take a look at yourself

do you ever take self-portrait photos -- either via the mirror or using a timer or with a long, extended arm? i've tried a few times since i have become a picture-taking fiend a little over a year ago. but each time i have attempted this, i am very unhappy with the results.

i feel i look too strange in them, especially when i try to hold the camera out with my arm, facing the lens toward me. the extended arm does funny things to my neck and makes me look completely different than how i see myself. {and, oh, how i hope it is different than how others see me!}

but with my crossover from 37 into 38 {and 40 quickly approaching}, i wanted to try to artistically capture the person i am right now. the real me. the "girl" who stopped caring about what she looks like in a mirror or to others because she's too busy looking outwardly at all the things her camera might capture. the one who will throw on any old clothes and pull back her less-than-perfect hair in a clip to go out and take pictures. or even to stay in and shoot what her little eyes can find.

still, this girl would like to look at least somewhat nice in a photo -- whether taken by myself or by another. so i was pleased when i finally got some shots that i was not quick to delete. and to be honest, it's not even the "me" part of the photos that i like that much. it's the surroundings. i took them in my bedroom because the amount of natural light was best in there. i loved how the shade on the bedside light looks in most of these shots. and i loved the texture that the dusty mirror lent to the photos.

i know these are blurry and dusty photos {... something i like, since it hides the flaws and blemishes that are beginning to appear with age}. but the artistic look i achieved in them was exactly what i was hoping for. {well... it's artistic to me, anyway. i know it may not be a style that is liked by everyone else.} i also love the coloring in these. i'm only posting these four here, but you can see the rest of the set on my flickr site.




i'm finding {with age} that i am less and less comfortable in my own skin. sometimes i'm downright uncomfortable. but with these shots, i felt a little more at ease. not so self-conscious. a little more relaxed and accepting of my outward self. perhaps i can also do the same with my inward self -- a little self-portrait {in the form of words} of the me that is attached to this shell. but i'll save that for another post.

so what's your take on photographing yourself? yay? or nay?