Promoting Passion Week 71: Simple Self-Portraiture

Promoting Passion Week 71: Simple Self-Portraiture

Ever since I started photography I have loved simplicity. Heck, even when I was in film school I would always think to myself: Can’t we just use natural light? And so when I discovered I had full control over my camera and what I produced with it, I ditched the lights and the confusion in favor of simplicity. I have always loved photographing against a blank white wall, and still crave shoots like that. I used to spend hours brainstorming what I could put in front of a white wall that I haven’t done before.

A little while ago I found a big black feather and took it home with me, hoping to use it for a photo. I promptly forgot about it until it suddenly appeared in my car, and I decided to put it to use. I love the way that the human form can be so evocative, expressing emotion much the same way as our faces. Contorting a certain way, lighting a certain way, and through editing we are able to create atmosphere with almost no help from outside elements. In this case I wore an ace bandage and made sure the lighting was more severe than I normally utilize.

I chose to pose against a wall that had only one light source: a window coming from the left. After that, it became simple to find a pose that felt right, and the shoot was over quickly.

How often do you use a white wall or blank canvas to create your art? Share it if you’ve shot it!

19 thoughts on “Promoting Passion Week 71: Simple Self-Portraiture

  1. Your work is so inspirational I love to use blank walls as a canvas to portray the image the way I envisage it…

  2. Ack! So close! I forgot I had added a tree line at the bottom. This was my first attempt at a composite:
    https://www.facebook.com/ElisabethonEarth/photos/pb.126756794068681.-2207520000.1433175900./795650317179322/?type=3&theater

    I have been drawn to the idea of creating more images with plainer backgrounds, though, like the one I did for the Caterpillar Walk. (Thank you for including it on the table display at the Walk, btw! xo)
    https://www.facebook.com/ElisabethonEarth/photos/a.568043906606632.1073741828.126756794068681/802625606481793/?type=3&theater

    I hope you are enjoying your travels! E.

  3. Aside from being an amazing and inspiring photographer I think you truly are the master of light and colour. Watching the video about how you created that image still blows me. I love how you are so unpretentious about your work and abilities, always willing to share your ideas and not afraid to be honest about how they are created. Simplicity is beauty is its best form xxxx

  4. BrooOOook – where are yooou, i’m so waiting for your next vid, they are soooo inspireing to me…

  5. This is really nice post. This post has really impress me through its quality writing. In this article i watch some new writing style which is really nice. So thanks for sharing such a awesome post.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *