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Thursday, October 14, 2010

Taking a good hard look at myself

First, I would like to thank you for leaving the loveliest comments on my last post. It was something written down on a whim, to help me remember a sweet flash in time, a Mama moment. I was touched by your words and thoughts. I wanted to reply to all of you but, there were less sweet moments needing attention and I could not quite keep up. Just know you have put a wee skip in my get-along.

Now for something completely different...





Yup, that's me. A whole lot of me.
It is extremely hard to take photos of oneself I've discovered. The old 'arms length routine' makes you look dour, when really you're just trying to keep from dropping the camera. It seems near impossible to not capture a sad, angry, or constipated look...and when you try to look happy or joyful, you merely come out looking insane. There are a few 'pleasant' looking photos, where you turn out the perfect 'back jacket author photo'...of a New Age Mystery novel. Or, there is that one that would make the perfect cover for a Joan Baez Tribute album. And there is no such thing as a 'candid' self portrait.

What is harder still, is showing said photos to the world. Yikes! So why am I doing it? A few of you have asked me to but, that is not the sole reason. You see, about a year ago I had this little thought. It was not particularly original, and it was rather silly. The thought kept popping up and so, well here we go.

For the next few months I will be taking a self portrait a week. It's a project, an experiment really. I will most likely post these pictures to my flickr pages. It is a challenge I have oddly set for myself, and so beyond my comfort zone. Part photography lesson, part daring myself to do something different, and part taking a good hard look at myself. To see if I can see myself, or something cosmic like that. All of the above photos were taken on the same day at different times.

I don't know how long the experiment will last, most likely until I discover that deep down I'm a narcissist and run away with myself or, until I grow weary of it. I may miss some weeks but, I'm not too strict on these things. I feel slightly terrified and completely ridiculous but, I'm doing it anyway.

and Cath, this one's for you!

18 comments:

  1. Do you know what - even though I've seen photos of you before, I am always slightly shocked to see that you are not, in fact a Muppet! Perhaps I take things too literally...

    I think your photos are great but, even more, I love what you've written. My self-portraits are weird, too. But to photograph yourself every week is quite a good challenge.

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  2. Boy I'm sure a lucky guy to have married such a beautiful, charming and funny woman.

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  3. Wow! I love your hair it's gorgeous!!!

    A guy did something similar to yourself in that he took a picture of himself everyday for two years (I think it was this long it may have been longer). Anyway he put it on YouTube and it makes for quite interesting viewing.

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  4. This a bit like seeing photo's of actors in radio plays or finally meeting people you have spoken to a lot on the phone or just heard a lot about.You get a mental image in your mind of how someone looks, and lo and behold they don't really look like that at all! Oddly you look a bit like my friend Jo. But boy oh boy does Pony Girl look like her Mama or what! Fab idea.

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  5. You're such a beautiful Mama, Mama! xo

    Good luck with your self imposed photography challenge, I'd join you but fear for next couple of months it would look more morgue-mug-shot than 'inner self'...!

    PS Don't let The Engineer read your comments, some Andrew guy thinks he's married to you too... :p

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  6. I love seeing pictures of my bloggie friends! I think you're just beautiful! I know what you mean about how hard it is to get the good photos, though. I have yet to add anything to my "about" page because I haven't come up with one that's "right," whatever that means. I wonder what would happen if you put the camera on a timer and set it up in front of you? Maybe you'd mistakenly get some good candids?

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  7. Oh My god I am so thrilled to see you!!! Pony girl looks exactly like you!!
    Look at your beautiful eyes! And those lips!!

    It is hard to get a picture of yourself - hence half my face being cut off and admire your challenge and willl be watchig on flickr. xx
    which cath are you poking your tongue out at? there are a few of us.

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  8. Oh my dear...
    You look so sweet...
    Not a wrinkle to your gorgeous face...
    and that amazing hair!!!
    Pony girl looks so much like you...
    I am thrilled, you are so brave to do this...
    I take 30 photo and then I am only half happy with maybe one...
    I end up with the cropped pic in the end...
    Can't wait to see more pics...

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  9. You're gorgeous! and your daughter does look just like you! I love your self portrait project, good for you! I posted a self portrait to my facebook page once & everyone said I looked psychotic, so that was quickly replaced with a candid family shot...

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  10. so sweet, and the pictures are all great in their own ways (and yes your hair is gorgeous, i agree with comment above)! you are brave, i'm so not in that place in life that in that place in life where i would be able to post photos of myself like this (other that shoe posts:), it's a great challenge! yes, perhaps one day i too can dare go down that path... looking forward to this project:)

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  11. Bless your heart, you are so pretty and you have such perfect skin...oh to be your age again (sigh). Anyway you are brave, I think this is hard no matter how attractive someone is and you are so fuuny too. Good luck with this, I hope you find or see what you are looking for.

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  12. I would never have guessed that the Engineer was a soppy date... how lovely!
    I must say, you do constipation very prettily! x

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  13. Hi Alex
    Thanks for your kind comments over at mine :-)
    I love this post and the photos !!
    It is so very important to "look" at ourselves isn't it? Though I am one of those who tends to glance in mirrors, not wanting to pause too long and be shocked !!
    Your hair is gorgeous and how I hope mine will be when it has grown a bit more. Growing takes such a long time!
    Have a fab weekend,
    Denise x
    A great challenge - well done you.

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  14. How fun, I love to see what my bloggy buddies look like. What an amazing abundance of flow-y curling hair! I am surprised that you are not a red head. I imagined you as a redhead.

    Looking forward to your new experiment. You do keep thing interesting.

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  15. This would be torture for me, so I think you are quite amazing setting yourself a challenge like this.

    Having said that it is lovely to see you, gorgeous hair - and my, little pony girl is just like her mama! x

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  16. I'm also in love with your hair.

    I think once you have posted that first photo of yourself and thought "that is me and I don't want to photoshop myself" you come to find it easier to post snaps. I cringe at every photo of myself. (Do I really have that many wrinkles? Man, I thought my hair was pretty good today but apparently not. etc) But it is who I am and I want to be happy with that. I hold out hope lol.

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