Photo Assignment 1: Self Portrait

Rubyanne Moley, a Senior Journalism Major at SMU, rests with racket at a local tennis court after an intense practice in Dallas, TX on September 7, 2025. ©2025 Rubyanne Moley/SMU.

For my self-portrait, I wanted to capture myself in a natural environment of mine. I wrestled with the idea of doing my portrait in front of my computer, as I am a gamer and spend most of my time streaming or calling my friends. However, we discussed the boring nature of such a shot, which led me to scratch that idea. Then, I considered myself in action at work or thrift shopping, but capturing the perfect shot in public posed many risks.

Inspiration struck last week as I was accepted onto SMU’s competitive tennis team. I have played the sport since I was 5. I basically grew up in the environment, as I spent most of my childhood in the tennis club where my Nana was the manager. My parents have been divorced since I was 4, and my Nana took the liberty of being my babysitter, meaning I was spending all my time not in school at the club’s courts, or in the nursery. There, I would sneak behind the front desk and pretend to assign my customers to unreserved courts, make sales of the newest racket strings, or attempt to steal candy from other employees' desks. The racks of athletic clothing were my jungle gym, and the rows made by the tarps that separated the courts became mazes to explore. All of the staff were my family, like the nursery’s babysitter, who I’ve only ever known as “Aunt Jenny.” Reminiscing on my past, it became clear that capturing myself on the courts would be most fitting for my self-portrait. 

To shoot my photo, I knew I wanted to be in athletic gear and with my usual equipment. I stumbled upon the tennis courts from the photo by chance, located near campus, as I was picking up my roommate from a local coffee shop. The courts were a vibrant blue and green, with fresh-painted lines that caught my eye as I drove past. The courts were fenced in with steel gates lined with lush shrubs and florals, the perfect summer backdrop. Before capturing the photo, I had just had my first competitive practice, a full two hours of demanding drills and match play-- I was perfectly sweaty and ready to go. 

My roommate met me at the courts, and I got to planning the shot. I had her pose in various places, tested lighting, and checked manual settings with my camera on a 12-inch tripod. With her as my muse, I could experiment with my photo’s composition, angle, and more. The portraits started off as having her sitting, holding the racket in various ways. The sun kept reappearing and disappearing, resulting in us having to constantly adjust the shutter speed. We used an aperture of f/4.5 and an ISO of 100 and 400. We tried sitting against the background, sitting by the net, leaning over the net. Action shots were considered, but I wanted to be looking at the camera, and mid-swing, a focused gaze on the camera was difficult. 

Bored with basic imagery, I decided to try something creative with my tripod. I intertwined the tentacle-like limbs (think of Doc Ock from spiderman if he was camera equipment!) with the top edge of the net and used the camera’s natural top weight to lean it forward. Naturally, the camera then pointed downward onto the clay ground. I then positioned myself on the opposite side of the court, lying out in a resting position (as I was thoroughly exhausted at this point). I deliberately placed the tennis balls around myself to look as though they had rebounded from the net, and gently grasped my racket as I rested it across my chest. I kicked out the net slightly so it would be visible on the bottom edge of my picture and made sure that one of the court lines was visible in the frame. After a couple of test shots and fully blinding myself with the glaring sun as I squinted up into the camera, we got the shot. My creative vision had worked.

I am proud of this photo, as I’m in my natural environment with a smile on my face. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that tennis made me who I am, and it continues to bring me joy. I’m always laughing with my teammates or enjoying match play, and my expression is reflective of this. My racket is an extension of myself, and it being the focus in the final photo is demonstrative of how I cherish it. The photo is bright, capturing the playful atmosphere of the sport. I also enjoy the bright colors of the court, which add to this theme. Overall, I believe my final piece has great colors, texture, and composition. I am centered, bright, and in focus. The tennis balls add a pop of color in contrast to my dark hair, features and outfit. The net and court lines act to balance the two balls on the right side of the piece. The shadows are subtle but add dimension. And of course, the unique aspect is that of the angle, which keeps the mood playful. With that, you have my self portrait.