Crow's Eye

Crow's Eye, a photo by DeForestRanger on Flickr.

Most of my self-portraits involve one of three things, a) my relationship with the outdoors, b) costumery or c) a galloping fit of the sillies. In the first case, I have posed on trail in every season of the year or in my Park Service uniform. In the second case, I have appeared variously as a schoolmarm from the md-1800s, a belly-dancer, a pirate, a member of the crew of the starship Enterprise D, a desperado on a wanted poster, and a variety of other different disguises. Admittedly, the b) category could largely be put into the same file as the c) category, but I generally reserve c) for such things as the madwoman behind the bathroom door or the head isolated on a fencepost. The one thing I had not done yet was a shot which I have admired in other photographers' portfolios: a high-key artsy shot with the camera half-concealing the face. There is nothing of the outdoors, silliness or costumery in this image (seriously, there is NO costumery, if you take my meaning) and post-processing saved the day by rescuing an otherwise lacklustre shot.

Pushing beyond your comfort zone...that's what photography is all about. Without a willingness to explore new ideas and techniques, you can have no growth as a photographer.