I use an Olympus C-5050 Zoom digital camera, with an infrared remote control. (My previous camera was an older generation of this one, called the C-2020 Zoom.) As far as I know, this Olympus series (C-5050, C-6060, etc.) are the only digital cameras out there with a remote control.

I set the camera up on a tripod and use the camera's infrared remote controller to take the photos. I also set up a mirror behind the camera so I can check my pose (and my smile! |-). I have one of those 4-foot dressing mirrors, which I bought at Woolworth's all those years ago. The mirror is fairly light so I can usually stand it up behind to the camera, leaning on a chair or something. It's easy to look sexy for the camera when I know exactly what/how I look like.

To soften the on-camera flash's harsh lighting, I tape a piece of translucent plastic over it.

To avoid having to hold & hide the remote control in my hand, I use self-adhesive hook-and-loop tape, a length of elastic, and a safety pin, to "hang" the remote control off of my clothing, hidden from the camera, kinda like this.

Composition is fairly straight forward. If I'm taking the photos against a blank wall, I use bits of blue masking tape on the wall to mark the camera's field of view. Black tape electrical would probably work better, as you can see the tape more clearly.

If the photo is against a more complex background, I use "landmarks" in the background (door frames, furnitures, marks on the floor, etc.) to check the framing.