Thoughts on this self portrait?

[visualdiary]

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Taken with Leica Q, light is actually coming from a flash light which I cannot recommend, it’s very annoying for the eyes lol 

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[frame-it]

i like the colors, with that hint of blue on top

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[Louis]

The contrast caused by flash could always be decreased. But I am curious to see this shot without the background  double image. Using a flash is rarely recommendable, indeed, but very useful in some cases.

BTW, welcome to the forum; we are in great lack of women photographers.  

[elmars]

Great photo: Good framing, good colors and brilliant idea.

[visualdiary]

1 hour ago, Louis said:

The contrast caused by flash could always be decreased. But I am curious to see this shot without the background  double image. Using a flash is rarely recommendable, indeed, but very useful in some cases.

BTW, welcome to the forum; we are in great lack of women photographers.  

I actually meant a real flashlight, the one you carry around outside when it’s dark 😄 As I thought a strobe or speed flash would be hard to control, on top of myself being in front of the camera. 
 

And thank you - for the words and the welcome. I’ll see if I can get to use this forum more, but having a mayor photographic crises, so its very different what I produce and often I don’t really like the end result 🎃 

[fotografr]

Interesting, different, creative. Kudos for going your own way. In my book that's always worth a positive comment. As with most art, some will like it and some won't. All that matters is that you're happy with it. Photographic crisis happens to us all from time to time. It comes with the territory. 

Welcome to the forum! As Louis pointed out this forum is far too heavily weighted with male contributors. 

[elmars]

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vor 3 Stunden schrieb visualdiary:

having a mayor photographic crises

Your photo doesn't look like a photographic crisis.

[Louis]

3 hours ago, visualdiary said:

I actually meant a real flashlight, the one you carry around outside when it’s dark 😄 As I thought a strobe or speed flash would be hard to control, on top of myself being in front of the camera. 
 

And thank you - for the words and the welcome. I’ll see if I can get to use this forum more, but having a mayor photographic crises, so its very different what I produce and often I don’t really like the end result 🎃 

I also meant the kind of flash you mount on your camera. I rarely use them, but took one last night for some night shooting in the street. It is the small Leica SF24D and no way to control it. The result was far from being satisfactory, but I had to use it at night anyway.

Please, do post more often and I am sure, it would be inspiring for many of us. 😅

[visualdiary]

1 hour ago, elmars said:

Your photo doesn't look like a photographic crisis.

It’s a missing continuity, I’m having a hard time with. This is some of the others I’ve done, (I mostly like the last), but the styles are from a to z and I can’t seem to find just one , when doing self portraits. 
 

 

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[bcorton]

Louis, I think she means what in British English is called a “torch.”  “Flashlight” here in the States. 

[pop]

19 minutes ago, visualdiary said:

I can’t seem to find just one

I can't quite see why you feel the need for a consistent style for your selfies or, indeed, your work. Why don't just you declare this to be your experimental phase?

I think the personal style of any artist should derive from her body of work, and not the other way round. Until style appears, try expressing yourself in as many ways that occur to you, and then some.

[bcorton]

And, to the OP, I like the creativity and diversity of your images. I wouldn’t try to find or settle on a style. One will emerge naturally enough from your explorations the way one’s handwriting coalesces into a “style.” 
I’ve been down this road, and am now an old guy full of free advice.😎

footnote: The word “style” derives in fact from “stylus” and in denotation suggests the handwriting analogy.

edit: and I see pop has posted much the same advice while I was composing. 

Edited December 4, 2022 by bcorton

[fotografr]

1 hour ago, visualdiary said:

It’s a missing continuity, I’m having a hard time with. This is some of the others I’ve done, (I mostly like the last), but the styles are from a to z and I can’t seem to find just one , when doing self portraits. 
 

 

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Continuity is overrated. I think these are very good, thought provoking and creative. I can see a clearly defined style emerging. 

[visualdiary]

I appreciate your thoughts! It’s good questions and ways to see it at, something to think about for me. 

[elmars]

vor 10 Stunden schrieb visualdiary:

It’s a missing continuity, I’m having a hard time with. This is some of the others I’ve done, (I mostly like the last), but the styles are from a to z and I can’t seem to find just one , when doing self portraits. 
 

 

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Once again great pictures!

Photographic style can be once that the images have a high degree of recognition and look like from one cast. But it can also be limited to recurring image or style elements. And a style can be so subtle that it is recognizable but very difficult to describe. You are somewhere on the border of the second and third, according to what you have shown here.

More important than that, I think, is a unifying theme - such as self-portraits. When you have some photographic practice, a style for a thematic series comes almost automatically. Some of what you photograph for it may not fit. But you notice that as the series progresses and can leave it out.

Conclusion: I still can't see any reason for a crisis with you. On the contrary, the images shown fit together perfectly.

[visualdiary]

Well, never the less, the crisis is real, lol. I think about it all the time and I feel frustrated and annoyed with myself. 
I do have photographic practise, I’ve went to school for 3 years (good for my technique, not so good for a clear style), and been shooting for almost 10 years..

I know photography is a never ending journey and this is also why I love it, but it feels like I’m in between something old and something new, and I’m stuck here.
Self portraits are new for me, and I think I lack a clear definition of what I actually want a series to tell, but I can’t find the answers. 

[elmars]

I know such phases. Wait, be attentive, but don't try to force anything. Then the right thing will occur to you - or catch your eye.

[pop]

1 hour ago, visualdiary said:

Self portraits are new for me, and I think I lack a clear definition of what I actually want a series to tell,

That would explain your dilemma more than the absence of style. When you don't know what to say, you will not be able to find out how to say "it".

Defining a target audience might be helpful. Who's going to see the series? Are you going to publish a book or starting an exhibition or merely a portfolio web site? Can you think of an inspiring or provoking or otherwise remarkable working title for a series of selfies? Are you too shy to actually 'force' a largish number of your likenesses on your audience? (I notice that you did not tell us your name, which is ok but might be telling).

Given your moniker here, you might think of a series showing some kind of diary. It also might be helpful to think of a series that is interspersed with but not restricted to selfies. But first, I think, comes thinking of an audience, and be it only an audience of one.

[visualdiary]

55 minutes ago, pop said:

That would explain your dilemma more than the absence of style. When you don't know what to say, you will not be able to find out how to say "it".

Defining a target audience might be helpful. Who's going to see the series? Are you going to publish a book or starting an exhibition or merely a portfolio web site? Can you think of an inspiring or provoking or otherwise remarkable working title for a series of selfies? Are you too shy to actually 'force' a largish number of your likenesses on your audience? (I notice that you did not tell us your name, which is ok but might be telling).

Given your moniker here, you might think of a series showing some kind of diary. It also might be helpful to think of a series that is interspersed with but not restricted to selfies. But first, I think, comes thinking of an audience, and be it only an audience of one.

Oh what great thoughts. Thank you so much. I will sit down, and try to make a focus! And even try to shoot more regularly and wait with the sorting, to see if something pops up, when looking at the images taken in different settings, moods, time of day etc. 

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Hallo,

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[pop]

As thoughts are cheap, here come some more:

Both the thread and your photos appear to be lacking a bit in ... playfulness, joy, whackiness, fun ? which is, of course, consistent with your conundrum.

Technically, your samples are well executed, perhaps even too well. However, I don't think that there would be much of a difference in appearance had you taken pictures of your cat rather than selfies. How can you convince us that these are pictures that are unmistakably representations of yourself, the photographer, and not of someone or something else? Personally, I've often thought that making and showing selfies consists to a good bit of clowning as well, somehow An Importance Of Not Being Earnest.

Both may or may not have to do with your not having any audience with whom you would like to share your fun of doing 'incorrect' photographs.