Week 7 ~ Self Portrait

1. My immediate response of this photo is “buh”, I mean honestly, does anyone actually like self portraits?! :) The extreme values represented probably stand out to me the most. The glow that is portrayed in the lower right corner contrasts nicely with the darkness in the left side of my face and left arm. I like the way that this photo shows how there aren’t exactly lines in the face, just shadows and values that form the features. I think this distinction is shown best in the way that the light outlines the features on the edge of my face and how the darker shadows create depth in my eyes.

2. The photo is a black and white self portrait of me. I took the picture with my left hand; my body and face are facing sideways so my gaze is not directly at the camera. There is a strong light source coming from the lower right hand side of the picture plain that casts highlights on the right side of my body and face. The wall behind me is lighter than my body in the foreground but there are some darker values of shading in the upper corners of the background. My shirt is a very dark shade which compliments nicely with that lighter background.

3. Although this photograph is somewhat pixilated, the contrast in values and shading makes it an interesting one. My body covers most of the picture plane but the way that the lighting is placed creates a focal poing on my face which is in the proximity of using the rule of thirds. The line quality is unique in the picture because of the distinct shapes that are formed through the contrasting values. I chose to make the photograph black and white because I felt it portrayed the differences more effectively. So even though the photo is of me and I don’t like it very much, I think the composition is a pleasing one.

4. I did not intend for this photograph to tell a story but if I was to look at it for the first time I think I would try to find a story within the girl. The emotion is subtle and soft; the expression on the face seems thoughtful. In some ways, the contrast in values adds to the story, it sets the mood and I feel that it ultimately makes the photograph stronger. If I could name this picture in one word it would probably be reflections. I chose this word because when I look at this picture I see a girl who is deep in thought and reflection; looking towards the light and finding a brighter side.

5. Ingres does a beautiful job of painting portraits, both clothed and nude. Many of the paintings and drawings that I saw did not showcontrast as strongly as the lighting on the face as mine did. The paintings are in color instead of black and white like my photo but her drawings are done without color. A major difference between our works is that the paintings and drawings were placed in a setting with details whereas I have a blank wall behind me. Some similarities that we have include the subject matter being a person and most of the facial reflections are very soft and relaxed much like mine.