From the Camera to the Code The Photographic Self-Portrait Metamorphosis in Contemporary Visual Culture

Abstract

The photographic self-portrait has been transformed in the current context of visual culture, and artificial intelligence (AI) is impacting how images are created, distributed, and received. This article examines how algorithmic technologies are changing concepts of subjectivity, authenticity, and identity in both visual communication and the social sciences. Using a qualitative methodology based on a literature review and visual content analysis, we investigate the transformations in how a self-portrait is made and how the photographer, camera, and viewers interact. The findings show that artificial intelligence not only expands the expressive opportunities of self-portraiture but also transforms concepts of visual truth, agency, and authorship, creating a new paradigm for aesthetic and symbolic production in the digital environment.