Friday, March 23, 2007
Are We Meant To . . .
I'm still thinking about this whole photograph thing, but in a more philosophical bent today. Are we meant to see ourselves the way others see us? In a similar vein, are we meant to hear ourselves as others hear us? I've been self-conscious about my voice, more so in the past than now, and often wondered why we evolved so that we hear a different voice echoing around in our heads than other people hear coming out of our mouths. Other than clear pools of water, there is not much in nature that reflects us back to ourselves. We've invented mirrors and cameras in order to see ourselves. Perhaps it's unnerving to see photos of ourselves and hear our voices in recordings because we weren't necessarily intended to experience ourselves the way other experience us.
Part of the reason I'm messing with the camera and taking a bunch of photos of myself is to lose that oogy, disembodied feeling that comes from seeing myself. A desensitizing exercise. It's working a bit. And the photos are getting better. A few secrets I've learned for decent photos: 1) Seek kind lighting. 2) Profiles work well. 3) If you've got to do a full-face-forward shot, smile, but don't force it. Have someone make you laugh.
Part of the reason I'm messing with the camera and taking a bunch of photos of myself is to lose that oogy, disembodied feeling that comes from seeing myself. A desensitizing exercise. It's working a bit. And the photos are getting better. A few secrets I've learned for decent photos: 1) Seek kind lighting. 2) Profiles work well. 3) If you've got to do a full-face-forward shot, smile, but don't force it. Have someone make you laugh.
Labels: camera, how others see us, how we see ourselves, mirrors, photos, recordings, self-image, voice
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Looks
I've been practicing with my camera, being a real narcissist, taking pictures of myself. I've gotta tell you, I'm not photogenic in the least - me with the closed eyes or goofy expression when the shutter trips. Ugh! Most of the time, I hate seeing myself in pictures. I look all wrong, not the way I see myself in the mirror. Every once in a blue moon, someone catches me unawares with a natural smile on my face and I like the way I look. So my practice is about posing in a natural way in order to get a decent photo for my blog. Some of the photos I've taken aren't bad. The beauty of a digital camera is that I can delete the yucky ones. However, concentrating on how I look is also giving me a complex. I'm picking apart my features (okay, one particular feature) as though I was a teenager. Not fun! I saw a Christina Aguilera video this morning, and boy is that girl a looker! Gorgeous in her air-brushed beauty. As a grown woman pushing the big four-oh, I thought I was over this comparison. It's not healthy, no sir. I know better than to let myself spiral into self-loathing, so I gave myself a stern talking-to. I said, "Look, self, no one runs screaming from the room over your hideousness when you walk in. In fact, most people rather like you, so you can't be a total woofer. Besides, your husband thinks your gorgeous and he has excellent taste, so just knock it off already, won't you?" All better.
Labels: beauty, blog, camera, christina aguilera, husband, looks, photos, ugly
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Get Ready for Pictures
I don't want to get your hopes up, but I got a digital camera and scanner today. What this means is that soon I'll be able to post pictures to my blog. Whoopee! Now, I mustn't get too excited. There's still that learning curve to deal with. Gotta figure out how to operate both and then find a way to store the photos online so they'll upload to Blogger. When the first photo appears, you'll know that I've succeeded in the tasks that lay before me. Wish me luck.
Labels: blog, blogger, camera, pictures, scanner
