Assignment 5b:

Self-portraiture

"The Headshot"

I was very excited for this activity as it was something I was definitely looking forward to being challenged by, and challenged I was. Don't get it twisted, I was also extremely nervous about how it would turn out, as I have never really been into taking self-portraits and have always been more intrigued with action shots or the candid side of photography. Sad to say, I am also a part of a society that has posting in mind when I do photography, more than the technicality of the photography. I was also a lot more inspired and eager to do the “candid” shot as it felt a lot like a “creative” shot that you're given in a yearbook, which I had a lot more fun taking, as it feels kind of like taking an editorial. I was intimidated by not being fully behind the camera and unable to adjust settings, so I put aside a lot more time to accomplish the task. I also did not have lighting equipment, and especially for my candid, I was definitely making do with the lighting I had available and near me.

I started thinking about what concept I would use for the portrait and the candid. Initially, for the portrait, the first thing that came to mind to make it just a bit interesting was “Aura photography” or Kirlian Photography, which is supposedly supposed to show you what your “aura” looks like. I was drawn to the colorful style that makes the subject look whimsical and like a memory. It also reminded me of sunsets and gradients, which are bright and fun!

For the setup, I used one of our clothing racks at home and draped cloth over it to act as a backdrop. I ended up having to steam the fabric as the creases were bothering me and were visible in photos. Once the backdrop was set up, I placed my laptop behind it and played a random “gradient backdrop” video from YouTube to act as the light source and backlighting. Once that was done, I took many test shots and shots of myself until I found a combination of settings I liked. I initially thought I would use flash, but ended up liking the look of the photos without flash in the end.

For the technical aspects of the headshot, this process took me much longer than the candid, as the lighting was definitely more challenging to figure out. I did a lot of troubleshooting via my iPad to see the results of the adjusted setting in real time. I used the ISO of 800 again as I found that higher sensitivity made the image lose color. For the aperture, I used f1.8 to allow a lot of light to come through and for my face to appear lit. I used a higher shutter speed, 1/20s, which made the image crisper in the low lighting.

"The Candid"

For the candid shot, my idea was more concrete. Initially, I wanted to take it on the streets of Bangkok while they would celebrate the Thai version of New Year's, Songkran. My friends and I learned 2 weeks before our trip that our first day in Thailand would also coincide with Songkran, which was kind of a problem as our hotel was pretty centrally located. It seemed like getting wet during a water festival would be inevitable. My idea of shooting my photo outside completely disappeared as we were not even ready, dressed, or actively participating in the festivities; we had already been targeted with many water guns before we even had a chance to grab lunch.

I was forced to rethink my shot and the lighting I would use, as I would not shoot outside. Instead, as we took a break from the festivities in our hotel room, I decided it was kind of the perfect time to take my portrait. I was still wet and armed with a water gun, so with a hotel-provided lamp, my trusty Canon G7x connected to my iPad to use as a trigger, I took what I would call my battle shots.

I placed my camera on our desk, positioned the lamp as a sort of spotlight, put my iPad near me for easy triggering, and struck a few poses. I think the pictures encapsulated my competitiveness and kind of the energy of the day and the activities ahead. I look fondly at the photos as they remind me of my first Songkran.

Now, for the technical aspect of things, I used an ISO of 800 as the direct light from the lamp was quite strong, making the image slightly overexposed. I used the shutter speed of 1/40s as I was still while the photo was being taken and didn’t need a faster shutter speed. My aperture was f1.8 so that I would be the image's primary focus, and the background would not be the focus at all. The photo was taken with all the blinds down, all the lights off (aside from the lamp), and no flash.

Reflection

This assignment really put into action most, if not all, that I learned from this course. The technical aspects of photography took the forefront in my two photos and my mind as I could sit down and focus on the difference all the settings and adjustments make. I have grown to have a deeper appreciation and understanding of photographers, especially those who can map light in a way I can only hope to understand. I definitely think I tried my best and was able to make use of my circumstances and what I had learned. I'm proud of my work, but I also know I have much room to improve and hope to do so in the future. I believe my images also uniquely reflect who I am and reflect well on the type of person I am. I am also glad I chose to do this option instead of Assignment 5a, as I think I was also able to learn more and apply my learnings in a more practical way.

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