Then I remembered my trusty tripod and remote. Baby was sleeping, I had some time, so I tried more self portraits.
I think Blaire's self portraits are so cute, clever, and pretty that I wanted to try some more of my own. I had to be brave!
I used manual settings and manual focus and I learned a lot!
Mostly, I learned that I like myself better when I'm out of focus.
(Warning: You are going to get really tired of looking at me, me, me!)
Oops, a little to close to the camera. I don't have Photoshop, but when I was uploading my photos into PictureProject, I clicked a little button called "Enhance Dark Tones" and voila, it made me look a little Vogue-ish, don't you think?
50mm, 1/80 sec, F/2, ISO 400
50mm, 1/80 sec, F/2, ISO 200, +2 EV
50mm, 1/80 sec, F/2, ISO 400I cropped in because I thought it was cool that you could see the big window I'm staring into, plus a silhouette of my tripod, in the reflection of my eye.
50mm, 1/80 sec, F/2, ISO 200My entire face is in focus, plus the lower ISO makes everything clearer. More real. I think it makes me look like I'm on a prairie with the wind blowing or something natural like that.
50mm, 1/80 sec, F/2, ISO 400Looks like an author's picture on the back of a book, don't you think?
50mm, 1/80 sec, F/2, ISO 400The exposure is very blown-out, but I like the effect here.
50mm, 1/80 sec, F/2, ISO 400Remember "Glamour Shots" in the mall? Total 90's fad.
50mm, 1/80 sec, F/2, ISO 400A study in asymmetry.
50mm, 1/80 sec, F/2, ISO 400
50mm, 1/80 sec, F/2, ISO 400
50mm, 1/80 sec, F/2, ISO 200
See how everything is sharper in this photo than the other color ones just above it? The only thing I altered was the ISO.
I've never had a subject hold still, move to different angles, let me change settings and try again. We are our worst critic's after all, so I was able to be honest with myself about the quality of the shot. Within an hour I couldn't believe how many different "looks" I achieved with my camera, just by experimenting and having a little patience.
My advice to anyone who is going to try this? Bump up your ISO (or have a +EV). I found an ISO of 400 instead of 200 softened my features (so that every freckle, mole, and pockmark wasn't in detail) and gave the images a more "artistic" look.
Now, enough! Moving on...
4 comments:
Hey thanks for the advice w. the ISO. Way to make the most of a canceled church day. Your self portraits are lovely. What great practice. Ok Blaire.. you've started something here. I might have to give it a trial run.
These are great! I need to do this sometime! about that awesome picture of the cutest little foot, I really do not know anything about it. I just loved it! Someones stomach and some little ones foot are pretty famous now!
The black and white ones are my favorite, esp the eyes and the one you claimed to be the back of the book picture. I'll try too, you know when I try everything else:)
Aren't you the coolest. I love them Cathy! And am even more impressed that you posted them, but that just goes to show what a confident woman you are! I'm not even attempting something like that until I get my hair done. I don't need memories of my roots. :)
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