The definition for Self-Portrait is – “a portrait of an artist produced or created by that artist”.    Self Portrait to me is where portraits are taken of one’s self depicting them in a certain way to create a specific effect.  It can be used to focus specifically for how influences around us can lead to a loss of identity.  Therefore to create these effects, within the self portrait you can show these influences having a direct effect on the person.  Or on the other hand you can leave these out and focus on the person, in their own surroundings focusing on the loss of identity building upon the idea of isolation.  With these influences you can focus upon them to create almost a mad setting where they can be pestering the person into madness.  The isolation theme where the person is by themselves could possibly focus on more of the impact of these influences of society that can lose people’s Identity.

Therefore, the definition for identity is “the fact of being who or what a person or thing is”.  For me personally, identity can represent the most accurate and recent of someone who feels a certain way.  I believe one of the most interesting ways of how artists such as Herbert Bayer and Jerry Uelsmann have done this is expressing how the loss of identity has impacted the subject.  This can lead the viewer to believe that the subject is in their own surroundings, facing their problems with no help.  Loss of Identity is where something or someone has caused us to lose our identity and this can lead to confusion and uncertainty of who the identity of someone is.  Loss of Identity can pose questions such as who we are? If we don’t know who we are, what is the point in us being here? What has led us to be hear?  These questions can be asked and answered subtly within a photograph, with various editing effects and photographic techniques incorporated.