Pieces of Me: A Creative Self-Portrait Photography Course

with Melissa Richard

Create meaningful self-portraits that tell your story with intention, honesty, and heart.

Pieces of Me is an intimate, reflective self-portrait photography course designed for photographers who want to explore self-expression, emotion, and personal storytelling through intentional self-portraiture.

Led by photographer and educator Melissa Richard, this course goes far beyond technical setup. It guides you through the why, how, and emotional process of stepping in front of the camera… even when it feels uncomfortable, vulnerable, or unfamiliar.

What This Self-Portrait Photography Course Is All About

Self-portrait photography is one of the most powerful creative tools available to photographers and one of the most intimidating.

In Pieces of Me, Melissa shares her own self-portrait journey and teaches you how to:

• Push past fear, self-criticism, and the awkwardness of being in front of the camera

• Use self-portraiture as a tool for creative growth, self-expression, and healing

• Create intentional images that reflect emotion, memory, identity, and presence

• Learn how light, shadows, movement, reflections, and composition can tell your story

• Document your life in a way that feels honest, personal, and meaningful

This course encourages you to slow down, look inward, and use photography as a way to say what words sometimes cannot.

Who This Course Is For

Pieces of Me is perfect for:

• Photographers interested in creative or fine art self-portrait photography

• Artists craving deeper emotional connection in their work

• Parents who want to be present in their family photos — not always behind the camera

• Introverts or creatives who struggle with visibility but want authentic self-expression

• Photographers looking for personal projects that fuel creativity and reduce burnout

• Anyone who wants to use photography as a reflective, expressive, or healing practice

No pressure to share your work. No need to feel confident on day one. These images can be just for you.

What You’ll Learn Inside Pieces of Me

This course blends creative guidance, emotional insight, and practical instruction, helping you build confidence both technically and personally.

Finding Your “Why”

Learn how identifying your personal motivation becomes the foundation of a meaningful self-portrait practice and how it keeps you creating when doubt creeps in.

Letting Go of Fear & Perfection

Discover how vulnerability, imperfection, and authenticity often lead to your most powerful images and why self-portrait photography gets easier with practice.

Creative Self-Portrait Techniques

You’ll explore approaches such as:

• Faceless and partial portraits

• Using reflections, shadows, silhouettes, and movement

• Shooting with natural light in everyday environments

• Incorporating emotion, mood, and symbolism into your images

• Creating self-portraits alone or with your children/family

Using Photography for Emotional Expression

Learn how to visually express emotion using light, contrast, color, composition, and editing and why self-portraiture can be a deeply therapeutic creative outlet.

Editing for Mood & Depth

Watch start-to-finish editing workflows that show how Melissa creates her signature dark, moody, emotionally rich images using Lightroom and Photoshop.

What’s Included in the Course

When you enroll in Pieces of Me, you receive:

• 55-page beautifully designed PDF guide filled with inspiration, examples, and thoughtful guidance

• 5 creative self-portrait exercises to help you build a consistent practice

• 10 pull-back images showing full setups, camera placement, and shooting environments

• 3 start-to-finish editing videos (straight-out-of-camera to final image)

• 1 behind-the-scenes video to demystify the self-portrait process

• 1 bonus video featuring a quick editing trick to smooth wrinkles in clothing

The course is fully self-paced, allowing you to move slowly, revisit lessons, and create without pressure or deadlines.

Begin Your Self-Portrait Journey

You don’t need perfect light, expensive gear, or confidence on day one. You just need the willingness to step into the frame.

Pieces of Me will help you:
✔ Create with intention
✔ Build confidence in front of the camera
✔ Reconnect with your creativity
✔ Tell your story through meaningful imagery

Your story is worth remembering and it deserves to be photographed!