Enroll Now
☆
Enroll Now ☆
limited time only
SELF
TheFebruarySelf-Portraitchallenge
Full access to the community
The SELF workbook
Tips & tricks & inspiration
Prompts to help you when you're feeling stuck
Share your images with the community
Join discussions with other photographers
Weekly live calls to discuss progress
SELF
Welcome to The February Self-Portrait Challenge.
A Journey of Discovery and Growth.
In this challenge, you'll take a self-portrait every day for the month of February. While this may sound simple at first, it’s an invitation to explore your creativity, build technical skills, and deepen your connection to both yourself and your work.
Why take a self-portrait every day?
Self-portraiture is more than just capturing your likeness—it’s a powerful tool for introspection. By photographing yourself regularly, you can uncover new perspectives on who you are, how you see yourself, and how others may perceive you. It's an opportunity to explore vulnerability, creativity, and self-expression while gaining confidence as both an artist and a subject. Over the course of the month, you'll witness your own growth, not only as a photographer but also as an individual.
What you’ll Gain
How will it work?
Create: Each day, you’ll create a photographic self-portrait. There will be prompts to guide your practice, but feel free to experiment and make it your own. The key is consistency and exploration. You can use any camera or device, adjusting to your preferences and resources, but most importantly, stay committed to the process.
Share: You’ll have the opportunity to share your self-portrait in the private Facebook group. If you’d like feedback on your images, please request that. I do encourage you to avoid sharing every image you create on Instagram in real time, as it changes the way we shoot when we do it with the purpose of sharing in a public space.
Join us in this transformative journey, where self-reflection, creativity, and technical growth merge into one. Whether you're a seasoned photographer or just beginning, this challenge is designed to help you see yourself—and your art—in a new light.
Let’s create, explore, and grow together. Ready to start?
Meet your instructor
FRANCES
I started my self-portrait journey in high-school. Truth be told, I didn’t intend to do any soul searching, I just ran out of people who were willing to model for me when my obsession with photography took hold. I fell in love with it because of the soul searching element. The ability to work through creative and emotional blocks. Also, I still run out of people willing to model for me in the dead of winter.
My self-portrait practice has been a constant in my life. My thesis featured self-portraits shot entirely on Polaroids and printed large scale. My self-portraits have appeared in galleries in New York City, Toronto, and Paris, France. They have appeared on the Polaroid website, and in several publications over the years.
The February self-portrait a day challenge began during a tumultuous time in my life in 2019. I chose February because it tends to be a time with few creative outlets, a lot of time on my hands, and because it has the least amount of days. ;) Selfishly it also ends on my birthday and gave me a feeling of accomplishment and another thing to celebrate on February 28th. The added year every four years keeps things interesting.
This will be the 6th consecutive year of The February self-portrait challenge, and the 3rd year I have opened it up and facilitated it for other artists.
Testimonials
-
![]()
Sophie Lemoine
I used to dread February, but doing the self-portrait challenge the last 2 years has given me something to look forward to during one of the hardest months. It’s been an amazing exercise in self-reflection, and has helped me to push myself creatively and technically. Plus, doing it with a group helps to keep me accountable, and I love seeing what everyone else creates every day. I hope to keep doing this every year!
-
![]()
Jennifer Van Son
I participated in Frances's February self-portrait challenge in 2024 with no real expectations of what I would come of my time with the community she created. Although I often struggled to find inspiration, the act of daily discipline pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me explore new ways to express myself. By the end of the month, I felt more confident and connected to my creative side. I highly recommend this challenge to anyone looking to grow and explore self-portraiture.
-
![]()
Kirstie Fox
Joining Frances’ February self-portrait challenge in 2024 was transformative. It reignited my creativity, deepened my self-acceptance, and helped me rediscover my love for photography. The supportive community and commitment to the process reminded me that progress isn’t about perfection, it’s about showing up. I can’t wait to do it again.
-
![]()
Rebecca Diem
I joined the self-portrait challenge as a new mom, learning to show up for myself, as myself, all over again. I found a community of people who inspired me and challenged me and helped me to reconnect with my creative aspirations. Quite simply, I love it here.
Rebecca Diem
FAQs
-
Nope. Not at all. You don’t even need to consider yourself a photographer to join. You just need some way of taking a picture and a desire to participate. Many people who aren’t professional photographers have participated in the past.
-
Conveniently, almost all of us have a camera in our back pocket these days. You can definitely shoot these on your smart phone. If you have absolutely no camera whatsoever, including a smart phone, then this one might be tough.
-
This is a February only challenge. I can’t guarantee it will run again.
-
While I do have some tips and tricks in the handbook, this is not a course. This is a self directed challenge. The benefit of joining the active seat is that it comes with the Facebook group so you have a community to help keep you accountable. I’ll be present in the Facebook group and also on the weekly calls.
-
The handbook is just the handbook.
The active seat comes with the handbook, the private Facebook group, the community of other artists, access to me to answer questions within the group and the weekly live calls.
Limited Time Only
--
Limited Time Only --
want to go it alone?
If you’re not quite ready to dive into the community, but still want to do the challenge. This one is for you! Here’s a copy of the handbook included in the challenge. Do the challenge on your own time, by yourself.
Workbook with inspiration & information
Prompts to help when you're feeling stuck
This is the standalone workbook. In order to be part of the community and live calls, please join the Active Seat.
