NY Times: You're Pointing Your Camera the Wrong Way

[Daniela]

I actually like that type portrait, especially if it shows some aspect of the person that would be unknown in a traditional pose.

While not much of a selfie-taker, I did do a series of “environmental self-portraits” a few years ago in a photography class. I forget what the actual assignment was but the series of 13 images each featured just my hands engaged in one of my many hobbies, interests, and passions. It was a fun challenge to set up each of the shots. They are viewable here:

http://www.codecooker.com/projects_visual_arts/index.php?f=photo-hip

That's a beautiful idea and project, Vince. I particularly like the one where you're drawing. Is that pointillism?

 

[VinceInMT]

That's a beautiful idea and project, Vince. I particularly like the one where you're drawing. Is that pointillism?

Thanks. Yes, I do lots of stippling. I am working on a new series which will probably take me about a year to complete. I will keep them under wraps until the series is done but I posted the first one in the gallery next to the reference photo I shot:

https://www.photrio.com/forum/media/sweet-tooth.67934/

What I have found, and I have mentioned this before, is that for me, photography has its limitations and, sometimes, I just can’t get an image I’ve shot to speak to me as I had envisioned it (searching for Barthes “punctum” probably). I’ve gone back and reshot the image, tried various techniques in the darkroom, and eventually realize that I just need to draw it instead. When I came to that conclusion I started going through my negative files and found that I have more drawings to do than life left to draw them. It’s not a bad problem to have.