Shutter Sisters

show me yours

By

GOD this is impossible.

(sighs in disgust, hovers on DELETE)

Screw it. I can’t do this. I don’t know how anyone does this.

(yanks exposure slider to far right in frustration +3.35 stops)

Hey.

(ups brightness and contrast)  That’s kinda cool.

(cools temperature to 2250 – strong blues)  You know, I think that’s actually… me.

(opens raw file as JPG)

(fails to resist spot-removing bubonic cold sore with crust like g-d crème brûlée, thanks the gods for digital herpes cure, lifts middle finger to no one in particular in counter-salute to authenticity)

(runs action or two for zip, zing)

(saves)

++++

Something Cheeky is playful. Myinspiredheart and camera shy momma wear hearts on sleeves. Lucrecerb is pure… well, you know. And in those jeans, so does she. Miss 1979 is interpretive. Miss Vivienne gets grassy with her polaroid. Mainemomma revels in her mommahood. Cherryvanillastudios is ‘messy’, and sharp.photo is ‘drunk and dressed up’… and fabulous.

There’s nothing I admire more than a well-executed, patient, soulful self-portrait – except maybe one that’s impulsive and scruffy. Love ‘em all, props to all.

I’ve shown you mine, this keepsake. Hyper-processed, a slippery slope like that song you adored until the 472nd time you listened to it (and swore you’d never play again). But refreshing, in this rut, for being completely unlike anything I’ve done before. Reminiscent of the bliss and broodiness of being delicious in stiletto musk perfume, up to my neck in the decadence of my very own hotel room in my very favourite mistress-city.

Show me yours?

Comments

  2. I’m just getting into the self-portrait idea, but what got me going was frustration at all the pictures of my kids with everyone else, when reality it’s me who is always with them. And I want them to remember that some day. There are no pictures of my mom when I was a kid, because she was always behind the camera. That won’t be me. So thank you for showing me that it is okay for me to take some of just me. Because it is in these pictures I have taken that I am finally able to look and say, "Hey, that’s me. That’s who I AM." And I love it, for the first time in a long time. I am finally comfortable in my own skin, and I want to show it more!

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/naturemama/2933939758/

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/naturemama/2859918664/in/set-72157605948350432/

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/naturemama/2971424478/
    Taken by my 3 yr. old son, but on my prompting.

  3. thanks kate, i do admire those ladies out there doing those SP’s 365 or heck even 52! i find it THE HARDEST SHOT. i like behind not up front. but i must try harder. definitely inspiration and introspection. xoxo
    your sp is gorgeous. you look like a mermaid with those blues and greens in your long hair. a gorgeous mermaid.

  9. Despite the fact that its blurry and slightly askew, I love this picture. I think it looks like a painting.

    http://flickr.com/photos/aveleigh/2999099266/

    I took it within days of purchasing my first dslr, so I was full of picture taking hope, but had only had the time to experiment indoors. I quickly ran out of things I wanted to photograph, so I decided to face the mirror (and my fear of self-portraits). It’s still one of my favourite photos of myself.

    That’s a lovely picture of you.

  16. art is art is art. i love it.
    thanks for including me in the props too, these photos are superb! (plus i totally wish i could find a pair of jeans like Lucrecerb!) everyone has a story and it comes through again and again with photography.

  18. Ack! self portraits – too hard! Especially when you follow someone like Kirsten at Something Cheeky. That woman has seriously raised the bar. I can’t seem to get "me", and I don’t have time (because my computer’s really slow and well time is just precious) to do post processing to achieve a "look". But these comments have inspired me, maybe one of these days…

  20. Yikes. Self-portraits scare me… I started with my feet/shoes, thanks to mainemomma. And just recently, once again inspired by this online community (especially by Something Cheeky!), I thought I’d expand the focus. I felt the need to manipulate the images to reflect how I was feeling that day. The image would likely be different today. And so, this was me:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jagspace/2965712418/in/set-72157606965585684/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jagspace/2964884089/in/set-72157606965585684/

    xox

  32. Ouch I am Always on the other side of the camera…always have been. But you challenged me to step outside myself and put myself right out there lol. So I played around with PSP settings. I couldn’t replicate your photo (which I think is great) but I came up with some strange effects!

    I’m in my PJ’s here because I came home this am sick from work. I spent the day in bed. But I finally felt well enough to grab the camera and head for the bathroom mirror lol.

    I think THIS one is my fav. I love blue..and I like how my camera stands out from everything else.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jodyangel/3000727522/

    Hmm I might delete this one. Just too bland maybe?
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jodyangel/2999885535/

    This is abstract art lol.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jodyangel/3000727320/

    And this..is the original photo =) Pjs and all.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/jodyangel/3000720124/

    This was fun!!

  34. I just found shutter sisters and am so excited! I loved looking at all the self portraits on here. Really awesome!
    I have three- the standard "me and my camera" and a couple others I took while my boyfriend was living across the country and never got to see me. (He’s back now!!)

    http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3236/2935977788_23c1ea2498_o.jpg

    http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3038/2930628756_0fe7a4644e_b.jpg

    http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3111/2739574754_3c4c408753_o.jpg

  35. oh my goodness… I was totally not thinking when I posted those links. the only thing worse than looking at your own self portraits is looking at them that BIG!!
    sorry to anyone who clicked! 🙂

  48. i was waiting at home for my boyfriend (at the time) to show up and escort me to a concert…he forgot, no malice, just flakiness. while waiting, i enjoyed the sunny spring light after a long, dark, rainy winter, and played about with my camera. it was a good day.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/lilybeth29/2450793334/in/set-72157594587515983/

    a little girlier
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/lilybeth29/2450793830/in/set-72157594587515983/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/lilybeth29/2885778113/in/set-72157594587515983/

    summery
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/lilybeth29/2648909750/in/set-72157594587515983/
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/lilybeth29/2972734908/in/set-72157594587515983/

  50. One step down from a root canal . . . that’s how I’d say it feels to take a self portrait. I was at the dentist yesterday for my regular check up, and was brave enough to schedule in 5 fillings for my next appointment . . . so what’s a few photos after all? And just out of curiosity . . . what in the world happens to perfectly good teeth after you have kids, anyhow?! Geez FIVE fillings on just one side! I hadn’t had a cavity in 15 years! Aw well.

    Here’s my contribution to your challenge:

    http://thekreativelife.blogspot.com/2008/11/self-portraits-of-frumpy-housewife.html