PHOTOGRAPHERS AND SELFPORTRAITS

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Like so many of my fellow photographers, I KNOW why I am behind the lens and not in front of it, tee hee, lol!
It is not a bad thing, it helps me in understanding clients who feel the same, I can empathize with them, they soon feel more at ease!
However, what if you have an idea, you want to try out something, a new lighting experiment, or even, you are by yourself on a beach, you see a scene... no MODEL!!! What do you do????????
Then you have 2 choices... no image... or you, yourself have to be the model! That's why I acquired so many 'self portraits', but I've learned a lot through it... I still don't like it... but it was worth it!


Photo 1. sometimes you have to be 'you own model'. if you want the image!
A shell or a piece of stone, a small mark in the sand, camera on tripod... result, tee hee.

Photo 2. One of my favourite places to stand and stare...
I took the shot using the D70's remote control to trigger the self timer. I placed a stone in the sand near the water's edge. Composed the shot and prefocused on the spot, I then set the self timer on my camera for a 20 second delay, which gave me just enough time to trigger the camera and run down and stand on the spot I had marked. It took me a couple of takes, you can see the prints where I was too much to the right!


Photo 3. IN CAMERA.
I'd set up the lights, my Hasselblad on a tripod, the Nikon F4 with 24mm lens, on another tripod looking onto the mat glass of the Blad. You still with me? hihi.. Marked everything on the floor, where I had to stand exactly, cable release in my hand or under my foot(pump). Not for the fainthearted hihi.
Needless to say I ended up with a whole series of pics, it was fun.


Photo 4. Another lighting exercise in the studio.
This is b/w Polaroid which gives you not just the instant image but also a 4x5 negative.

This image is part of an ongoing photo book project on ‘soul mirrors.’

I always prefer natural light, but studio light has its advantages, anytime, anywhere…
This was taken late at night, I had already tried quite a few different set-ups, wanted something different, this IS the one.

Camera used: Techn Cam 4x5
Lens used: Rodenstock 180
Film used: Polaroid 55 pro neg. 4x5

The frame is natural, from the torn-off Polaroid paper.



Photo 5. I brought in the garden lights ( 8 plastic tubes with LED lights inside), decided to have some fun with them in the studio again. Here I'm using 2 tubes, I tried different techniques with the studiolights, to freeze me=washed out the lights too much.
So, the old joke was always that photographers do it in the dark! Here's PROOF!
Thanx ! M, (*_*)