Embedded Files
“Put yourself on a deadline so that every week
you will finish one story.
It is only by going through a volume of work
that you will close that gap,
and your work will be as good as your ambitions.”
– Ira Glass.
Speaking of volume of work, I redid my self-portrait. The first attempt was unacceptable no matter what my friends said as it didn’t meet my standards. I couldn’t shake the dissatisfaction. I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t settle and I had to reshoot. Nothing less would do.
This is the raw documentation and the self-portrait behind the lens of my Chihiro captured during my first self-portrait session on April 26, 2025.
The Results
Actually, I love the expression on my face here as if I’m screaming after finishing a song in a concert with the crash of loud cymbals echoing. But if you zoom closer, the detail in my face was ruined by the noise. I shot this from a distance with ISO-3200 because the lighting was too dark and despite my noise reduction during post-processing, it still falls short. It’s not enough for me. So, considering the limited equipment and the constraints of my camera even though I wanted to show my half-body and drumkit, I had to settle for what I could work with. With that, I planned to move the camera closer and kept myself steady for the next shoot. Ironic for a drummer, isn’t it?
When I reshoot on May 3, this is what I ended up with.
I’m now very satisfied with the detail, lighting, angle, composition, and my face.
Couldn’t ask for better.
Pre-Production
Inspo for Headshot
The mood of Childish Gambino’s “Me and Your Mama”
Inspo for Candid & Creative Shot
The mood of Red Hot Chili Peppers' "By the Way"
Location
I intended to shoot with my full acoustic drum set, so hauling it 19.7 kilometers to some photo studio was never an option. I’m not about to inconvenience my dad with that kind of hassle like loading the kit, driving all that way just to end up in a space that can’t even handle light control properly. So I decided to do my self-portrait in our living room especially since it was designed with a wall and window that perfectly block out sunlight, far better than the studio. This setup is ideal for the dark theme I’m aiming for where I’ll be experimenting with lighting.
Planning What Equipment I'll Use
Lights
2 Portable Handheld Light Stick (30 color modes, handheld RGB LED light stick – full color photography stick, 3200K-6500K dimmable)
This is the cheapest option I could find online. It’s decent enough for basic self-portraits but don’t expect powerful lighting or the ability to position it from a distance -- it just won’t deliver. Still, for the price, you get what you pay for.
TNW 11 inch covered LED Fill Light Tripod Photography Panel Lamp
I didn’t use this during my first shoot but after realizing the lack of light ruined the detail I was aiming for, I decided to get an LED light to make sure everything’s sharp and crystal clear next time.
Drum Kit: Acoustic vs Electric
Even though I usually use our electric drum kit for covers and practice, I chose the acoustic set this time because it brings a raw, natural presence that e-drums just can’t match. They look too clinical, too technical.
But here’s the best part, the main reason for choosing the acoustic set was because it’s the very first one I ever had, the one I got when I was six. Remember? My dad managed to buy it back from my uncle after years. So using this kit adds a deeper and more personal story to my self-portrait like ‘this thing is where it all began.’
I couldn’t find a photo of myself playing it back then but here’s one of my brother with it. Of course the kit’s been through a lot but the soul’s still the same.
Planning My Style
Off-shoulder blouse for Headshot – I want to expose my skin from head to shoulder showing my features, allowing you to get a glimpse of who I am physically even if it's just a headshot.
Red Hot Chili Peppers Band shirt with white long sleeve inside for Creative Shot – This is to make a statement that I’m a rock and pop drummer. Unlike the off-shoulder look, I’ll have the freedom to move my hands confidently capturing the energy while playing.
Make up - In the low-light of my self-portrait where every detail matters, I made sure my eyes became the weapon of focus. So I layered dark brown eyeshadow and black eyeliner, top and bottom to sharpen my eyes. A matte brown lipstick also sealed the look while darkened brows tied everything together making sure my face and eyes were in harmony.
Production
Equipment
Canon EOS 650D
Kit Lens Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II
2 Portable Handheld Light Stick
TNW 11 inch covered LED Fill Light Tripod
3 tripod
Headshot
Light Diagram
Light Setup
Camera Setup
From where I stand as the subject and staring down my setup, I’ve positioned the camera slightly to my front left and angled it just enough to the side. I thought that just a slight tilt of my head when I’m in the frame adds a level of style and intensity. That subtle turn gives the self-portrait an edge.
A warm backlight is set to cast a sharp halo around me, while red and blue lights are precisely angled on each side to hit my face with bold, cinematic bursts of color and contrast.
I’ve made sure to place myself according to the rule of thirds in the frame and I’m digging how my hands and drumsticks cut across the snare drum in the foreground, adding depth following the composition of overlapping.
Camera Lens
They call it the “nifty fifty” for a reason. The 50mm might not be some massive telephoto beast but open it wide enough, and it still throws the background into a blur that makes everything else disappear except me. That shallow depth of field pulls all the focus where it should be. With the kind of dramatic lighting I’ve got going on, isolating myself from that dark background isn’t just a nice touch but it makes the whole shot hit different. Clean, bold, no distractions.
Exposure
Why ISO 800?
To balance light and noise. With the dramatic lighting setup especially the colored lights that don’t give off as much brightness, I had to bump up the ISO to get a solid exposure. I couldn’t go too slow on the shutter speed otherwise any movement would blur the shot. And increasing the aperture too wide would mess with focus. ISO 800 gives me the sensitivity I need without pushing too much digital noise especially on my Canon 650D.
Why 1/80 sec. Shutter Speed?
For a mostly still subject, 1/80 sec is fast enough to lock in the shot without catching any subtle movement as blur. Normally, it's a safe bet for handheld shooting too. I didn’t even use a tripod for this, instead I propped the camera up on top of our cat’s toy display. Not ideal, but it got the job done. Stability wasn’t perfect so I had to be careful with my own movements. Paired with the right aperture and ISO, that shutter speed still let enough light hit the sensor to get a clean, properly exposed image under my lighting setup. If those colored lights had been any dimmer, I would’ve had to risk a longer exposure but 1/80 held the line.
Why f/1.8 Aperture?
Like I mentioned before, a wide aperture like f/1.8 slams focus right onto me and rips the background apart leaving it blurred. It’s what makes me pop in the shot adding that sharp, professional edge. Plus, it pulls in more light which is essential in a darker, controlled setup like mine. Cranking open the aperture lets me keep the ISO lower and the shutter speed faster, while still getting a solid exposure without compromising anything.
Creative Shot
Light Diagram
Light Setup
Camera Setup
When I was setting up this self-portrait, I wanted to break the usual routine so I went with an overhead angle, pointing the camera straight down at me and the kit. I noticed the way the light slammed into my crash cymbal creating this intense, eye-catching effect I wasn’t about to let go to waste so elevating the camera was the move. Not just to catch that moment but to bring more of the full kit into view and make the entire setup hit harder.
For the lighting, I kept it simple. A single small LED light up front-right of the kit was just enough to catch the snare with a bit of sharp illumination.
The red light blasting the high tom and snare, and my right side was there to inject a fire and aggression into the frame. It’s a bold, dominant color and I liked the way it cut across the scene like a warning shot.
On the flip side, the blue light creeping in from the left side washed over my face and cymbal, pulling things back with a cold, moody contrast. Blue’s got that quiet intensity like mysterious, almost detached.
Putting red and blue against each other wasn't just for aesthetics but it was also about creating tension, contrast, and edge. This wasn’t meant to look safe or soft. I was building a mood pushing the shot to feel as striking and unordinary as possible.
Camera Lens
I was going for a wide-angle perspective. 20mm Focal Length captures a much broader field of view compared to a standard or telephoto lens.
The setting was important to the story I was trying to tell. Since I was shooting in a tight space and needed to include both myself and my drum kit, a 20mm lens would be a practical choice to exaggerate perspective. Making close objects appear larger and distant objects smaller.
Exposure
Why ISO 3200?
Increasing the ISO makes the camera sensor more sensitive to light allowing me to get a properly exposed image even with less ambient light. Of course, a higher ISO can sometimes introduce more digital noise. So I’ve been trying to balance getting enough light with keeping the noise at an acceptable level for the kind of image I wanted.
Why 1/100 sec. Shutter Speed?
I chose a shutter speed of 1/100 second to make sure motion blur wasn’t an issue. Even the slightest movement could turn a slower shutter speed into a blurry mess and I wasn’t about to let that ruin my shot, especially since I’m re-shooting this self-portrait for sharper detail. 1/100 sec is solid and perfect for relatively still subjects. It gives the sensor enough time to pull in light especially when you’re pushing the ISO.
Why f/3.5 Aperture?
First off, f/3.5 opens the lens wide enough to let in more light which was crucial when I’m already pushing the ISO in a low-light setup. Second, it delivers a shallow depth of field that keeps the focus locked on me while the background and props fade into blur. With this, it creates dominance, it draws the eye exactly where I want it.
Post-production
Headshot
Top 2 Raw Headshots of Me
After running them by a few friends and family, most of them loved the first one and they’re not wrong. They liked the way my head’s positioned, how my features stand out even without heavy lighting, and the curtain dropping in on the left gives the background a clean stylish edge.
I chose this over the one where I’m wearing the RHCP shirt because from the start, I intended to show some skin. I wanted the light to bounce off my skin to give the shot more depth and rawness so this one had the presence I was aiming for.
And considering I’m pulling inspiration from “Me and Your Mama”, this shot captured the bold, unapologetic, and intense energy of the song.
Editing Process with Adobe Lightroom
Using the Preset of PE03 under Portraits: Edgy
LIGHT
I deliberately pulled the light back just enough to preserve the raw drama because the original shot was a bit dim, but I wasn’t about to compromise on those hard shadows since I want every contour of my face to cut through the frame.
DETAIL
I didn’t stop tweaking until the detail was sharp enough. I increased the sharpening and noise reduction refusing to settle until the texture matched the intensity I envisioned.
COLOR
I dragged the tint down to -13. That slight shift warped the blue into a colder, greenish aqua and that’s exactly what I needed to clash against the heat of the red and yellow light. It’s like fire and ice.
MASKING
The snare drum was a bit bright which broke the harmony in lighting. So I casted a radial mask on it and adjusted it’s lighting bringing it back in line. The darkness needed to dominate and not be interrupted by an overexposed distraction. And since this is a headshot, I’m the main subject so nothing else gets to steal the light.
HEALING
I erased every blemish, every stray hair like they didn’t belong. In self-portraiture, I consider these things to be photobombs.
Before
After
Creative Shot
Top 3 Raw Creative Shots of Me
Initially, this was my strongest shot following the rule of thirds composition before I even bothered capturing the next two. The intensity in my eyes lit up by the reflection of the colored light gives it undeniable life and raw emotion for me. I also like the symmetry of my hand placement here which I found them balanced perfectly. Even with all that power, I still tried to experiment with motion and new poses driven to extract something even more commanding.
This one earned its place as second in my top three. I set out to resurrect my original self-portrait as a drummer from 2021, the one with the flying drumsticks. Just like back then, I rigged the stick with string, had my father hold it midair to fake the throw then wiped the string clean in post. Still, I know it could’ve been even more intense if I had the space to back the camera up or better yet, a fisheye lens to distort the scene into something more dramatic. But out of all the flying stick attempts, this is the one that hits hardest.
Now this is the best one.
Among all the images, this one stands unequivocally as the most compelling for myself and notably, for my immediate circle of family and peers. As previously stated, I’m drawn to the precision of detail, the interplay of light and shadow, the calculated angle, the deliberate composition and my own expression having that strand of hair falling across my face and the glint of reflected light in my eyes.
When it came to composition, I zeroed in on the circular forms of drums, cymbals, all of it. Since they also dominate the setup, I leaned into that repetition, stacking and overlapping those round shapes to build some visual rhythm. But I wasn’t about to let the shot feel too soft or predictable. To cut through all those curves and throw in some tension, I grabbed a drumstick and sliced it diagonally across the frame right over my face. That hard, clean line broke the pattern and added a jolt of energy and defiance to the shot.
Everything in that frame was placed with purpose, even the way I cropped that drumstick. I wanted it to feel like it extended beyond the edges of the frame, almost hinting at an infinite space and energy that continues outside of what you can see. Showing the whole drumstick make it seem too finite and tight within the borders of the image. Cropping it this way gives it a sense of continuation like there's still action happening beyond the view. And that setup wasn’t just about balance but it was about control.
Editing Process with Adobe Lightroom
Using the Preset of PE03 under Portraits: Edgy
LIGHT
The exposure remained untouched as it already aligned with my intended visual balance. However, I increased the blacks to +19 to deepen the shadows and assert a more oppressive darkness within the frame.
COLOR
Consistent with the chromatic strategy employed in my headshot, I adjusted the tint to -13. This created a colder, greenish cast that serves to antagonize the warmth of the red light, trying to calculate the tension between opposing hues.
DETAIL
Sharpening and noise reduction were increased to improve its detail and confront the viewer with its intensity even though the noise is still there due to higher ISO, but it only adds to the grit I believe.
MASKING
A radial mask was applied in the upper left quadrant to hide the presence of a white wall. The blacked-out corner keeps the background clean and lets me and the drums take over the frame without distraction.
Here's The Final Result
Before
After
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