I was hopeful that by tackling a weekly photo project this year instead of a daily one I’d be able to keep up. Unfortunately around the time of my last project entry at the beginning of the month I was juggling too many things. My son being in the ER and then home for the rest of the week threw me behind immensely though obviously he is my first priority! His being ill didn’t make my work go away though and when he was well enough to return to daycare I found it too difficult to carve out time for things I wasn’t being paid to do.
Earlier this year I teamed up with Pepper of Pepper Scraps for a weekly self-portrait project. I love that we’re both in this together to support and encourage one another! We invited others to participate via a wildly unpopular weekly linky. While we decided to do away with the linky, I still want to encourage everyone to snap more self-portraits. So frequently as both photographers and mothers we can forget to document ourselves.
I’ve wanted so badly to do some cool stuff like Elana teaches on Selfie Saturdays, but I can never bring myself to participate. Only part of it has to do with time. I know I’m afraid to be creative, take risks and portray myself in such a way. Mostly though, I think I’m just super lazy. It’s easier to turn the camera around at arm’s length and shoot. I think for the sake of actually learning anything from this project, I need to put a stop to that.
Right Now
I got an email earlier today from willette explaining her new Right Now weekly link-up. She challenges you to stop what you’re doing when you see her entry, whenever that is, and grab your camera to capture your life right at that very moment.
As I’ve been putting it off all week, I knew it’d be a good way to force me into taking my Project 52 shot so I dug out the remote release from my camera bag, set up the tripod, set up my exposure and shot myself working.
I have a couple of different jobs, one of which necessitates its own laptop so during the workday I have two laptops near me at all times. I don’t work in an office space, just sitting on the couch or a chair in our living room. Thank goodness for laptop desks!
If you hover over the photo above, you’ll see the shot specs and the “SOOC”. Ever since I started shooting exclusively in manual mode I almost always underexpose my shots. I know I do this and purposely overexpose according to the light meter by a couple of blips and it still comes out underexposed. I need to ignore my LCD, read my histogram and highlights and overexpose from the light meter by more than a few blips. If I look at my LCD, the photo always looks fine or way overexposed. It isn’t to be trusted!
Hopefully this is the last of the lame, unoriginal self-portraits and I’ll start taking this project seriously as a way to learn more about photography and unleash my creativity!
Its really hard sometimes as a mum to feel comfortable enough with ourselves to be the object of the photograph so I think this is probably a wonderful to taking steps towards self acceptance.
Im off to check out these links, you always inspire me & direct me to wonderful & informative sites.
Good luck with your project!!
Twitter: @PhotoLynda
Thank you so much Trish!
Twitter: @Buckeroomama
Kudos to you for even doing this project. I have to start doing some self-portraits one of these days.
Twitter: @PhotoLynda
Thanks!
Twitter: @ccnoffi
Cool project! I am so behind on my selfies. Gotta hop back in the game.
Twitter: @PhotoLynda
I so love that you’re doing so many selfies! You’re a gorgeous woman!
Twitter: @kg_photography
That’s so funny, because I mostly purposefully over expose my images. I just love the look. What a cool project. I’ve finally accepted that I can’t commit long term on challenges. There are a handful that I do religiously, but I have so much going on (plus I work full time) and I have to be honest with myself about my commitment level.
I should really make a calendar. That would help!
Twitter: @PhotoLynda
I am not underexposing on purpose. I’m trying to get them to be more exposed than they are, but I’m failing. That LCD is so deceptive.
I really like the “Project 52″ idea mostly because at the end of it, you have a set of 52 themed images. I’m not 100% sure about forcing it every single week, but deadlines and pressure can be good for creativity too.
Great job!
Twitter: @unicornbeauty
That’s an awesome shot, I wish I had a remote, I’ve just been using my timer which is a pain to setup on my camera. I’m glad to see you back into the game!
Twitter: @PhotoLynda
Thanks Pepper!
Is your camera compatible with a remote? If so, you should totally get one! They are pretty cheap. I got mine for about $10.
Twitter: @unicornbeauty
I never knew they were so cheap, I just bought one with my free gift cards from swagbucks! Awesome! Can’t wait to get it and try it out.