Pratibha Gihar

We are taught that looking at ourselves is an act of vanity. We are told that turning the camera on ourselves is "narcissistic."  But for those of us who have ever looked in a mirror and failed to recognize the person staring back, the camera isn't a tool for vanity. The camera is a tool for reclamation. Most creators spend their lives teaching you how to "look good" for an audience. Today, I want to talk about something much quieter and much more radical: The art of feeling seen by yourself. This image is subject to copyright. 1. The Mirror vs. The Lens: Breaking the Cycle of Judgment There is a profound psychological difference between a mirror and a camera lens. When we look in a mirror, we are often looking for "flaws" to fix. It is a live feed of our insecurities. But when we step in front of a lens, we are creating a document . The lens doesn't judge; it simply records light and shadow. By taking self-portraits, we move from the role of the C...

We have been taught to treat the camera like a mirror. We tilt our heads, hunt for our "good side," and hold our breath until the shutter clicks. But the result is often a "pretty" image that feels hollow—a snapshot that looks like everyone else’s. I have stopped posing for the camera. Instead, I’ve started designing for the frame. In this piece, I am breaking down how I used architectural thinking and internal narrative to create one of my favorite recent frames. If you want to move from "taking a photo" to "creating a mood," you have to stop looking at your face and start looking at the lines you create. 1. The Anchor & The Reach: Creating Kinetic Energy Every cinematic frame needs a story, and every story needs tension. I use a technique I call Anchor & Reach . The Anchor: This is your point of contact with the world. In my photo, my hand resting high on the metal slats is my anchor. It grounds me in the scene. Without it, I’m just ...