Oh the dreaded self-portrait! As photographers, we ask people to smile, lean in, move a little to the left, a little to the right, sit up straight, act like you like each other, and so on. We’re always saying as we snap away, “the photo looks great!” or “Relax, you look beautiful!” and then wonder why people can’t stand having their photo taken. And then we turn the camera on ourselves. Ugh. Yuck. My heartbeat races a bit just typing this. I hate taking a self-portrait. HATE IT. So when the next assignment for the photography group I’m participating in came up as “take a self-portrait,” I sighed, a really big sigh, and not in a good way. (The group includes photographer friends who are going through the assignments in Chris Orwig’s book People Pictures as an exercise in creating authentic photos.)

So in an attempt to create an authentic self-portrait, the book suggested several exercises to help define who we are based on interests, past experiences and future goals. One exercise included listing 30 words to describe yourself. That was tough. But “goofy, artsy, fun-loving, and laid-back” were at the top of the list. And with that in mind, when I thought about what really defines me right now – besides photography and being a mom to two busy, busy boys – the one word that kept coming up was “laundry.” Yep, laundry. It haunts me. It never ends. I’ll spend an entire day doing load after load and assume I’m done. Then both boys take a bath, the hubbie puts on his “lounging pants” and suddenly the hamper is full again. I’ve heard stories of people who do laundry every day but seriously! Who wants to do that?!

So how could I work my goofy, artsy, fun-loving self in with laundry? Head to the laundry room, of course! I enlisted the help of my sons who took turns hiding behind the door to cover me with laundry. They also snapped photos along with my husband who was rolling his eyes at the insanity of it all. But he married me!

And yes I cringe looking at the photo. Why is it so painful to see yourself when you so easily photograph and edit the magnified details of clients each week? Who knows but I’ve done it, here it is, and hopefully I won’t have to do a self-portrait again for some time.

 

Please continue in the blog circle and check out

Scott Jambor’s Portrait Project – http://myportraitproject.blogspot.com/