Monday afternoon I decided to shoot some portraits and did a fairly quick makeup job to get some done. But I was terribly bored by the whole process, and less than thrilled with what was coming out of the shoot. So I decided to take my frustration out on my costume and photograph the destruction.
That’s a wig I I cut a big hole in just to play around. Why wear them like normal when you’ve taken 8,000 + photos of yourself in them that way already? I’d also already seriously messed up my makeup by the time I took that shot, which was one of the last ones I took. Here’s a shot of the makeup before I destroyed it:
The eyeshadow was all glitter, but it was a rush job so it wasn’t all that thrilling anyway. And that’s the wig with the hole already cut in, and my real hair sticking out of the top. I actually kinda liked the way it looked when worn like this. One thing I’ve decided I don’t like, though, is shooting portraits against a white backdrop. I think I’ve mentioned this before, but it really does a number on my lighting and makes the colors weak. If nothing else, I need to learn some better lighting techniques when working against white. Working with gray or black backgrounds is easier for the type of portraits I like to shoot; much more dramatic results with better color and contrast. I am not skilled enough to know why, that’s just my observation.
Here’s one more, taken when I decided to rip into the black top I was using and just basically mess with it as much as I could beyond wearing it like, you know, a shirt.
That would be me sticking my head through a sleeve, or attempting to anyway. My husband walked into the office at this point in the shoot and I told him I was attempting to give birth to myself through it, which made sense at the time. I still like the description, as it does rather sum up what I was trying to do. Without getting whiny about it, I’m bored again.
Even though I found the shoot frustrating and didn’t enjoy taking them at the time, I found some nice ones to process, and in looking at them now I’m reminded a lot of the old portraits I used to do, back when my camera was incredibly old and I had no lighting or backdrops or costumes or makeup skills, and my lenses were so crappy I couldn’t take anything but portraits (full-length shots were out of the question). Back then, I’d throw on a t-shirt and a wig and grab whatever was nearby and just make it work. And I’d keep shooting until I hit on something interesting, like ripping up a wig or a shirt, and I’d just go town with that idea. Part of the problem is I’ve done it all by this time (including wearing tops the wrong way and ripping up costumes, although ripping up a wig was new) and so I get less excited about doing it again. But some of the photos actually were interesting, so it wasn’t a loss even if I felt unenthusiastic at the time.
I did sign up for an online class to learn how to create composite shots the proper way; as educational an exercise as it may be for me to take a little photoshoot trip back in time, I also need to keep moving forward, and I just can’t get there on my own. I really want to create more whimsical and fantastical stuff, which takes me beyond what I can do here in my studio. I’ve reached a point where, without knowing more, I don’t even want to try, because I don’t want to deal with the frustration of trying to figure it out on my own. So I hope these classes can help with that. In the meantime, I may do more playing around with the simple stuff like I did here. The end results weren’t that bad after all.
mareymercy. 
“Terrific” !! You never disappoint.
Thanks Ronnie 🙂
I rather like them 😦
🙂 oops
LOL! I like them too, I was just bored by the process of taking them. I think I’m tired of posing for shots LOL
Take a break 😛
I’ve been thinking about it, at least from portraits. That’s why I’m taking the class, so as I move forward with them I can at least be doing different things. I’ve taken so many pics of myself I don’t have much left to do!
I liked photo number two (It should be titled “GRRR”; you resemble Sandra Bullock in that one, or perhaps she resembles you?!) I also liked number three. It piqued my interest.
Yeah, that’s my favorite one too!
These are nice and whatever flaws may appear to have to you on your screen, do not show up on your WP site. There must be ways you can re-process your older shots, maybe by turning a set sepia or b/w.
Hmmm, I think I mis-communicated with this post, because several comments have implied that I didn’t like the shots. What I meant was that I got bored by posing for them, not by the photos that resulted from the shoot (so, i was bored or dissatisfied during shooting, not after, in other words). I’m just tired of posing LOL. I guess I didn’t state my thoughts very well! But thanks 🙂
I also botched my sentence, as usual here. Anyway, I politely disagree with Lana, don’t take a break! These are always fun for us. 😀
Ah yes, internet communication. Always something to mess up. 😉 Anyway I have considered taking a break, but just from portraits, until I can learn how to do some new things.
I guess the question boils down to, are you posing for you, or are you posing for us.
I understand the boredom that comes with taking pictures of yourself, been there, but if you are doing it for us, then the positive feedback should compensate for some of the boredom.
The acceptance level of your peers is phenomenal.
Realistically, you are very attractive woman and it appears to be next to impossible to take a really bad picture of yourself.
Why stop when you are producing photos that your followers love?
Maybe you need to stop looking so darn gorgeous and start looking lousy. Would that elievate some of the boredom?
I give lessons if you are interested.
LOL – I guess I do it for both reasons. Part of the reason I bothered to take portraits at all is because I hadn’t shared any in awhile, so that was more for blog readers than myself. But in the end I got something out of it too.
Good luck with the class! Love the feathers. Yesterday I saw some cool shoes/moccasins from 500-1300 that were all made out of turkey feathers!
LOL – those aren’t feathers at all, that’s a wig I cut a hole in and stuck my head through!
I just love that look in the second photo! You look so absolutely gorgeous and very beautiful! And that is such a TV sitcom look, you look better than any of the actresses that I see on TV in some of those sitcoms. I don’t watch sitcoms but check them once in awhile if I’m surfing.
It doesn’t look like you use a lot of makeup but what you do use, looks so purrfect! I really think now that you are as good or better than even most makeup artists with your level of results!
I use a ton of stuff for photos. But most of my makeup is MAC. For wild color I also LOVE LimeCrime – really out there stuff that’s organic and wears well!
I like the peaking out image, made me think of Kenny 🙂
Ha ha – thanks!