We were challenged in my Awake Photoshop course to take on a project – to make 30 images on a theme and to concentrate on learning as we go. At the same time I was also taking part in Brooke Shaden’s 30 Days of Creativity and it sparked an idea for my challenge – to do a set of intimate self portraits.
Since my last effort I have acquired a wireless remote which made the process a lot easier but also provided much in the way of learning. First problem was that my L bracket doesn’t fit when the remote is plugged into the socket.
Good ole Kiwi ingenuity, I stacked up a pile of books on my office chair and padded it with some clothing til I got it at vaguely the right height and used that as my tripod and it mostly worked.
Set the camera up in manual ISO 400, F5.6 and manual focus. The wireless remote was dead easy to use but its quite large and not easy to hide in your hand. I also discovered when viewing my images that it shines a bright white light when it activates too!
These have been edited in PS to add some texture and structure to the edges, just a touch for added interest and depth, and it warmed up the tone of the image nicely.
Because I had the remote I was able to take a LOT more images and experiment much more and be more flexible. It has other benefits with being able to focus as well (haven’t tried that yet) and I can use it with landscapes and long exposures, so a useful addition to my kit.
I know this kind of thing isn’t to everyone’s taste but it has been a very interesting experiment with many learnings. Not sure where its going to take me, and it might be a while, but this journey is not finished yet.
A little cheeky, a little provocative and revealing? What do you think?
Learning to See Light 
You are definitely braver than I am. Love them.
Thanks Raewyn, its all in the lighting and the processing 🙂
I signed up for Susan Tuttle’s iphone self-portraiture course but never got far into it because of the problem of achieving good selfies. Now I know that the answer is a remote control for it. Love the effects you are achieving.
Carol aka Traveller (fellow Awake student)
Yes a wireless remote is pretty much a necessity as I discovered after my first couple of goes. The next step would be to shoot tethered but I like the spontanaeity of what I get at the moment
Very brave and very well done.
Thanks, I truly don’t understand why people say its brave. Is it so very shocking that someone is prepared for the world to see them naked?
It is in some quarters, the female nipple is banned from Facebook and Instagram. We live in a strange world.
And yet my image was sucessfully posted on FB