A young man photographed himself working on a negative in a retouching stand in what appears to be a well-appointed private studio, captured in a real-photo stereoview format dating to the early twentieth century. He is seated in profile facing right, holding a drawing or tinting implement to a piece of work propped on the inclined board. The inscription "Self-portrait" written in ink appears along the lower right edge of the mount.

He wears a dark suit jacket and wire-rimmed spectacles, his short hair neatly combed, his expression focused downward toward his work. Behind him, a tall bookcase filled with volumes occupies the left background, while a pendant oil lamp hangs above the desk surface, which is covered with a floral-patterned cloth. Multiple framed pictures crowd the back wall, including a large formal portrait of a woman, and a carved wooden cabinet holds decorative ceramic objects and small bottles.

The quantity of framed artwork, books, and studio accessories visible throughout the room suggests the subject was an artist or draftsman of some means, and the self-referential nature of the composition demonstrates deliberate creative intent in both subject matter and format.