Self-Portrait Ordeal

In retrospect, I'm not sure the venerable Rolleiflex SL66 is really the best choice as a self-portrait camera, but I still had a good time setting up this shot. The trick, of course, is to get at least something in the frame in acceptable focus, which, thankfully, I was able to do using only a single roll of Tri-X. I did end up cropping a bit to get a decent final composition. And I do really like the motion blur on the D-string and my hand and pizz finger. My left hand was responsible for actuating the shutter using an extra long release cable.  

Tasting notes: Rollei SL 66, 120 mm f/5.6 S-Planar lens, Tri-X.

Me, Myself, and I

Just channeling my inner Vivian Maier, I suppose, on this exposure. Or perhaps Lee Friedlander. Speaking of exposure, I was relieved to discover that my shadow's proportions were not grotesque on this negative, despite the low angle of the sun. Chalk one up for daily walks and intermittent fasting! 

Tasting notes: Konica Hexar AF, Pan F Plus. 

Moving by remote control

When I first learned about Vivian Maier just over a decade ago, the shear number of self portraits she shot caught my attention. It made me think about what fraction of serious photographers make images of themselves, even if these photographs are not intended to ever see the light of day. After a moment's thought, it seemed obvious that almost every photographer uses themself as a model at some point. Come on, we've all done a variation of the mirror shot; some of the best images of our teenage selves were probably captured in the bathrooms of our youth not long after acquiring our first cameras.

At a recent visit to Glenstone, I noticed some small fish making ripples in a pond as they moved about. I started photographing them. At first, I thought I would crop out my shadow, but then, I decided I liked the images better as selfies. These days technology makes it pretty easy to get decent self portraits. Back in the film days, though, you sometimes had to get a little creative. I remember once, trying to get a picture of myself using an inexpensive Polaroid camera. I ended up using a golf club to push the shutter button.

Assman

On a walk last summer, I quickly grabbed the trusty Olympus Pen S half frame camera. It had been sitting unused on the shelf for several months and the shutter was sticking a little. But black and white negative film handles over exposure very well and I was happy with the motion blur on these self portraits. But man, does the projection angle ever exaggerate the size of the bum in photographs. I was tempted to correct the perspective in Photoshop, but I got a handle on my vanity and posted them as is.