Self-Portrait

"EN GARDE"

This image shows two versions of me going toe to toe in a sword fight on a bleak spring day at the edge of a dock. This photo was a doozy to make, as it involved going out in the freezing rain and taking multiple photos while trying to keep the camera and sword as dry as possible. In photoshop I edited the two pictures together to create the multiple exposure effect and then turned down the color to make it as bleak as possible.

This image uses formal balance in the two similarly positioned fighters, a high horizon line, and a sharp focus. The project was originally going to be taking place in a field like one might see in a war movie like Braveheart, but I decided that the dock would be a much better way to capture any fog and the gray sky.

The image represents the aspect of me that has a hard time making decisions. When I can't decide, it often feels like I'm locked in a sword fight with myself. That is how I wanted to portray myself in this self portrait, with each side looking equally fierce and well-matched. Placing the fight in a bleak setting also shows how fighting with myself is often a bleak situation. If I were to change something, I would like to try having the swords cross.