We demonstrated an experimental observation of self-trapping and self-deflection of a two-dimensional optical beam by the photorefractive effect at telecommunication wavelengths under an applied dc field. Self-trapping is effective for an intensity range related to the intensity-temperature resonance known for two-wave mixing in InP:Fe. The photorefractive index change giving rise to the trapping is measured at10−4,while the photorefractive space-charge field is measured at about 50 kV/cm, ten times higher than the applied field. We show experimentally that this index change creates a waveguide that can be used to guide a second beam at 1.55 &mgr;m. ©1997 American Institute of Physics.