups long ago (oh, the golden days). Since then, she has only kept growing in her artistic expression. She has refined her signature style of emotional portraits, often featuring expressive, dancer-like poses of the human body.
Nowadays, her minimalistic, yet insanely powerful art is infused with an additional layer of meaning and depth. Through her photographs, Laura often raises awareness for vulnerable topics, such as social taboos and discrimination. The way she uses her voice to make the world a better place is ever-inspiring to me, not to mention the captivating visual beauty of her self-portraits.
2. Elizabeth Gadd
If I could choose one female self-portrait artist’s photos to live in, it certainly would be the breathtaking visual world of Canadian photographer Elizabeth Gadd. With a passion for the outdoors, she photographs herself in magical, wild landscapes. She appears as a female, solitary figure in flowing dresses, immersed in nature’s most beautiful light spectacles. Full of vivid colors, her art has the power to fill you with a deep longing to experience the exhilarating freedom of the wilderness. Through her self-portraits, she powerfully communicates the calm and peace she finds in nature.
3. Chantal Convertini
Also known as paeulini, this Swiss self-portrait photographer prominently explores the female body in her art. She frequently criticizes the censorship put on tasteful, artistic nudity through social media as well as society. Chantal’s sensual photographs, taken on film, prove that you do not need any spectacular surroundings to create moving visuals. Many of her self-portraits are taken in a plain room, creatively playing with the light coming in through the windows. She also shares self-written poems along with her self-portraits and I deeply admire her for so vulnerably expressing herself, through images and words.
4. Rosie Hardy
Welcome to fantasy world. Rosie is a master at crafting conceptual self-portraits that carry you away into the land of dreams. Her unique concepts and visual language have inspired me for many years. The UK photographer uses impressive photo manipulation skills to make her visions come alive, but they’re not all fantasy: Despite the surreal look, her self-portraits often speak of her own hardships and feelings, sharing her life very openly online and allowing an intimate connection with those who follow her personal journey. Last but not least, Rosie is also a talented wedding photographer, making even weddings feel like a dream come true.
5. Brooke DiDonato
US-American Brooke DiDonato’s self-portraits call a very distinctive style her own. Often using everyday architecture and homes as a backdrop, her photographs are carefully staged. Her art has a very clean, realistic look, yet there is something strange going on – little surreal twists and poses that perplex the viewer. Brooke’s pastel-toned photographs, often faceless portraits, pose more questions than they answer and are guaranteed to leave you with a lasting impression.
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6. Amelie Satzger
Another female photographer from Germany, Amelie has made bold colors her signature move. Her work is full of patterns and clever photo manipulations, creating a world of colorful illusions. Sometimes, Amelie appears several times within one image or merges completely within her surroundings. Most of her latest self-portraits have been taken indoors, inspiring others how to get creative with simple everyday objects that you would easily find in your household.
7. Brooke Shaden
It’s safe to say that Brooke Shaden has influenced a whole generation of self-portrait photographers. Certainly, she was the sole reason I started cropping my photos square and experimented with textures at the beginning of my photography journey. Brooke Shaden is a passionate storyteller. Her somber self-portraits challenge fears and often cause strong reactions in the viewers. However, her intention is not to scare people, quite the opposite: For years, she has inspired people to pursue their (creative) passions and to let their light shine. I think it is this stark contrast between darkness and light that makes Brooke’s work so special.
8. Sophie Eggert
Even though Sophie has been creating self-portraits for many years, I discovered her beautiful work rather late. And I must say I’ve been in love ever since. Her work radiates a touching feeling of solitude, often showing her only as a female figure in the distance, dancing in the elements of nature. Sophie’s delicate self-portraits do not require many words, they speak for themselves.
9. Anya Anti
Ukrainian-born photographer Anya creates surrealistic female self-portraits that are more than just beautiful images. Through fine art photography, she tells imaginative stories that are rich in detail and flawlessly edited. I’d especially like to highlight her series ‘2.5 seconds’, a call to action to the world: Anya’s compelling images address the urgency of climate change, making the many faces of damage visible. Set in beautiful Iceland, the series serves as a reminder of the natural beauty we are losing second by second.
10. Taysa Jorge
Taysa’s photography is an ode to the night. She works with the stunning natural surroundings of her home, the Canary Islands, and illuminates them with mysterious, often ball-shaped light sources that add a mystical, surreal look to her photographs. Often, a lone female figure appears in those desolate landscapes – Taysa’s curiosity for the exploration of consciousness also infuses her self-portraits. She does not say much about her photographs, leaving the interpretation of the scenes up to the viewer who remains with a beautiful sense of mystery.
11. Anna Heimkreiter
Is it a little cheeky to sneak my own work onto this list? Probably yes 😉 But I’d be honored if you had a look! People have called my self-portrait photography ethereal, soulful, and mystical and I hope it can serve as an inspiration for others to build a beautiful life – and savor it fully.
In the words of a fellow photographer:
“Anna’s art makes me feel like life is magical. It is the pure bliss she portrays so well in her photos that makes me feel like magic and poetry are all around us at any time. Her art is a constant reminder of how sublime and delicate life is and how we should pay attention to it.” – Mika Moret
P.S.: Thank you, Mika, for these beautiful words – by the way, she is a self-portrait photographer, too, so make sure to have a look at her work!
12. Flora Borsi
Flora Borsi is a master of camouflage. She cleverly uses make-up to melt into her surroundings and expresses complex concepts through her flawless close-up self-portraits. Her work often features bold colors and surreal elements, resulting in compelling images that make you stop and stare. Flora proves that there are no limits to portraiture photography and imagination.
13. Claire Luxton
Claire Luxton’s work is similar to Flora Borsi’s portraits (or, the other way around) in the sense that they both specialize in colorful, slightly surreal close-up portraits. A lot of Claire’s signature-style photos feature little objects taped to her face with a band-aid, communicating very specific concepts like hope and kindness. Another recurring theme is butterflies and plants – allowing her to create vibrant jungle-like worlds in her portraits. Equipped with impressive editing skills, she can make any vision of hers come true.
14. Marion Kabac
Marion Kabac is a French self-portrait photographer who captures the magnificence of mountains in combination with a human element. Especially outstanding is the use of astrophotography in her self-portraits. Often, her work will feature a solitary female figure under a sky full of stars – these dreamy scenes are guaranteed to take you to a different world, full of beauty and serenity.
More Inspiring Self Portrait Photographers
Now, time for some of the best male self portrait photographers! Admittedly, they’re not quite as easily found (or at least I am not familiar with as many as their female counterparts). It seems as if not as many men venture into the often emotive art of self portraiture – is it because there are still gender stereotypes around expressing vulnerability that reach all the way to how we dare to express ourselves in front of a camera? Is it because in general women are more often to be found as the subject in visual arts?
Nevertheless, there are plenty of inspiring male, non-binary and more self portrait photographers out there – their work has moved me deeply and I’m happy to give them a spotlight here.
1. David Uzochukwu
It makes sense to start with the one (and only) male self portrait photographer I’ve been lucky enough to meet – but also because he simply is amazing at what he does. Austrian-Nigerian artist David Uzochukwu started out so early he could be considered somewhat a photography prodigy. From the very beginning, he has always had an incredible aesthetic, his images drenched in the magnificent light one would find right after sunset.
Over the last years, his work has considerably matured and dives right into the fundamental questions that move humanity. David’s powerful portraits explore race and identity or, as he so beautifully puts it on his website, of ‘longing and belonging’. He does so with an incredible emotional depth.
2. David Hanagan
Central to UK-based David Hanagan’s work is the human body. In his self portraits, he creates mindblowing shapes with his nude body, often mimicking and complementing the natural surroundings. His photography is based on moody simplicity, yet is so extravagant in the way it fully explores and expands the range of bodily expression. David Hanagan’s work reminds me of the works of old masters that saw the human body as a work of art in itself – proving that it truly is.
3. Ben Zank
I almost want to say that Ben Zank is the male Brooke DiDonato or the other way round – I’m not sure who came first, but their work is carried by a very similar aesthetic while they’re both incredible in their own way. (Since they’re actually friends and creating together as well, I hope they won’t mind the comparison.)
Ben Zank’s photos are wildly surreal, yet staged in realistic, tidy settings where something a little odd just ‘happens’ to be going on. The way his self portraits seize the immediate environment – and the way he places suits in questionable situations – is nothing short but genius.
4. Alex Stoddard
Another self portrait superstar whose work I’ve admired since the good old Flickr days – US-American photographer Alex Stoddard. His conceptual pieces, often shot in nature, are just mindblowing and the precision with which he executes his edits is astounding. He has mastered self portraiture photography already during his teen years and since then has kept refining his visual language, drawing the viewer into worlds of fantastical realism that make you stop and wonder.
5. Joel Robison
Joel Robison’s images will carry you off into the peaceful lands of fantasy. The Canadian photographer creates conceptual artworks that overflow with playful creativity and simply feel like a happy place. In his carefully edited compositions, anything is possible – whether it is traveling through the air on umbrellas, becoming a miniature person or drinking tea out of flying teapots. Joel’s imagination truly seems neverending and he has been creating story-telling self portraits for more than a decade without losing the special spark in his creations.
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6. d4rk
The emerging artist who prefers to be only known as ‘d4rk’ creates mystical self portraits and photo compositions mostly consisting of a solitary, faceless figure in a natural landscape. His work often features surreal elements, such as glowing lights emerging out of the dark. Tranquility and stillness, seen from the place of the observer, run through his photos like a golden thread. He has a wonderful talent for creating atmospheric scenes that feel far away from time & space.
7. Marvel Harris
I was hesitating whether to include Marvel Harris here and if it would feel appropriate to him – but since the non-binary transgender artist goes by male pronouns, I hope he will not mind being included in this list of male(-read) photographers. It would be a pity not to share his work because of the limitations of our definitions of gender.
Marvel Harris makes his personal journey visible through self portraits. His moving photographs capture his battles with gender identity, mental health and autism. They feel honest, raw and allow an intimate glance into real feelings and real struggles. Over the course of years, he has documented not only his physical transformation but also the inner processes that go with it and bravely started sharing his story online – a story that many people out there needed to hear.
8. Ronny Garcia
Despite specializing in fairytale-like portraits of women, Ronny Garcia’s work also features self portraits well worth seeing. Self portraiture is, actually, how the Colombian photographer started out. His fantastical photographs are so vibrant and amazingly retouched that they instantly draw you in. Especially his self portraits often stand out by being rather conceptual, leaving many layers of meaning to discover. In 2022, he actually just started a new 52 weeks project – so I think we can look forward to seeing many more of his amazing self portraits.
9. Seanen Middleton
This one is for all fans of the dark and bizarre: UK photographer Seanen Middleton’s self portraits masterfully express the parts of human nature that often remain hidden. His style is characterized not only by literal darkness but beautiful surreal and painterly elements. We all know how many hidden emotions linger in the dark – and Seanen Middleton captures them perfectly.
And then there’s also…
Here are a couple more male photographers whose work I really love. Even though self portraits are not their main focus, they are wonderful creators and you still might be able to spot an occasional self portrait:
Your turn: Which self-portrait photographers inspire you?
The list of inspiring self-portrait artists definitely does not end here (but the space on this page does). Is there anyone you would love to see on this list? Who has influenced your journey in self-portrait photography? Let me know in the comments and I will be happy to check out their work.
I am forever grateful for the amazing self-portrait artists I have come across through my self-portrait journey, whether in person, through online friendships, or in distant admiration. To this day, they continue to amaze me with the visual beauty they craft and the powerful messages they send out into the world.
