A challenge was presented this week by another photographer whose blog I love to read. This challenge was for photographers to step in front of the camera. There were several reasons, one because we can’t ask our clients to do it if we are not willing to, and two, so that people can know WHO we are.
I truly believe that you can learn so much about a person from their photograph if they are being honest in it. By honest I mean, being their true selves. So here is my presentation of my self portrait. Leah said that we could have someone else take the photos, and although I recently had my portrait done by my friend Karey I still felt a need to express myself. The photos Karey took were at a photographers convention in Las Vegas. Not exactly a location I would call “me”.
A few bloopers to begin…where am I? These photos are small because they are NOT flattering (or I lost my head). The red gloves were wrong, I hadn’t thought about them I was just cold. Then my pose was wrong. Oooh, and that hair! I took the jacket off because it looked tight (it’s not) but apparently I still don’t look good in washed out colors. Yuck! After checking these photos I was about ready to give up. I had an hour or so to myself but plenty of other things I could have been doing. I had two choices, give up and wait until another day when I had time to do my hair, or go with it and see what happened. I went with the latter and I’m really glad.
I LOVE hats but most of all, I hate being cold! Don’t get me wrong, I love the cold weather I just don’t like actually being cold. I’ve also always wanted to take my self portrait with this hat on. This hat always feels very Alaskan too me (I got it at the Alaska state fair) which is where I grew up and is so me. But being that it’s pink is also a new expression of who I’ve become. – point of info, I didn’t wear pink until after I got married and now my closet is full of it!
Ok, so another couple bloopers. My eyes look ha-lariously, unnaturally, huge in this first photo and I think I made myself mad in the second.
This is one of my favorite. The sun kept peaking in and out of the clouds and here it shown and made my usually dark eyes sparkle. I love close-up and personal photos like this one. Foreheads are not always needed!
Haha, who was I laughing at? and………oops I missed! Every time I moved the camera I had to re-aim and let’s just say I don’t have the best aim.
This one I’m actually using on my business Christmas Card. I love the light and the color and who knows what made me so happy. Actually, my trick was to think of my children and pretend like they were there with me. Then I was able to fake a smile but make it feel real. 
This is for my Mom. I’m assuming she would say it looks the most like she pictures me! The second photos here is a shot of where I was. My ugly shed in my yard. You can kind of see the tripod in front of the pile of boards. This is to show that you can make photos in unusual places.
A little outfit change. Another new expression of me mixed with the old. I use to always wear long-sleeves with short sleeve over and a fleece vest. The short hair and J-Crew hat is definitely the new expression of self.
I was using a remote, not a self-timer but this totally looks like a missed self-timer shot. Oh and in the right photo I’m dancing. All alone. Oh well.
I had to lean back and just laugh at myself. It was pretty funny because I was ALL alone!
Love this one! I try to get the White balance (the warmth of the colors) to match up but the sun was so in and out that some pictures are really cool and others warm. 
Up until this time I had left Moose hooked up because if I sit on the ground all he wants to do is get in my face and be loved and that would be a bit awkward for a portrait. I decided to let him off so I could snap a few shots with him. Yeah. Nice thought. He wanted nothing to do with it. I waited and waited and tried different spots away from the camera.
Can you just hear him saying in this photo, “Whatever Mom.”
I LOVE his eye with the sun in them but of course he didn’t. What a lovable guy!
If you’ve stuck with me this long (hi Mom) I plan to re-use some of these photos for Tuesday tip day. The plan for the next several tips was to focus on photographing in the snow but since we don’t have snow yet I think I’ll change it up a bit until we do. I’ve always wanted to show some more before and after editing photos but didn’t want to focus on anyone else’s “fixes”. They aren’t fixes they are just smoothings. I think it helps us focus on the real person and not the zit or the dry skin. So get your learners ready for Tuesday!
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