Like Frida Kahlo I love doing self portraits. Early in my photography career it was a way to try out different techniques, such as lighting, posing, locations etc.. I would set up my tripod, work on the focus point and jump into the scene and then analyze the result. It became a learning tool, that quickly became another art form for me and a vehicle of discovery of myself.
With self portraits, at least mine, I am tapping into a vulnerable part of self- sharing my soul and my emotional state at that moment. Different from a selfie with my iPhone where it is typically a smiling spontaneous image, sharing a location or cute makeup, although you can get some nice self portraits with your phone as well you just have to put a little thought into it. For me it is a creative outlet another part of my art- where my “client” is so patient and she will do whatever I need to get the shot.
This group that I call #17 was taken on Monday. I could not get myself together and get dressed…I stayed in my nightgown all day-dealing with a bit of being overwhelmed with a laundry list of “to do-s” but I took a moment to capture my feelings and document-
Do you do selfies? Have you played around with self portraits? If no, try it…you will be surprised at what you discovery.
“Because I am so often alone…because I am the subject I know best.” Frida Kahlo
Xoxo,
Gigi