This self portrait shows Mapplethorpe in a playful mode where he leans into the frame, his arm stretched out to reach the opposite side of the picture plane, with his eyes fixed on the camera lens and a giddy expression on his face. This image, like his earlier Polaroids, differs from his later self-portraits which saw him taking on different personas. While this early example lacks the control and precision of those later works, it emphasises his curiosity for balance, geometry and composition. Mapplethorpe’s appearance is also very different here; instead of the serious glare and polished appearance of many of his self-portraits, he looks relaxed and disheveled, with unkempt hair and goatee beard.