Self Portrait #1

Remember in my last post how I mentioned I'd be doing a self portrait?

Well, I've got a self portrait, but this isn't the one I had in mind back then. That one is still on the way.

False eyelashes are evil

Here it is:

Winter Faey

As usual, click for a larger image.

I'm not too sure where the idea came from, I just woke up and decided I'd do a self portrait that day. I think part of it was because I have a big window with a large enough windowsill to sit on too, and knew the light coming from it would be pretty nice in certain conditions.

So I figured out the best angle to capture from, grabbed a tripod (a rare occasion!) and set the camera up to work tethered to my computer. I put the computer where I could see it so this meant minimum shifting of positions. Finally, I had my wireless remote trigger. That little bit of kit is one of my best investments to date. It was also fun trying to conceal it in my hands in the images.

Here's a peek at the (simple yet effective) setup:

Simple!

I did try using a flash but it didn't look right at all. I resorted to using the natural light (which changed...often...) and long(ish) exposure times. And sitting very still. It wasn't very comfy sometimes to say the least. The neighbours probably thought I'd finally lost it.

And don't worry, it's not snowing here either. I know Wales is known for bad weather, but snow in September is....actually, probably possible. But I ended up taking a photo from my library of images that I took the last time it snowed. I figured a snow scene would work pretty well due to the type of lighting I had going on.

Finally, I always knew the image was going to look slightly cross processed. That wasn't going to change. I think it really works, and I'm really pleased with how this image turned out. I have some others I'm going to edit too, though this is one of my favourites.

In other news, I have a shoot in Margam Park coming up within the next few weeks! I'll be working with a model from Model Mayhem who lives near there, and we're gonna have a great time. I can't wait! I'm so excited. It's going to be a gothic fantasy/fairytale theme. She looks and sounds like she'll be a great person to work with and the experience will be new for both of us, since shooting is planned to take place from sunset until sometime into the night. And probably in spooky places, like graveyards. Yay!

A view of what's to come...

Recently I had an idea for a new shoot. This shoot will be different to my usual sort though...this time the model will be yours truly. It'll be a portrait kind of image, though my emphasis will remain strongly on fashion themes. So it's a lot less about me, and more about the final image. I'll just be sitting there looking dolled up to the nines.

I'm hoping the images turn out the way I want them to and the way I envision them in my mind's eye. It'll be fun and an exercise though so I'll get at least something out of it.

The website is coming along. I've not worked on it for a few days to give myself a break and to come up with new content for the gallery section. I'm also working on my summer project. Here's a preview of my site to date:

I was so happy when I got lightbox working! It took a bit of faffing around but I got there in the end. Still a WIP, obviously, so some of the images in the gallery section are just placeholders.

Enjoy!

P.S. Watch this space for updates on my new shoot idea.