A Question for Simone
Do you start with a desired result ( a photo depicting you as calm, wild, regal, confident, etc) and strike a pose that you think will display that or do you simply have a picture taken and then analyze the result to decide what characteristics it best displays?
Hello! Excellent question! Almost all the photos I share are selfies. I credit those taken by others so if there's no name in the comments, it's a selfie. I started photographing myself because it was something I enjoyed doing and I didn't know why, so to begin with, I was looking at the photos to understand myself better. I simply took photos of myself however I felt like it at the time in an attempt to capture my authentic self. Initially I exaggerated the poses and used too much direct sunlight in an attempt to really highlight and express how I was feeling. As I learnt more about photography, the photos changed, what I was looking at in the images changed and the way I set up the shoots has also changed.
I almost never have a specific shot in mind when I begin, more of a starting point (usually the location in the house or yard), then I see what I can do with the lighting in that spot, and then I put myself in the shot and see how I feel in the space. I'm usually trying to capture something about an attitude or a mood that I'm feeling. Not sure if that answers the question?? :) nude hugs
You did answer the question and in the process showed me that the question was more complicated than I had thought when I posted it. As I understand your answer you begin with a fuzzy sort of general result in mind then take the product of that and examine it as a tool for self discovery. It actually makes perfect sense to me. Both academically and professionally I have sometimes set out to do one thing but ended up doing something entirely different but doing it very, very well. Thanks for the response.
I also now understand why the photos need to be selfies and why nude. If someone else takes the photo then we introduce their creativity into the equation. Nice for art but not so nice for self discovery as those photos will show us as they see us rather than how we are. Similarly, the selfies have to be nude as the use of clothing introduces far too many variables and, as in life, can totally hide the true self we are trying to discover.
I haven't taken many selfies in recent times but with this thread in mind I may try taking some more.
Thank you, yes I love your insights! Having others photograph me has been a very different process and result. My husband tends to take shots that, to my eye, are the closest to what I might capture myself but photographers that are just looking for their own image see something very different and the resulting image doesn't always feel quite like me to look at. The collaboration dilutes the essence of self...even though it might result in a better image.
And as you say, clothing tells me about my culture and socio-economic status, and other aspects of my socially constructed identity but less about my authentic self.
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