Itchy ;

I am a little itchy... And here's why:

I love being an "aspiring photographer". However, I have come to notice that I am never in photos because I am always the one behind the camera. In the days when MySpace consumed 90% of my daily activity, I snapped photos of myself all the time. But I haven't struggled with that addiction in over a year.

I keep thinking that I should have some really nice photos of myself taken, but I can't bring myself to pay $200+ for something (that, with a little help) I could do myself. Well, hope came today in the mail in the form of a Canon RC-1 remote control. This little guy is a God-send! Complete with batteries it was ready to use as soon as I opened the box. The little gadget allows me to take pictures from just about anywhere simply by clicking the remote!

To test it out, I headed out to a nearby golf course and had my own personal photo shoot!

(Click to Enlarge)

There are a few things about taking "Selfies" that are not often mentioned. The following examples are just a few thoughts I had while executing my project:

1. Who is supposed to hold the camera while I prance around in front of it?
2. How do I know the camera is focusing on me and not on something else?
3. I feel like such an idiot. Thank goodness there aren't that many people around...
4. Hmm how should I pose?

All of these dilemmas were quickly resolved. I forgot my tripod, so I just put the camera on my flip-flips on the ground. That is why I am either sitting or laying down in every shot, and thus the cause of the itching! To be honest I was really pleased with A LOT of the photos I got from the impromptu shoot, but with regards to Question #2, most of them didn't turn out. Below is a collage of a few of the "Reject" shots.

I really did feel like an idiot. Passers-by must have wondered why this strange girl was smiling and laughing at absolutely nothing. I love that there was a grounds keeper on the course who came to check if I was all right. He said it was "a little strange to see someone get of their car and start rolling on the grass." However, I knew if I wanted a good shot, I would have to humble myself and endure these slight humiliations.

Bottom line is, I got some great shots, but I still need a ton of practice. I figure if I can master the art of Self portraiture, it can only help my other photos. Just remember, if you're ever out and about and see a little blond girl dancing, spinning, staring/making faces at nothing; it's best to continue on as if you didn't see anything. It will make things less awkward for all parties involved.

So these are the Reject Shots. I thought I would put up a few. As you can see, they are completely different than the finished result, but I thought it would be nice to document the fact that I am still learning. From top to bottom the "errors" are as follows:

1. Clearly no kind of focus happened here. I was also too close to the camera.
2. Again with the focusing. That was absolutely the most difficult part of the "Self Portrait Take 1" project. Also, can you see the little man in the background in the red shirt? He's the one who asked if I was OK.
3. Out of focus. Also, you can tell by face (through the blur) I was getting frustrated because my remote wasn't taking pictures.
4. This might have been one of my top 5 favorites if the focus had been on me and not on the background. GRR.
5. My camera decided to take a photo while I was getting into position
6. Again, that camera must be possessed. Please disregard the undergarment who decided to show itself.
7. Blurry, and headless. I'm thinking of doing a whole "headless" series, it could be interesting, sort of "Alice in Wondeland-ish".

The next goal on my list is to be able to use my remote without it being so obvious I'm holding a remote. It makes me laugh to look at the photos and think, "maybe that girl is watching TV outside." Anyway, thanks for looking!