Our Creative Challenges are BACK! To kickstart the new monthly challenges we wanted to get to know our Fairytale and Fantasy community a bit better. Since we have lots of new creatives who’ve joined us since we last ran the challenges, what better than to introduce ourselves to each other with fantasy photography self portraits!
We have absolutely loved seeing the community come together again in sharing their work, faces, and stories in our Fairytales & Fantasy Facebook group. Our new monthly challenge has just been released – go join the group and take part!!
So, here’s a selection of our community favourites from the Self Portrait challenge. We hope you enjoy them and can’t wait to see what you all share with us next!
I took this image about a month ago. I love making and wearing wigs, contacts, and everything else. I feel like it gives me a chance to express myself. I HAD to take this picture for myself. I had several people close to me telling me that I couldn’t wear this purple wig because it made it look old, and how I shouldn’t try to change who I am. At no point am I trying to change who I am.
But I took this to show them I can do as I want. And be who I want.
I’m Deborah and photography in combination with digital picture editing is one of my strongest means of artistic expression. My pictures take you to other times and fantastical worlds. And they should give you the feeling that what you see could be reality.
I choose this self-portrait for the #bellakotakchallenge because it’s a “symbol” for my current creative situation. This photo was taken in 2017 with the assistance of my boyfriend, and I’ve only just edited it. 
Credits – Assistance: Andreas Klippel
Idea, Model & Edit: Deborah Haarmeier – www.instagram.com/deborahhaarmeier_photoart
Turn the key and come with me
The sentience within us liberates our frame of mind
Mishka.photo
https://www.instagram.com/mishka.photo/
Self portrait that I did early this year ! I actually imagined myself as a dark mermaid for this shoot but I didn’t have the right costume parts to make it work. So I had to shoot half naked and crop the photo instead! 
Beauty in Chaos. Used Earthly Embrace [from The Artist Collection Photoshop Actions by Bella Kotak] at 50%.
I call this image Sankta Aurora ― Because dawn is where shadow and light collide. And shadows allow me to paint my dreams with light.
This is another DIY living room setup involving turning the apartment upside down to make space, bruising both my shoulders while putting on the armour alone, tearing a nail, skinning my fingers, hands looking like I’ve tried to repair a car instead of taking selfies in the comfort of my home. But I do like a challenge, and so it fills me with a tiny bit of pride that I managed to pull off the concept I had in mind. A warrior of exalted devotion and virtue, bathed in holy light, but tempted by the shadows.
I used combined Regal, Wolf in the woods, and Renaissance from The Color Lab with some of my own toning to achieve this painterly gold effect.
Concept | Photo | Edit | Styling: @hajnalkaberen.photo
Just wanted to show you my new favorite self-portrait so far. 
Love doing self portraits in my office studio. I’m still so inspired by candlelight. I love candles. I keep going back to them every time.
Been feeling so much more hopeful these days, with the vaccine, and being creative with my amazing friends, that I’m actually able to try and make some art. I usually slip into my office during my daughter’s naptime over the weekend, and try out some ideas. But this pose and the light, it all just makes me think of what you hold on to while making it through the darkest night
I used the Regal Fine Art action for this to bring down just how warm the color toning can get.
I have been so busy I’m a bit out of touch with my self portraits recently, but hopefully I’ll be returning to shooting regularly soon.
I’m known under the pseudonym “Liancary” and work in the industry for more than 6 years now, specialised in Portrait, Fantasy and Fine Art. This super fresh self-portrait I call “Growing into your true self”, it’s inspired by an older self-portrait, which I did 6 years ago, during a time when I was much more struggling with myself. The self portrait from 6 years ago was called “Your marks will bloom away” and it was basically a message to myself, that one day, I will stop being my biggest enemy. And now, 6 years later I think I got to this point. I’m growing into the person I want to be.
https://www.instagram.com/liancary/
Headpiece: Ivy Design
Toned with The Color Lab Collective “Lovers in Spring Time” & “Black Gold”
This was very early in the morning so the lighting was terrible and it was so hard to get something ;_; Wearing Chinese hanfu and am warm because of all the layers.
This is a picture of mine… many friends of mine asked me to be part of my ‘Flowering’ series, and I enjoyed myself to create a self portrait.
“Passion. Fire. Love. All of these words are conjured when I see the color red before me. And all are synonyms to me, the fire which burns within me to create. The passion I feel towards my craft and love which I feel with each new piece I see. For me creating is a need, I have no choice in the matter. I create because I can. But make no mistake it takes hard work and commitment. The long hours I put in to my business, my art and my life are born out of passion. They are born out of red.”
Instagram: @thesarahjphotography
“Eternal Vengeance”
Self portraits are not really a challenge for me 
I did more in the two lockdowns than ever before, but it’s also how I started photography years ago. I always loved makeup and of course I wanted good photos of my looks. It’s so much easier when you don’t depend on another person 
@rekii.fotografie from Berlin
This was inspired by baroque paintings 
For the outfit, I repurposed a simple dress and belt I had sewn for two other shoots. I created the planets/solar system using Photoshop’s 3D tool which made my laptop so slow it was almost impossible to edit. 
More at instagram.com/heywendylu
My self-portrait this month. I take a LOT of self-portraits; it’s how I started my whole career, and what I will always do between clients to express myself. I’ve collected masks since I was young… probably largely because I was extremely shy as a child, and I struggle with social anxiety pretty badly to this day. I still get extremely panicky before every shoot.
Photography @winterwolfstudios
So excited to see Bella announcing the newest #bellakotakchallenge! These challenges have been so instrumental to my development over the past year of doing self-portraiture! Thank you so much Bella. Here I am wearing the fantastic Lyris Design’s epic gold dress creation paired with this halo by Carbickova Crowns.
Colour toned with The Color Lab actions and Infinite Color Panel as usual!
We hope you enjoyed seeing the selection of our Fantasy Photography Self Portraits Challenge! Head here to see our previous Creative Challenges!
To get involved in our future challenges, join our Facebook communities and look out for our upcoming themes.
The Color Lab Collective (if you use The Color Lab products)
Fairytales and Fantasy with Bella Kotak (open to everyone sharing work with a fantasy theme)
We can’t wait to see you there!
The Color Lab Family
