It's been a while since I've played with black and white. And it's been a while since I had a camera I really enjoy using. I just got a Nikon D7500 after using a 10-year-old Canon Powershot SX30 for way too long. I decided what better way to familiarize myself with this new beast than to capture images of things around my apartment and enter the images in the monomad challenge?
Self Portrait (main entry):
A self portrait is much different from a selfie in that the photographer has to find the balance between ego (what looks good to the self) and capturing an artistic representation of the subject (what looks good to the viewer). I hang out with crows a lot, and spend a good deal of time every day looking up into the trees. Although this was shot in my bathroom, I feel it still captures the essence of my most current self. Admittedly, there are a few things that make me cringe when I look at it as a selfie, but I like how it came out as art.
Anyone can take a black and white shot of shiny things and lights if they just want something that looks cool. To challenge myself with these types of images, I try to create a scene that inspires curiosity and desire.
I ask myself, does this picture make me want to be there?
Does it make me want to know more?
Of course, I live in this apartment. I've spent more time in this apartment in the past year than I will probably spend in the next decade, so I know these little places. I know their stories. The trick is to find a way to make them look new... to me.
How many times have I looked at this clock? Thousands. But how many times have I actually SEEN it? That crack in the plastic. The shadows cast by the hands. The pock marks, dust, and grit.
Maybe I should clean it.