Shooting for LE and MCP

This morning, I worked on my assignments for Lighting Essentials and MCP Actions' separate 52 Week projects.  They just so happen to be the same this week - shooting something around the house.  LE asks us to use our immediate environment to elaborate on a mission statement.  I'll have that up later this week.  But I wanted to post a few outtakes up here. I was experimenting this morning with a concept I've had in mind for a while.  The great portrait artists all manage to capture this brilliant depth in their images - a feeling that the subject is very intimately involved with the viewer.  When you're looking at a page of images, that doesn't seem difficult to accomplish.  But it really, really is. So my idea with this was to speak to my camera.  Yes, I literally spoke aloud about photography, about trying to be "cool", whatever else came out of my mouth.  I was hoping that by speaking intensely about things I am passionate about or scared about, etc. I could show some of that on my face, in a totally unstaged way.  I've been thinking this might be a good way to get that depth in my portraits.  I imagine it would be easier to do with two people than me trying to time it right.  To not get photos with my mouth open, I still had to stop every now and then to let the shutter click.  I have just three of these (two here plus my submission) but they seem genuine to me - this is how I think I look. And then there are these.  I do enjoy the gigantic windows in my apartment, except when I'm trying to sleep in.

San Diego Hotel Self-Portrait

I'm finally, finally home this morning, after a grueling 12 hour delay in Phoenix.  I'm thrilled to be home, but totally out of it from sitting in an airport all day yesterday and spending the night in an airplane.  I hope to be back to my usual perky self in no time. Meanwhile, I have quite a backlog of images to work with from San Diego.  Here's my hotel room portrait selection for San Diego's US Grant hotel.  I really dug this hotel, as it is a historic place but they do a really good job of incorporating modern accents and amenities.  The beds were comfy too. This suite (free upgrade, sucka!) had some of the best scenes for photography and great windows with lovely diffuser curtains.  Unfortunately, I was only there for two nights - one of them an arrival at 10:30pm.  There were other places I could have worked my self-portrait mojo, but I loved this chair-against-frames-on-wall look.  So here are a bunch of outtakes for your viewing pleasure. I might change my mind and make this last one here my official selection.  I can do that; I have the power.

Playing with Strobes

When my husband leaves for any amount of time, there's a good chance I'll turn to my strobes for entertainment.  My studio lights are oldies but goodies and they are powerful suckers.  I think the strobes appeal to me so much because I can do all kinds of goofy stuff, be properly exposed, and be inside my house.  If I tried to get all these shots using daylight, everybody would see me and that would be really embarrassing.  I get to show only the best stuff here.  For instance, you're not going to see my unsuccessful jumping shots where my shirt flew up and my big belly was jiggling mid-flight.  Yup, I'll keep those under wraps (in the trash bin). What do you get to see is my attempt at a "beauty" shot, on the left.  I'm working here with a 35mm lens on a cropped sensor camera, so we're very close to normal.  Still, my nose looks slightly larger than it is (promise!).  I should have tilted my chin down just a tiny bit, but alas these are the problems with self-portraits! The other really great thing about strobes is the very fine control you have over where and how light is falling.  I assure you, I do not look this thin - it's partially my hair obscuring part of my face and partially the shadow created by the placement of the light.  The most basic setup is called Rembrandt lighting - it's very flattering. And to satisfy my vanity, I did what for me is quite a bit of Photoshop on this image - editing out blemishes, softening up my pores, adjusting lightness in my eyes, and cloning the really badly chapped bits of my lips - always an issue for me but doubly so in winter. Below you'll find a few more images from my playing around. These were all taken in my "studio."  If you are in need of some headshots, drop me a line.