Self Portrait

Before I came to Missoula I thought a self portrait meant standing in front of your camera and smiling in order to have a photo for your website, business cards, etc.  Now I have seen the light!  Apparently in the world of photographers a self portrait means much more than that.  It can mean placing yourself in the scene as a character other than yourself; it can mean using yourself as the model because you don't have one or can't afford one; it can be a photo of yourself that represents you in some way; or it can be just parts of you, say hands or feet, etc.

After being inspired by the creative self portraits of my classmates, I made my first attempt.  My vision was a retro scene of a woman near a window that conveyed a feeling of mystery and sadness.  This is what unfolded.

Tech Specs: 32mm, f 4.5, 1/80 sec, back light from window

I composed the image in black and white, wore the scarf around my head, and used the prop cigarette to help get the feel I wanted.  Overall I was very pleased with the image.

I'll leave you with my latest "Only in Montana Moment".  While driving earlier this week I saw a large sign near the road advertising "hummingbirds and 60 different kinds of licorice for sale".  I can't believe no one in Salt Lake has come up with this concept for a store.  It's genius.