Monday, March 2, 2009

52 Self Portraits: Week 6

I think I'm about two weeks late for this one. I had so much to do around the house the last couple of weeks, I couldn't spend the time I needed to get some photos.

I had an idea for this photo that I found on the Ikea website. Unfortunately I'm not able to find it. It was is a photo with a chair in the foreground lit by a lamp just behind it. The photo was white balanced for the tungsten bulb in the lamp, blue color cast on the background. I wasn't able to achieve it with this photo, so, this week's photo (Week 7) is another attempt at it.

52 Self Portraits: Week 6 (by John Brainard)

A friend from Church had called to ask if I'd meet him for breakfast the next morning while I was working on my self portrait project for the week. I thought it would a perfect opportunity to get some "candid" shots of myself, as if that's possible.... At least, I wasn't concentrating as much on posing as I was talking on the phone. I certainly wouldn't pick up the phone and pretend to be on it!

Keep an eye out for Week 7 very shortly (next day or so). I'm closer to what I wanted to achieve with that one, but not quite.

UPDATE: Here are the images I was inspired by. I suspect I'll need a tighter light pattern from my CTO'd flash in order to accomplish the look I'm going for. My gold reflective umbrella spills too much light onto the background making it difficult to control the lighting in that area. One of my next purchases will likely be the Lumiquest FXtra gel holder for each of my flashes. I may even spring for a Soft Box III.

6 comments:

Beau A.C. Harbin said...

Good job John. I like the idea of the light through the chair. It gives an abstract feel to the image. But then I wonder if it maybe pulls focus way from you who is the main subject. Still a neat idea. I think you are on something here. Keep playing around and sharing your results.

John Brainard said...

Thanks Beau... If you're talking about the light on the blinds, I agree.. I wanted something more subtle than what I came up with. Next time maybe.

Beau A.C. Harbin said...

Yeah that is what I meant. Looks like an axe or something coming at you. :-)

John Brainard said...

It kind of reminded me of a bonsai tree. :-)

Beau A.C. Harbin said...

Two creative guys with very different ideas. What does that say about us? Too funny.

John Brainard said...

It says now that the weather's going to be warming up, we should get together and check out some cemeteries in the area.

There's a pretty old one by the Taylor Wesleyan Church and tons of others, I'm sure.