by Kristina Amanda A. Cruz

EVERYONE IS guilty of having taken at least one vanity photo—with a cell phone camera, a point-and-shoot, or a DSLR. Every other girl—or even guy—has mastered her/his best angle, the sexy pout and the exact amount of bangs covering the face to ensure utmost cuteness. Some are even guilty of taking over a hundred photos at a time, one quick click after the other.

With the help of Multiply and Friendster, the vanity photo is now overdone and worn out, losing its luster with every un-thought-of shot. But despite the proliferation of some of these careless and therefore artless pictures, there are still those who strive to take self-photography to a different level.

The art of the vanity photo
For starters, DLSU student Inez Moro is both a model and a photographer. Perhaps not a professional one in either field, but the combination enables her to come up with stunning self-portraits that she art directs and styles herself.

“I model for myself because I need to practice for both the photographer and model in me,” says Inez, “and I feel a certain sense of accomplishment when someone tells me they like my work.” Her photography style? “I’m always pretty basic. Black tube tops, hair all over the place, eyeliner, the pouty lip.”

Mikka Wee (III BS CTM), on the other hand, self-models for the sake of artistic expression. “Unlike vanity na parang (that’s like) ‘look at me oh, ganda ng Friendster picture ko (my Friendster picture is pretty),’ it’s not like that,” says Mikka. With make-up and Adobe Photoshop as her tools, Mikka comes up with either dark or vintage-themed shoots that are definitely more intense than your typical vanity photo.

Make it right
But what makes a good—no, great—vanity photo?

“Lighting,” says Mikka, “even though you can enhance it [later] in Photoshop, kung pangit lighting mo, pangit yung picture (if your lighting’s no good, so will the photo be).” For example? “[My] CR light,” says Mikka, “it’s orange [and] it’s better for me.” Inez, too, insists on her preferred lighting—natural light. “I never shoot at night,” she says.

The models have to be at their best as well. Inez puts on light music to get her in the mood while putting on her make-up. “It also depends on what kind of day you’re having. If you’re feeling pretty, then by all means, go,” she says.

Mikka, on the other hand, chooses intense moods for her expressive photos. “One time I came home from the province and I was feeling sad because my dad got mad at me,” says Mikka, “then I wanted to have a very sad photo shoot. So what I did was, I put on some eyeliner and smudged it talaga.”

Go shoot yourself
One might think that a big ego is a prerequisite for a pumped-up photo shoot—to that, Inez says, “Being shy will get you nowhere, and being outgoing won’t kill you.” Others might be more concerned with what others might infer from the “self-centered” photographs. Inez’s solution: “If someone doesn’t like it, then it isn’t your problem.”

But if the urge is more to over-shoot, Mikka shares some advice: “Don’t make it for Friendster, stuff like that. Do it for art’s sake or do it because you feel you can really express your emotions through picture-taking.” Unless, of course, one thinks that Multiply can use yet another so-so vanity photo.