Self Portraits

Have you ever taken a self-portrait?  Turned the camera on yourself?

I am taking another workshop at http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/ and was tasked with taking a picture of myself.  I tried to do it a few weeks ago after admiring Georgia's portraits over at http://www.itsjusthowiseethings.blogpost.com/, but was not happy with the result.  So when I saw that I would have to try again, I was mixed with emotion.  I was happy to give it another go, but apprehensive that I wouldn't be satisfied yet again.

And I was right.

I took shot after shot.

I tried different spots in my bedroom.  (I had to hide in there, because I didn't want to explain myself to my husband or kids.)


I shot.

I deleted.

I processed in Photoshop.  and then...

I couldn't help but make fun of myself.

After posting my second shot, which is above, I went and spent sometime in the class gallery.  I saw how other people captured themselves and although I am truly not surprised, most had a hard time with it.  They took a lot of shots.  They deleted.  They used the healing tool in Photoshop.  And on the rare shot, they showed us themselves. 

Raw.

Natural.

Unaltered.

Beautiful.

I have to say that those are the shots I loved the most.  The ones that I felt really showed the woman.  Showed their strength.  Showed them, raw, natural, unaltered, and beautiful.  I find courage and strength from the woman that did.  I think it is beautiful and I thank you for sharing your raw natural beauty!

Blog Hop

I am so excited!  I am participating in my first ever Blog Hop!!!  Yahoo!!

Because I was mourning the end of the Picture Winter workshop that I took at http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/, I decided to sign up for another workshop. I mentioned it in another post. It is called One Little Word.  The premise is that you pick on word an make that your focus for the year.  Embrace your word, live your word, and change your life because of your word.

You know what "they" say about noticing the good around it?  "They" say that it becomes a habit.  You know what I mean.  When things aren't going quit the way you want it is easy to focus on those things, but it is a bit harder to stayed focus on exploring all the positive things around you. 

My word this year is Joy.  People have chosen words like Light, Faith, Focus, etc.  What would your word be?

Check in on Tuesday, March 1 and see what my fellow bloggers chose for their word and how they captured it in their photography in the month of February.

I Lost 3/4.

Yes, I lost 3/4.

3/4 of what you ask?

3/4 of a mile.

The other day I discovered something. It is something that I have discovered many time before, but slowly forgot. I discovered that I love the gym.

Yes, I said, it.

I love the gym and that is where I lost 3/4 of a mile.

I started running again in January 2010, but like I do every year, I stop excercising around mid-summer and don't start again until the following year. Yes, I gain weight. Yes, I feel out of shape. Yes, I have done it every year for YEARS!

Today I returned and had so much fun at the gym. Although I love the way excersing makes me feel and there are days that I am in my own little world at the gym, today wasn't one of those days. Today I did some people watching and there was a lot of it!

I started to run and looked to my right and saw a guy in his mid 20's on the elliptical banging his head. Yes, banging his head to his music. It was hysterical. Then I looked to his right and saw a woman dancing on the elliptical. Yes, dancing! I can't even explain it. You had to see it for yourself. I was holding back my smile, because I didn't want to look like some crazy lady smiling while running on the treadmill.

I didn't want to smile, because someone might think I was crazy; yet these people let it all out. They don't care. They aren't self conscience. They do their thing!

Although I don't consider myself self conscience, it is times like these when I discover that I really am. I would never enjoy my music and bang my head or dance like no one was watching in the middle of the gym. I just wouldn't. I wonder if that makes me sane or crazy.