I was very excited at the prospect of the self portrait project when we first assigned it. I thought that a fantastic idea would pop into my head, and all of a sudden I would have and original and unique photo of myself, representing me perfectly. But of course that didn't happen. I went home they weekend we were given the project, and all the ideas that did come to me just weren't working.
I then began to think about how personal a self portrait could be and that thought started to freak me out a bit. Creating an honest portrait of oneself is quite daunting. So I started of with something familiar safe that defines me, my home.
I know this photo isn't of me, but I thought it was a good base to start from. This also meant I would have to brush up on my photoshop skills to incorporate myself into this image. I began to think of how I feel when I sit in my garden alone. It feels like the most private place in the world, almost like you're in another world altogether. This gave me the idea of presenting me in my favourite place as a kind of paradise in an obvious sense. So, I proceeded to look for things in magazines that I could decorate my image with, photograph them and photoshop them in.
Each decoration has it's own meaning. The flowers and and tree collage show a softness and delicacy. The chandelier, the lamps and the sun show the brightness I feel in this space. The doors that open onto this photo are there to give a sense that I am only letting the viewer see a certain part of my world. This is also why my back is turned, to make it almost like the viewer is interrupting a private moment, showing my as vulnerable. I am a different colour from the background to make me stand out from the fantasy like background and to show me as the only realistic thing in this image. Finally, I added in the folds in the photo for a few reasons. Again, to make this quite a private portrait, as if the viewer has come across this image folded away among other things, not meant to be seen. The folds also gave the image an aged look and made me think no matter how old I get I can always return to this place. Overall, this might not seem like your typical exposing self portrait, but it certainly is filled with many elements that a very personal to me.
Each decoration has it's own meaning. The flowers and and tree collage show a softness and delicacy. The chandelier, the lamps and the sun show the brightness I feel in this space. The doors that open onto this photo are there to give a sense that I am only letting the viewer see a certain part of my world. This is also why my back is turned, to make it almost like the viewer is interrupting a private moment, showing my as vulnerable. I am a different colour from the background to make me stand out from the fantasy like background and to show me as the only realistic thing in this image. Finally, I added in the folds in the photo for a few reasons. Again, to make this quite a private portrait, as if the viewer has come across this image folded away among other things, not meant to be seen. The folds also gave the image an aged look and made me think no matter how old I get I can always return to this place. Overall, this might not seem like your typical exposing self portrait, but it certainly is filled with many elements that a very personal to me.
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