JANUARY 8, 2016 

In case you didn’t see my prior post, I’m participating in the Dogwood Photography 52 Week Photo Challenge. Yep. You read that right. An ENTIRE YEAR, one photo a week. Can I do it? We’ll see.

First assignment?

52 WEEK PHOTO CHALLENGE

 Week 1: Portrait/Self Portrait

Start things off right with a “selfie”! Explore the self timer setting on your camera.

I’m no stranger to taking shots of myself using the self timer. Usually when someone needs a picture for an article or something, I stick the camera on a tripod and do it myself. Even most of my author shots are self portraits. Tough part is nailing the focus. Framing I can usually intuitively get.

Figures this week–the SELF PORTRAIT week–I got sick. Like, nasty messy sick. The second I felt the vileness grabbing hold, I snagged this shot below, in my news van, editing video of a swift water rescue during a rain storm. Not a bad image, but more snapshot-ish than I wanted even though I lit the shot.

And then I thought, hey! Let’s push vanity aside and embrace the sickness. Here I am in bed with no makeup and my best friend, the Kleenex. Brian thought the picture was gross, even though I told him the tissues were clean… SO… moving on.

In the end, doing the self portrait with my favorite creature on the planet (other than Brian) made the most sense… Miss Bondorella.

I experimented with a few different lighting methods. The drama and contrast in the above pic worked best. Editing the picture, I pulled the contrast up and the color down.

Below is a more washed out look, with lots of light on in the garage in addition to the key light. Didn’t like the reflections in the windshield nor the loss of detail in Bondorella’s steel.

Here’s a more direct, flat light on the face, with more light inside the cab (notice the blanket and sticker in the rear window). This got my second place.

And there it is. Way too much of me.

See ya next Saturday for assignment Number 2. Landscape.

Until then…

Later Gators!