(a fun and casual blog)
This project was done in the confines of my bedroom this year after visiting many museums. I wanted to experiment with light and (to be honest) picture myself on museum walls. (Not a school project, just self-interest!) All photos are captioned so go ahead and read them! Allez-y!
Objects needed: A self-timed camera, a mirror, any 2 lights (acting as one key and one fill light, both to mimic candlelight), a backdrop (my beautiful curtain), inspiration, basic Photoshop skills, and 1 dog.
When subjects in portraits are turned away, the lack of acknowledgement allows the observer to gaze in. Then comes a stream of questions one must ask: What is it that they’re looking at? Why did the artist have them face away? What is their reaction, their body language? Etc.. Powerful stuff. This frame originally held a Van Gogh, and I photoshopped myself in. As for the painterly effects, I used a free app on on my iPhone called "Art Photo" by Chirag Finaviya.
I am actually sitting-on-my-feet-kneeling on the floor for all of these shots. I wonder if this full disclosure edition makes these photos lose their magic. Anyways, u lucky. You get to know how I did these! Keep reading on!
Artists, including painters as well as sculptors, have long been attempting to mimic the liveliness of humans for figurative and dramatic purposes. For this shot, I wanted be expressive and show a bit of movement. So, I waited for the timer and struck this pose. I'm just smiling at the floor..LOL
This is a raw photo from the camera. You can see me in the background behind the mirror..haha in shorts too! I had my model (Katashi) pose for me as I tried to 1) pinpoint my light correctly and 2) have the subject in focus. It had to be taken at an angle, because the mirror would have reflected the camera. I then straightened the photo frame in post.
I am very proud how this turned out with very little post. I only increased the exposure and cropped it. Note that this is with an actual mirror which I got from Walmart. Luckily, I had a light where I could change the temperature settings, so I adjusted it for warmth to glow as if I’m lit by candlelight (kinda?). See the next picture to see my inspiration for this mood.
The former portrait was inspired by the painting "An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump" by Joseph Wright of Derby which I got to see in London. I think the contrast is brilliant, because it invokes an air of mysteriousness and intimacy. ... Well, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for tuning in to your spontaneous friend and unofficial art critic. That's all folks!